Montessori Isn't Just for Babies
An Argument for Montessori Middle Schools and the Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod
by Christine Chapman
www.CapeCodKidz.com
I don’t think there’s a time more difficult, awkward and painful than the middle school years. Middle School should be a time for great exploration and growth; a time when there’s too much to experience to be sitting chained to a desk. There’s too much extra energy coursing through an average middle school student’s veins for these students to stay still and focus for long stretches of time. That’s why so many middle school students in traditional settings all over the world have mastered the arts of doodling, pen spinning, hair twirling, etc.
Maria Montessori pointed this out and sought to build a whole middle school model based on what she believed to be developmental changes that were universal and specific to the middle school age range. In her vision of the ideal middle school, there was no room with desks and chairs set all in a row. Instead, students would be out on the farm, in the fields exploring. They would be approaching every aspect of learning in a hands-on manner. Contrary to popular belief, Montessori learning is not just for infants and toddlers. In fact, Maria Montessori built an educational philosophy that spanned from birth through to age 21!
I remember those awful middle school years when I lived with a persistent, horrible empty feeling in the pit of my stomach that was part of my daily life. I fit in everywhere and nowhere. I felt restless and depressed. I was overweight, unhappy and overly pensive. I remember doodling and writing poetry in class, to pass the time and allow for some creative daydreaming. I could have used more exercise and movement in my life; I wasn’t much of an athlete. I felt isolated and alone most of the time. Academically, I did fine at school. But I remember wanting more, not knowing what the restlessness meant.
It wasn’t until I was introduced to Montessori schools that I understood that there was a possible answer and approach to that middle school angst I know so many of us remember as part of that middle school time in our lives.
When I first visited Cape Cod Montessori School in the spring of 2009, they were in the Alchemy Building next to Coonamesset Farm in Falmouth, MA. Since then, the school has changed a great deal. Abby Rhoads and Amy Fish have replaced Jeff Allen and Joanne Jarzobski as teachers and the school has committed to the mission of serving middle school students only. As its Facebook Page announces proudly on May 5, 2011:
“Exciting News! Our school will have both a new name and a new location beginning September 2011! Our name will become Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod, to reflect our commitment to early adolescent development. Our new location is at the schoolhouse building at the Old Quaker Meeting house in East Sandwich. We will continue our relationship with Coonamessett Farm by holding classes at the farm one day a week. We are getting excited about the new opportunities our move will provide!”
I’m excited about this change for the school. I think that the new schoolhouse environment will provide a much more grounded experience for teachers and students alike and I think that the opportunities for the students to really enjoy the world that Sandwich has to offer is an incredible asset to the school.
I had an opportunity to sit with Abby Rhoads and talk about how the school is changing and about how she feels to be involved in such a positive middle school experience for her students just before July 4th weekend. It was a really exciting talk. I was particularly struck by how much passion she has for what a middle school experience should be, and what a gift such an experience can be to students.
Abby expressed great enthusiasm for the program and for the wonderful students she and Amy have worked with this past year. The school continues to take what students are interested in and then create a curriculum around it. In the last year, the school has developed collaborations with 4H while their ties to Alchemy and Coonamesset Farms remain strong. In Sandwich, the school will take advantage of the proximity of the beach and the blueberry and cranberry bogs. With Heritage Museums and Gardens and Green Briar Nature Center so close, there will be a great deal of opportunity for many wonderful field trips and learning opportunities.
The schoolhouse at The Friends’ Quaker Meeting House development has a history unto itself, with a graveyard behind it and a wonderful groundskeeper and local historian who is excited to share the history right in the school’s backyard! There are plans in place for the students to build a chicken coop in the fall, and a greenhouse in the winter, to bring a little Montessori farm environment right to the new schoolhouse! And, with a kitchen upstairs, there is an opportunity for students to do some cooking as part of the curriculum as well!
What amazes me about a small school like The Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod is in all that they can do in the classroom and how much activity is a reality. You’ll notice right away just in reading about what these kids do, that they spend their days observing, talking, walking around and asking questions and doing research and that it certainly doesn’t happen stuck at a desk the whole day! In science and math, students learn by way of a very hands-on approach: obviously, there is the hands-on learning on the farm, where students can see and participate in caring for animals or tending to crops, planting, harvesting, etc. Students have done a boat-building project yearly, in which creativity, math, and science all come together as the students plan and build a boat together. It’s both skill-building and team building.
Spanish classes are also part of the week for these middle school students. In English and the humanities, the program is really exciting when you think about how in-depth students can get in a Montessori setting. This year, Abby proudly told me about how her students learned by way of Socratic seminars in both their humanities classes and book club sessions—what an empowering way to learn as opposed to the traditional classroom setting in which so many of us get stuck. Abby was able to carefully select the book club readings so that book club sessions mirrored what her students were learning in humanities: Native American literature, poetry (Native American, Shakespeare’s sonnets, as well as Seamus Heaney and Robert Frost,) and Shakespeare.
When I asked about writing at the school, I was really pleased to hear that there’s a true commitment to writing: students commit to writing each day for at least 30 minutes. The topics students choose are entirely up to them, the genre (given by the teacher) is what provides structure and uniformity to the writing exercise. Students workshop their work and learn how to draft, peer edit, revise and rewrite. I was also really pleased to learn that “workshops are also offered for specific topics like grammar, debate, health, computer skills and research skills” and that “opportunities for Creative and Physical Expression occur every week when students choose from art, desktop publishing, crafts, and wood working for Creative Expression and hiking, canoeing, and basketball for Physical Expression.” The icing on that cupcake for me was when I learned of the economics projects students have embarked on—this past year’s class has already worked on building 2 businesses (from plan to marketing to following through on the business venture.) and have managed to reap profits from both businesses!
The Alpaca is the school’s student-published newspaper. It is a great resource for families who want to get a sense of what the kids are doing at The Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod. Check it out!
It all sounds wonderful. I remember making this comment towards the end of my time with Abby. And that’s when she told me that she felt that each middle school student and his/her parents NEEDED this school. During the middle school years, kids are figuring out so much about who they are in the world. They’re struggling to fit into their communities, and to develop the skills necessary to get along well in these communities. It’s a tough time for these adolescents. What I started to truly understand is that the beauty of the small environment of a school like The a Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod is that it allows for the time and energy expenditure and experiential learning that the students need to feel safe and at ease with themselves and to connect with their peers and teachers, both in the schoolhouse and out on the farm or in the local community. The Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod offers students an amazing place for students to learn as they transition from young child to young adult.
It sounds like a great environment, doesn’t it? For me, it’s the kind of environment that potentially encourages closeness with peers and collaboration, and in doing so discourages the bullying behavior that alienates, demoralizes and unfortunately is becoming more and more prevalent in so many of our middle schools. The multi-age environment allows for students to role model and be guided by older students under the guidance of a teacher, as in the Montessori models for younger learners. I think the natural question is: who fits well into this model?
My first instinct is to say that everyone does. I want to be able to advise every middle school family to at least consider a Montessori middle school setting at least as seriously as they would a Montessori preschool setting. It’s a compelling educational model. Traditional students will absolutely thrive in such a setting. Students with ADD and ADHD would benefit from the structure and organization skills a place like The Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod teaches its students. It is potentially the perfect place (and potentially wonderful transition!) for a student who has been homeschooled and is considering a public or private school setting for high school. It’s a school that works well with multiple learning styles, has an incredibly low student-teacher ratio and is basically about creating a curriculum designed so specifically around your child and his/her interests. If you’re interested in learning more, I strongly advise a tour. It’s important to meet with the people you’re entrusting your child to. It’s a rigorous curriculum and it’s also fun. Sounds like a win-win to me, but it needs to be that for you, too!
My girl is off to kindergarten this fall, we’re excited about her Montessori environment, and my hope is that we are able to keep her at The Sandwich Montessori School through her elementary school years. My hope is that when it’s time for me to look at middle schools with my daughter and son, that The Montessori Middle School of Cape Cod will still be an option. Perhaps it will be at an even bigger location, with its own farm! For now, I hope you’ll at least check it out, and see where the journey takes you and your middle school student!
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Christine Chapman is the mother of two children: Celia is 5-years-old and Henry is one. She is a type 2 diabetic determined to become a healthy role model to her children. Christine was born and raised in Montreal, and has resided in Seoul, South Korea, Vancouver, Canada and in Boston, MA. She is an alumna of the Sacred Heart School of Montreal, Skidmore College and is in pursuit of her master's degree at Harvard University. She runs her own business, Starr and Chapman, from her South Plymouth home.
