Your feedback on public vs. montessori type schools.

[tiffanyh]

I normally dont post on personal issue but I thought this would be a great place to get feedback from people with many different backgrounds and experience.

My son is currently in public school. I believe in (but do not necessarily agree with currently) the public school system. I have my MS is secondary science education. I teach at a university full time so I am not bashing a system I chose to be part of. But at the same time, I dont think traditional education is the only route for learning.

As my children grow, I continually find myself feeling that school has become more structured and driven academically which is great. But I also feel like school should be fun and somewhat relaxed. It is a long day for young children. My son is not having fun in school. He hates it and dreads it and I know that is somewhat normal at his age, but at what point to you say "hey, this isnt working for him". He has been in preschool for 3 years, then K now 1st grade, so it is not a new thing for us. He is a nervous kids, not good with change, but bright and social when comfortable. The big thing is he is a homebody, wants to be home- to be around the house working and playing. I think the sitting in the desk and working is not working well for his personality.

My question is, what are your experiences with the public school systems and for those of you who have had different educational experiences, how did those work for you?

My husband is home schooled and I am not opposed, but would like to keep him in a group type learning environment as with his personality, he needs the social aspect or else he would never interact with others.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I went into public school and stayed there until I graduated. It prepared me for real-life issues that are faced every day. Without that interaction at an early age, I believe high school would have been much more difficult, as well as finding a job and college.


Junior High was a nightmare for me and if I could, I would have skipped that entire experience. But highschool was awesome, you relaxed and enjoyed yourself.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Different kids are different and respond better with some types of learning environments than with others. Your next child, or the neighbor's child might thrive under a system that doesn't fit your son, and not fit one that works for your child. A third child might do well in both and a fourth need something entirely different.

More and more early childhood programs are enveloping some of Montessori elements, although most are not at all true to all Montessori concepts.

I strongly believe that a school and a curriculum need to respond to each child's individual needs, not be set to the "average" such-and-so age child. You will often hear that small student:teacher ratios are one of the most important criteria in quality of the class. I can give you very specific examples that contradict this.

My son attended a Montessori pre-K program. 32 kids in the class, with an age-span of of older 3's to older 5's. The teacher maintained a well-organized, well run, busy, but not noisy classroom . At any given time she could tell you exactly where each child was in any given subject, and they were all at unique, individual places, as is typical of Montessori.

For various reasons we put him in a different kindergarten program. He started off in a half-day program with 21 kids and a teacher who taught them all at the pace of the slowest child. She had no idea of how to teach multiple groups within a classroom. She reluctantly accepted very limited parent volunteers. We were finally able to have him switched to a full-day kindergarten class. SO much better, and that is because of the teacher and aide. I think there were about 28 kids, separated into three groups, always busy, no "wait" time between one set of work and another as in the first class.

First grade was yet another school (we had moved) with a class of 20 and a many-years experienced teacher who told me that with so many kids, she could not customize the work to meet individual needs. She eventually did a small amount of grouping by sending a portion of the kids to another class for reading enrichment.

Second grade we pulled him out of that school and placed him in a charter school. 46 kids in the class with 2 teachers. About 5 groups spanning two grade levels. Once again, the teachers could tell you exactly where each child was in terms of academic progress.


I guess that long story short, my answer is that you need to find what fits your kid. Everyone will be happier.

 

[Ashmeade]

Public schools in general are horrible. I have a friend that has her own Montessori school and have had the oportunity to see what they do there. The only draw back to a Montessori I have seen is that if you plan to have your kids go to public school after, they will be too far ahead of the other kids and likely bored.

 

[briesberrypatch]

I agree completely with Sonoran Silkies.

My daughter is about to start preschool at a private school (prek-6). It is sometimes compared to a Montessori school, but it's not Montessori - it is unique and not franchised/chain/national, so people don't know how to describe it. Anyway, I think she is going to do really well there - I think it's a good fit for her personality and learning style.

However, her older cousin is about to start at the public elementary school. His parents decided that he needs the more traditional classroom structure, and they're probably right.

The point is, as Sonoran said, every child is different and you need to make a decision about what will work for your child. Public school (or that particular public school) may not be the best choice for your family. If you have the resources and a private school that would be better for him, go for it. You already know the public school isn't working out - what do you have to lose by trying a different school?

 

[Ashmeade]

Quote:
There are groups that get together for home school children to network together and go on field trips, etc. There are also activities you can set up for your son (sports, etc.) to provide social interaction...

 

[saddina]

I teach at a charter school, after working in a montessori preschool for 2 years. It sounds like your sons needs a change. It's ok to say "this isn't working for Bobby, let's find something else". Look at the options, look at your child and decide what's best for him. If you do want to home school, there are several charter programs that get together a few days a week for things like science labs or art days, but the bulk of the work is done at home (Mr. Saddi does 6-8th science 3 days a week, and I teach 3 other days, so that one of us is always available for our sons).

 

[mom'sfolly]

I would be concerned when a first grader hates school. I would talk to the teacher, and visit the classroom if you can. It might be that even a different teacher could make a huge difference. Some teachers have a high tolerance for noise, and chaos, others have quieter more structured classrooms. It might be that quiet and stucture are what your son needs. Some kids do better in a free form environment, others due better where there are clear expectations and daily routines.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

And sometimes the teacher herself is the problem. That was my younger son's problem.

 

[Southernbelle]

Fortunately my kids love the public school they go to. I consider it my job to teach my kids at home before they learn it in school, so when the teacher teaches it, it's just a review for my kids. DD just started 3rd grade this year and all summer we worked on the times tables with her, so she'd get the concept and have most of them memorized.

They're very confidant about handling their classwork. Sometimes they have a social problem that gets them down and they hate school until they work it out, but those are usually short-lived.

The only Montessori school in our area is a joke, so I don't have anything constructive to add to that decision. Overall, they're supposed to be an excellent learning model, but I don't have a good example to share.