Motessori -facilitation of learning-

Montessori values ‘spontaneous learning’ and argues that teachers shouldn’t intervene in children’s voluntary exploration. She states that “A definite and undoubted part of the teacher’s work is that of teaching an exact nomenclature” (p. 1).

The teacher’s role that she described surprised me as I thought progressive education denies the transmission of knowledge from teachers to students. However, she specifies how teachers should teach the words; they should “pronounce the necessary names and adjectives without adding anything further” and “pronounce distinctly” (p. 1).

This style of teaching is different from Carl Rogers’ idea of facilitation of learning. Based on Montessori’s teaching methods, teachers are not ‘learners.’ They provide knowledge with students. They might be facilitators in that they help students make connections between names and objects; then, students internalize those connections and start applying the knowledge to their environment. Such characteristics are not found in Carl Rogers’ description of facilitators. Rogers explains that facilitators share their real feelings with learners (students) even puzzlements, and they show their care for the learners by prize, acceptance, and trust.

Monterssori’s educational philosophy provoked me to question when students learn and what kind of role teachers should play in order for students to best ‘facilitate’ learning. Montessori said teachers shouldn’t correct students’ mistakes because doing so might increase undue effort of students to learn or discourage them. However, I wonder why making students recognize their mistakes needs to be avoided. Life is full of mistakes, and I personally feel that students need to be ready for encountering such situations. In addition, I wonder if this method is also applied to the mistakes in their behavior. (I think it’s a different matter, but) If students misbehave, such mistakes should be addressed and have to be corrected.