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I have been thinking a lot about the concept of democratic education and about different types of schooling. A couple of weeks ago there was an article in the Charlotte Observer about Omni Montessori school opening up a middle level program (7th-9th grades). I went to Omni for 5th and 6th grade, and as I read the article I was flooded with fond memories. I had amazing learning experiences at Omni, and because of the classroom environment, you grow socially as well as intellectually. It is very much a community of educators and learners, and classes are grouped into pre-k- k, 1-3, 4-6, 7-9. You cover your core academic subjects each week, but also complete individual projects by exploring subjects that you are interested in. Omni is on a lot of land in the Blakeney area of South Charlotte, and I remember walking to the cow pond on the land every day for a month as we completed a Biology unit and my group was taking and analyzing water samples. I remember going out and sitting under the pine trees and "listening to them sing" for inspiration during a poetry lesson. We completed a unit on Native Americans and I picked poke berries from the property, boiled them and made a dye. I could go on and on about all of my experiences, but my point is that the education I experienced at Omni Montessori made me love to learn. My brother also had a meaningful educational experience at Omni. In 2nd grade in public school he was going to be held back because of his writing disability and his ADHD. He started Omni in the 3rd grade and flourished academically until he graduated.
As I read the article from the newspaper, I thought about how this unique approach to schooling had touched the lives of me and my brother. We received an excellent academic education, but it was the community created by the teachers, your peers and the meaningful learning that really affected our lives. The new middle school program at Omni says its philosophy is, "to couple academic lessons with real life work that helps students explore their identities and their roles in a community." They stress the importance of students of this age having a sense of responsibility and worth. The middle schoolers are working on building and planting an organic garden, and have made arrangements to sell their produce at the farmers market in Waxhaw. (Which is off 16, right across from the coffee shop & under the water tower.) One student that the article focused on was having a hard time in public middle school and is now thriving at Omni, and his test scores have improved as well. I think that Gutmann would approve of this type of education, it seems to me to be very democratic and holistic. Students at Omni are all treated equally, they become critical thinkers through their own personal quest for knowledge, they learn to take part of the classroom community, all while becoming strong, independent individuals with a true sense of self. The young man the newspaper article focused on who had such a hard time in public school says this of his experience at Omni, "I found myself here, and I found a person I never would have found in public school."
I hope to take some of the philosophies set forth by the Montessori tradition as I go into the classroom to teach. I hope that by always maintaining an open mind when it comes to my teaching style, I can better help the students to learn.
If you would like to read the article: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/658134.html