Montessori Schools in Pickering- Ajax

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Montessori Schools in Pickering- Ajax

by Mya

Feb 11, 2011

I was wondering if anybody would reccommend a good montessori school in the Pickering-Ajax area. Is it possible to get information on reviews of the montessori schools

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montmo On 2/11/11, Mya wrote: > I was wondering if anybody would reccommend a good > montessori school in the Pickering-Ajax area. Is it > possible to get information on reviews of the montessori > schools

Mya: I don't think this is the right place to find out that kind of information. On the Montessori board in the past parents have ...See MoreOn 2/11/11, Mya wrote: > I was wondering if anybody would reccommend a good > montessori school in the Pickering-Ajax area. Is it > possible to get information on reviews of the montessori > schools

Mya: I don't think this is the right place to find out that kind of information. On the Montessori board in the past parents have asked similar questions about Montessori schools in your area(I had to google to find out what area you are speaking about). What happens is that the thread becomes either a school bashing or support of other schools.

What I would do is contact your various Montessori training centers and ask for a list of schools in your area. By reading their websites, you can decide which ones you think might fit your needs.(maybe you want a toddler program or go up through elementary and some schools are only preschool, or do not offer before and after care programs). Then read as much as you can about Montessori and write down the questions you will have. Call and arrange visits to the schools you are considering. Write down your impressions. Talk to the administrator after your visit to discuss your questions, concerns. You might not know this but there is not a patent on the Montessori name. Anyone can put a sign out and say it is a Montessori school. It is important to be an informed parent and to be able to ask questions that help in your decision. For instance let's say you get from your reading that children in the classroom should be moving freely about choosing materials from all over the room and working individually, with a peer or in a small group with a teacher.However, you might visit a school where all the children are sitting at tables doing worksheets, or the teacher has the entire class sitting around her "teaching" for long periods of time, then you should have some really good questions for that administrator!

I have always said that parents should trust their gut reaction. What one parent might rave about in a school, might not be important to you or you do not see that happening in the school. Everyone interprets it differently. That is what is cool about Montessori. Two people can go and observe in the same classroom and at the same exact time. One might come out and say the classroom is too structured and the other parent might say it was too chaotic. That is the beauty of Montessori - finding that balance of structure and freedom that meets the needs of children. However, if there are some blatant red flags on what you know should be standard in all authentic Montessori schools, you know the visit was all you needed.

If you still are not sure, schedule another visit. I have a list of parents, current and former, that I offer to prospective parents if they want to "check in" with people who have actual experience with the school/teacher. Rarely does anyone take me up on it though However, I know that this is an option for those parents who might need that support.

So, after collecting a list of Montessori schools in your area from training centers(there are more then one in your area), the best way to figure out which one is right for YOUR child is to visit as many as you can and compare. I wouldn't wait too much longer though because many of the schools fill up quickly this time of year. However, I would take your time and find the perfect fit for your child. I wish you well in a journey that just might change your life as well as your child's!

Feb 12, 2011

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Shahira Abdel-Nour On 2/12/11, montmo wrote: > On 2/11/11, Mya wrote: >> I was wondering if anybody would reccommend a good >> montessori school in the Pickering-Ajax area. Is it >> possible to get information on reviews of the montessori >> schools > > Mya: I don't think this is the right place to find out that > kind of informati...See MoreOn 2/12/11, montmo wrote: > On 2/11/11, Mya wrote: >> I was wondering if anybody would reccommend a good >> montessori school in the Pickering-Ajax area. Is it >> possible to get information on reviews of the montessori >> schools > > Mya: I don't think this is the right place to find out that > kind of information. On the Montessori board in the past > parents have asked similar questions about Montessori schools > in your area(I had to google to find out what area you are > speaking about). What happens is that the thread becomes > either a school bashing or support of other schools. > > What I would do is contact your various Montessori training > centers and ask for a list of schools in your area. By > reading their websites, you can decide which ones you think > might fit your needs.(maybe you want a toddler program or go > up through elementary and some schools are only preschool, or > do not offer before and after care programs). Then read as > much as you can about Montessori and write down the questions > you will have. Call and arrange visits to the schools you are > considering. Write down your impressions. Talk to the > administrator after your visit to discuss your questions, > concerns. You might not know this but there is not a patent > on the Montessori name. Anyone can put a sign out and say it > is a Montessori school. It is important to be an informed > parent and to be able to ask questions that help in your > decision. For instance let's say you get from your reading > that children in the classroom should be moving freely about > choosing materials from all over the room and working > individually, with a peer or in a small group with a > teacher.However, you might visit a school where all the > children are sitting at tables doing worksheets, or the > teacher has the entire class sitting around her "teaching" > for long periods of time, then you should have some really > good questions for that administrator! > > I have always said that parents should trust their gut > reaction. What one parent might rave about in a school, might > not be important to you or you do not see that happening in > the school. Everyone interprets it differently. That is what > is cool about Montessori. Two people can go and observe in > the same classroom and at the same exact time. One might come > out and say the classroom is too structured and the other > parent might say it was too chaotic. That is the beauty of > Montessori - finding that balance of structure and freedom > that meets the needs of children. However, if there are some > blatant red flags on what you know should be standard in all > authentic Montessori schools, you know the visit was all you > needed. > > If you still are not sure, schedule another visit. I have a > list of parents, current and former, that I offer to > prospective parents if they want to "check in" with people > who have actual experience with the school/teacher. Rarely > does anyone take me up on it though However, I know that this > is an option for those parents who might need that support. > > So, after collecting a list of Montessori schools in your > area from training centers(there are more then one in your > area), the best way to figure out which one is right for YOUR > child is to visit as many as you can and compare. I wouldn't > wait too much longer though because many of the schools fill > up quickly this time of year. However, I would take your time > and find the perfect fit for your child. I wish you well in a > journey that just might change your life as well as your > child's!

Feb 13, 2011

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