Interview with Yu-Feng Yeh, First Cohort Participant of TMEC Tuition-Free Montessori Elementary School Teacher Training Program
A small turning point during the training changed Yu-Feng’s teaching philosophy: “Children don’t follow adult plans. First observe whether they have a sense of direction—then consider how far they can go.”
“Don’t overthink it. Since you’re here, make peace with it.” This is the reflection of Yu-Feng Yeh, a collaborative teacher at Zhong-Keng Elementary School in Taichung. He recalls how he joined the Taiwan Montessori Education Center (TMEC) “Tuition-Free Montessori Elementary School Teacher Training Program” purely out of passion.
Deeply moved by Y2 Foundation’s mission to support the transformation of small schools through Montessori education, he signed up without even reading the full details.
It wasn’t until the first day of training that the reality hit him—hard. “That was the day I found out the program would last three full years and run during summer and winter breaks!” Yu-Feng laughs. At the time, he was head of the Student Affairs Section at Daping Experimental Elementary School in Hsinchu
County, where he was required to be on campus during breaks.
Thankfully, with the support of his principal, he was granted a flexible schedule in the training’s final year—attending weekday training and making up for work on weekends—allowing him to complete the program successfully.
Asking Yourself Why You’re Really Here
While many worry about time management, Yu-Feng believes the first step is to ask, “Why am I joining this program in the first place?” Returning to that intention naturally helps you find a way forward.
By his own admission, Yu-Feng is a perfectionist. “I love taking notes and formatting them just right,” he chuckles. This drive for perfection made it difficult at first to cope with the volume of assignments. “On average, there were eight assignments per day.”
At a loss, he found clarity in one of the program teacher ’s words: “Simple notes with some illustrations are enough.” That advice helped him shift his mindset. He let go of obsessing over details, and the pressure of assignments lifted.
This small turning point left a lasting impact on his teaching philosophy: “Children don’t always follow the adult’s plans. The key is to first observe if the child has a sense of direction—then you can guide how far they can go.”
A Jack of All Trades—Perfect for Montessori
Why would someone with over a decade of experience in experimental education commit to another three-year training program? “Because I love learning new things. I feel like a senior Montessori intern!” says Yu-Feng, who was born in 1978. He’s fond of quoting Confucius: “Because I was of humble birth, I learned many worldly skills.” His broad and eclectic learning has allowed him to synthesize the strengths of various approaches.
For example, he combines Montessori principles with Philosophy for Children, guiding students to reflect on the real meaning behind saying something is “boring”—often, it just means “I don’t understand.” This deep and diverse learning journey has shaped Yu-Feng into a true generalist—just the kind of
multifaceted educator Montessori classrooms need.
He approaches the training with humility, echoing Socrates: “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” When asked to hand-draw a plant journal, he pushed through his limitations by learning to sketch on an iPad, eventually surpassing his stickfigure beginnings.
Now, when he looks back at his training notebooks, he’s grateful the teachers insisted on printing hard copies. “Because I wrote them myself, I remember the key points clearly and can update them based on classroom feedback.” His diligent efforts made up for his regret of having limited hands-on practice time.
Yu-Feng Yeh, who loves learning new things, says he feels like a senior Montessori intern. He lives by Confucius’s words: “Because I was of humble birth, I learned many worldly skills.” His wide-ranging knowledge lets him draw from the best of many worlds.
Dreaming of Becoming a Principal to Share the Essence of Montessori
From being accepted to Tainan Teachers College to becoming a Montessori educator, Yu-Feng has spent 27 years in education. His early experience as a substitute teacher in the remote village of Jang Yuan Primary School in Taitung sparked his appreciation for elementary education and began to brighten his perspective.
Later, while working at a community college with limited resources, he was deeply moved by the dedication of volunteers and students to learning. “I wanted to find an approach to education that supports lifelong learning.” That desire led him to experimental education.
His journey has taken him through Daohe Experimental School, Daping Experimental Elementary in Hsinchu County, and now to Zhong-Keng Elementary. Throughout his journey, Yu-Feng has remained steadfast in promoting experimental education and supporting students in remote areas.
After three years of immersion in the training program, Yu-Feng summarizes it this way: “This program doesn’t just teach content—it teaches a philosophy: spontaneity, interaction, and shared wellbeing. Learning begins with the self, is deepened through meaningful interaction, and contributes to the good of humanity.”
He hopes one day to become a principal and bring the essence of Montessori to more people. “I want others to understand what freedom, openness, discipline, and responsibility really look like in experimental education. I don’t know when this dream will come true, but I’m moving toward it one step at a time.”
Text by Yu-Hsiu Su
Images provided by Taiwan Montessori Education Center