Montessori Applications

Home-School Educational Partnerships Help Children Become Themselves

Interview with Nicky Ma, Founder of Utopia Montessori School

There are 24 hours in a day. Children prepare for school at 7:00 a.m. and don’t come home till 4 or 5 p.m. Plus, traditionally, junior high school students often have to take supplemental classes, so children end up spending eight to nine hours a day at school. How can parents better understand their children and build positive school rapport?

Nicky Ma has served in the Montessori educational system for over 20 years. After receiving Montessori teacher training, she founded Utopia Montessori School for children ages 0-12. She is also the mother of two children. Recently, her son left home for the first time to study at a Montessori middle school in Zhudong. Ms. Ma, who herself has taken on many different roles, is especially attuned to the trilateral relationship between teachers, parents, and schools.

It begins with “us” - becoming an educational partner

Ms. Ma fills multiple roles herself, making her especially attuned to the trilateral relationship between teachers, parents, and schools. She continues to take part in various forms of promotional activities as a means to helping more people to better understand how best to support children’s development.

In the educational arena, Ms. Ma has found that there are two types of parents who pose challenges for schools: one is what the media calls "helicopter parents" - mothers and fathers who hover over their children, solving all of their problems; and, the other type simply hands over all responsibility for educating their children to schools and teachers.

Meals and snacks offer an example of how problems might play out. The former parent-type implores teachers, "My son doesn’t like celery; please don’t include it in his meals," whereas the latter says, "My daughter hates eggplant; please find a way to make her eat it!"

Ms. Ma understands these parent types well and has her own ingenious way of dealing with them. “As long as you grasp that all-important yet invisible thread, then you’ll be okay,” she says.

What is that thread? "The most important thing in education is helping children become themselves!" She notes that difficulties children encounter in a Montessori classroom can range from minor annoyances - a too hot or too cold classroom or picky eating - to major challenges, such as trouble with academic learning or interpersonal conflicts. All are good learning opportunities, so parents should avoid over-shielding their children and trying to solve all of their problems for them. Instead, step back and wait. Be with them, but let them deal with the issues they’re facing. Children will learn from experience and gain self-confidence in the process.

To allow children to become themselves, first, “parents and teachers must become partners in education.” Take picky eating, for example. When a child is a fussy eater, parents can tell the teacher, "My son is a finicky eater. How can we solve this problem together?"

Never leave the responsibility of educating children to teachers; rather, form an educational alliance to help children become themselves by working together from different angles. That's what "home-school educational partnership" really means!

Ms. Ma suggests that no matter how busy parents may be, they should take the initiative in communicating with teachers. Before a child is six years old, one-to-one conversations with the teacher every three months are recommended; after the age six, once every semester is sufficient. Parents and teachers observe children from different perspectives – parents see only the individual child, while the teacher sees how the child interacts in a group setting. Whether it be interpersonal problems or academic issues, as long as parents and teachers cooperate, they can bring their different points of view together and create the most conducive environment for their child’s growth. To build successful "home-school partnerships," parents must also learn and grow along the way; only then can they truly accompany their children at each stage of the journey to self-discovery.

Trust your child and know when to let go

To create successful "home-school partnerships," parents need to learn and grow as well, forming partnerships with the school so that they can bring together two different perspectives as they jointly accompany the children in discovering who they are at various stages of life.

Ms. Ma also shared her son’s feelings about leaving home to attend a boarding Montessori middle school. Her son had always been very close to her, so living away from home turned into his first big challenge. As a mother and a Montessori educator, Ms. Ma knows that children and teachers need time to adjust. Unexpectedly, after her son had finally assimilated into the community, he came home one day and told his mother about a physical fight he'd gotten into with a classmate. She didn't immediately rush to her son’s teacher seeking blame, nor did she scold her son. Instead, to understand what happened, she wrote a letter to inform school officials of the children’s fight in the dormitory and reminded the teachers whether they feel they should communicate with the adolescents and resolve the issue together.

Her reaction was due, in part, to the trust she has for Montessori middle schools, but it also derived from her awareness that when issues like interpersonal conflicts or low motivation in learning come up, children observe how adults deal with those problems. Because of this, children are likely to adopt a similar approach in the future. Parents should realize that whatever happens can be an opportunity for learning - both for parents and children. "In preparing children for the future, parents’ trust is essential!" Ms. Ma shares her experience as a mother, a teacher, and an educator: "Trust in children can help them become more mature and self-supporting. This trust must be deeply rooted in parents’ hearts so that they can let go of their child’s at the most appropriate time.”

Even more consequential according to Ms. Ma is how “children’s lives are their own. Ultimately, they have to walk their own paths, so, what we can do is help them become independent contributors to society. It’s only when parents can clearly understand this can they truly let go.”

Written by Shu-Mei Weng
Translators: Robert Fox, Jen Hsu／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU
Images provided by Utopia Montessori School

How an Unconventional Learner Inspires Passion for Learning

Interview with Hsing-Cheng Fu, Rural Caring Center of Fu Jen Catholic University

Hsing-Cheng Fu was never a particularly studious child. After leaving the regular education system in high school, he entered a technical college. At that time, he never thought that education would be his calling, his life’s work, and that he would one day become a dedicated and enthusiastic educator.

Hsing-Cheng Fu feels that he owes it all to the teachers who believed in him and provided him attention and support. This is what motivates him to want to help others, to nurture their growth, and to work as an educator.

Hsing-Cheng may appear to be an ordinary college student, but he has worked in education counseling for over 10 years at the Rural Caring Center of Fu Jen Catholic University. In addition to regularly assisting Fu Jen Catholic University and Mercy Home in promoting services for remote communities through online after-school programs, Hsing-Cheng also visits the children personally during summer and winter breaks to guide them on their learning journey.

Looking back on his own past, Hsing-Cheng feels that he owes it all to the teachers who believed in him and provided him attention and support. This is what motivates him to want to help others, to nurture their growth, and to work as an educator. “I believe, rather than changing the environment, it is better to help the child to better face the environment that they’re in.” It is his empathy that drives him to better the lives of children living in remote areas.

Learning is letting children make mistakes

When conducting after-school programs for children in remote areas, Hsing-Cheng realized that in many cases, perhaps due to the child’s family dysfunction or lack of learning resources growing up, it takes time for both the educator and student to communicate and adjust to each other’s value system. He believes that letting children make mistakes is also part of learning. Traditional educators tend to unilaterally "teach" or "remind" children orally, but he saw a different approach in Montessori philosophy. Hsing-Cheng notices that “when children make mistakes, we should encourage them to understand the process, systematically guide children to break down steps, observe, and accompany them from the sidelines. In the end, the teacher has to learn to let go and return to their role as a guide.”

In 2021, Hsing-Cheng joined the Montessori Social Impact Talent Development Program and underwent AMI Montessori teacher training. Afterwards, by applying his training and past experiences, he developed a program and cultivated college students to participate in local community services. Montessori philosophy highlights that the natural environment supports students’ development; therefore, “caring for the environment” is an important part of Montessori education. For example, teaching an adolescent mop a floor is more than just telling them to do the chore. The teacher should guide the adolescents, show them how to hold a mop, how much water to use, how to put away the tools and in what order. Each step is dissected so that the adolescent is motivated to use their own acquired skills to complete the task. How does a teacher help fulfill a child’s need for independence?

Hsing-Cheng confidently replies, "The Montessori teaching concept of 'learning by doing' and 'doing by learning' is not only suitable for children aged 6-12, but as long as we establish systematic learning in their minds, it will also have an unconscious influence on their future careers and lives after entering society!"

After undergoing the intensive curriculum of AMI Montessori teacher training, Hsing-Cheng realized that the difficulty for many educators is that there is no prescribed formula in applying Montessori theories, but that is exactly what makes the Montessori approach so interesting! He embraces the ideal that as each child explores within a Montessori environment, they can find the path, which best suits their own learning. This new outlook toward teaching inspired him to return to the remote areas of his childhood and to inspire youths and college students to join his efforts to teach in remote areas.

Each conversation is a lifeline

Hsing-Cheng Fu believes that as each child explores within a Montessori environment, they can find the path, which best suits their own learning.

Working to assist children in remote areas comes with a host of challenges, as many students come from troubled families or are unable or unwilling to attend school. Those, who work in educational counseling, are mostly still enrolled in or are new graduates from college in urban areas. The difference between their backgrounds and that of the children they are seeking to help forms a nearly insurmountable obstacle. If this gap is not bridged, the result is that the children feel alienated, and the counselors are left feeling frustrated. Hsing-Cheng’s advice to counselors in this dilemma is to take a step back and maintain a degree of flexibility in the situation rather than proceeding by the book. He prefers to focus on the child and guide them through some kind of hands-on activity, whether that be gardening, woodwork, or doing math calculations, to uncover their intrinsic motivation for learning. This allows both the student and educator to give and receive feedback, learn from one another, and build their confidence.

Hsing-Cheng’s participation in sponsored teacher training and his return to Taiwan to integrate Montessori principles with educational counseling for children in remote areas has inspired him to reset, reflect, and push forward on his quest.

He believes that with each guidance session, comes the opportunity to restore a child’s passion in learning, which can prevent them from giving up on themselves or to decide to turn to a life of organized crime.

In addition to working through existing agencies, Hsing-Cheng plans to establish an experimental education group to make Montessori affordable for everyone. It is this enthusiasm and dedication that has brought him to where he is today and empowers him to continue on his quest in the future.

Written by Angelina Chan 
Translators: Robert Fox, Jen Hsu／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU
Images provided by Hsing-Cheng Fu

Montessori Education Shines a Spotlight on Dementia Patient

Interview with Professor Kuei-Ru Chou, Taipei Medical University

Imagine that one day, you can’t remember your way home, you no longer recognize the faces of your family, and even feeding yourself becomes an insurmountable challenge. Imagine living in such a terrifying and miserable situation.

In Taiwan, 1 in 12 seniors above the age of 65 suffers from dementia. According to the World Alzheimer Report 2019 by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), more than 50 million people live with dementia globally, with someone developing dementia every three seconds. Figures are forecasted to increase to 152 million by 2050.

(Photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash)

In light of the pressing need to address dementia, the Montessori approach brings new hope for the care of the elderly and dementia patients. Through a prepared environment, we can compensate for their cognitive or physical impairment and encourage them to live a happy and fulfilled life by stimulating their remaining faculties, helping them to maintain their independence, and in turn, finding life fulfillment and joy.

Academia and medicine cooperate to explore Montessori applications in dementia care

Images provided by: Kuei-Ru Chou

Through Y2’s introduction and networking, Taipei Medical University Professor Kuei-Ru Chou began their collaboration with AMI, hosting the Montessori for Dementia Care Online Workshop to promote the use of Montessori methods to care for elders and those suffering with dementia. Anne Kelly, the keynote speaker, is a registered nurse from Australia with more than 40 years of experience in nursing and aged care. She has been using the Montessori approach for elders with dementia for over 13 years and is the Head of Montessori for Dementia and Aging at AMI.

The online workshop took place over two days and attracted more than 400 participants globally. Everyone was eager to learn how to apply Montessori education methods to the care of dementia patients. Professor Kuei-Ru Chou of the School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, shared her thoughts:

“Dementia is a very important subject in geriatric psychiatry. Traditional aged care puts us on the sidelines, always observing but never able to do anything for the patient. The Montessori method supplements what is lacking in traditional methods of professional nursing. It reminds us to see the individual obscured by the symptoms of dementia, find out what they are good at, and enable them to be the best that they can be.”

Seeing the person and not just the disease

photo by Matthias Zomer on Pexels

Dr. Maria Montessori once said, “The more you do for me, the more you take away from me.” This sentiment also applies to the care and support for those living with dementia.

This worldview helps shift the focus of professional nurses and family members from the various symptoms of dementia back to the person. Professor Chou explains,

“We need to focus on the individual’s desires, habits, and needs and how they became the person they are today. How does the individual feel? What are they capable of? What activities make them feel happy and confident? These questions all get to the heart of who an individual is.”

We should view persons with dementia as people who are still capable of learning. This shift in focus means that, in the event when somebody is losing the ability to feed themselves, we don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that they need to be spoon fed. Instead, we should design related activities to maintain their fine motor skills to allow them to be able to continue to feed themselves for as long as possible. Professor Chou uses “eating dumplings” as an example: “Eating dumplings can be divided into many smaller tasks, such as choosing the type of dumplings, meal preparation, setting up utensils, plating the dumplings, and the act of eating. These are all tasks that our elders can participate in and accomplish. These activities not only slow the progression of dementia, but also allow our elders to live with dignity.”

Promoting Montessori to provide more humanistic care and support

The Montessori approach is not just tailored for childhood education, it can support individual needs and lifestyles for people aged 0 to 100! Montessori methods for aging and dementia also empowers elders to feel supported and to live with dignity.

Professor Chou is planning to incorporate Montessori methods into the curriculum of the School of Nursing as well as the design of the dementia ward at Taipei Medical University Hospital. To her, this online workshop marks an important first step for promoting public awareness of Montessori concepts.

“Students can apply these principles in their professional fields. In the future, when the number of professionals immersed in the Montessori method reaches critical mass, we can build a dedicated environment, where application of Montessori principles are possible.”

Professor Chou also offers a gentle reminder to keep in mind the cultural differences between the East and the West when applying Montessori principles, “In our culture, the elders expect to be cared for by the younger generation, so we need to consider how best to introduce the Montessori method in aged care and help maintain their independence, while ensuring that they feel sufficiently cared for and respected.”

Text: Shu-Mei Weng
Translator: Jen Hsu / Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU

Have you heard the Y2 Podcast?

Interview with Y2 podcast “Chat 2 Heal” hosts - Cynthia and Diane

Have you heard the latest Y2 Podcast? Due to the disruption of scheduled programs and inability to host in-person events during the pandemic, Y2 decided to turn the crisis into an opportunity and launched the podcast Chat2Heal in 2020. The podcast introduces a series of topics dear to the hearts of parents and teachers and discusses them in depth.

What is the podcast about? Chat 2 Heal is hosted by two mothers, Cynthia Hang, co-founder and executive director of Y2, and Diane Teng, Y2’s COO. Together, they decided to share their personal experiences, Montessori concepts and practices, and other related issues in a podcast that speaks directly to the audience, creates a space for healing, and occasionally wanders down memory lane before motherhood.

No lecturing, just empathy and support

With over 10 years of expertise in family relationships, Diane cheerfully explains, “Our show’s premise is: we’re not here to lecture anyone.” As a mother, she commiserates with other parents. “The process of children’s education can be very frustrating. It’s impossible to see results right away, and it’s natural for parents to doubt themselves . We simply want to share this process with everyone. We are all doing our best, and there is no one ‘right’ way to parent.” Through candid chats about these issues, podcast listeners will discover that they aren’t alone and that many others are going through the same challenges. In fact, the podcast creates an environment of “empathy and support.”

Y2 podcast “Chat 2 Heal” host Cynthia

Cynthia often communicates with educators in her capacity as the executive director of Y2; however, she hopes to reach parents and anyone in need with this podcast, which features a more sensible and practical content. Holding an AMI Montessori 0-3 Diploma, Cynthia naturally incorporates Montessori theories and practical applications in the easy conversation with her co-host. The podcast is full of interesting content for adults, such as fatherhood beliefs and maternal gatekeeping. Moms aren’t the only ones that can benefit from learning how to apply Montessori methods in everyday life, even singles, DINK (double income, no kids) couples, and dads have found this podcast useful!

Many listeners are shocked to learn that the Montessori method doesn’t apply only to education settings, but can be utilized in all kinds of interpersonal relationships, such as parent-child relations and marriages. Cynthia believes that “We don’t need to wait until we’re successful and famous to start changing the world. Taking a small step for yourself or your family is already a big step for humanity. We hope that people can be less harsh and more kind to themselves.” This is the main message of the Y2 podcast.

Strive to be a better human being, not a “perfect” parent

In recording Chat2Heal, Diane and Cynthia both realized that there is no such thing as a perfect mother; even so, the parenting process made them strive to become better people. Full-time mothers who feel devalued may find strength in growing to become better human beings. Cynthia even joked that recording the podcast is very therapeutic for herself and that she feels somewhat incomplete whenever recording takes a long break.

Y2 podcast “Chat 2 Heal” host Diane

Diane hopes to become a graceful mommy. On her Montessori journey of learning, she realized that the most important lesson is not about Montessori’s methods or concepts, but in how to view children. She believes that what is in her heart can be observed in her actions, just as the ancient Chinese classic Great Learning states: “Inner sincerity will surely be expressed outward.” Diane adds, “Because I trust my child, I’ve learned to take things slow and live life with grace.”

“What we’re sharing is not the solution to all of life’s problems. What we offer is empathy, which empowers people to deal with issues head on. In parenting, we seek to overcome, not be overwhelmed. We need to learn to give ourselves a break, not give up on ourselves,” explains Cynthia.

Many of us only start to learn how to accept and understand ourselves and others after becoming parents. Through the podcast Chat 2 Heal, Y2 seeks to empathize with, give comfort to, and support individuals in this community. By learning to apply Montessori principles to everyday life, we can all take steps to create a better version of ourselves.

Written by Yu-Hsiu Su, Photo credit Fu-Sheng Li
This article is an excerpt from Y2 2020 Annual Report.