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I need your opinions. Today was my DS1's settling day at a Montessori preschool. I attended with him (i was supposed to, i promise) and was left with a poor impression. However, after obsessing about it all afternoon I'm wondering if I'm being a helicopter parent and just need to get used to the Montessori way.
My main concern was with the lack of positive interaction with the teachers. We walked in and were briefly introduced to the teachers. that's the only interaction O had with them. I know montessori is child not teacher focused (and I love that) but I got the impression he'd be 100% left to figure it out on his own.
O has a great attention span and would keep himself busy for hours. He doesnt need lesson plans or to be entertained. However, watching him this morning I'm not sure how much opportunity he'd have to actually work.
He's the youngest by at least a year and naturally reserved and compliant. He was completely bulldozed and sometimes flat out told to leave by different children each time he got out and started a new piece of work. I was frustrated watching him not know how to use some of the things in the room and got sick of kids telling him that he wasn't allowed to do this or that without any instruction or guidance on how TO use it. I practically had to sit on my hands to avoid intervening while watching kids rip things out of his little hands. He was even slapped once
Meanwhile the teachers were either at their respective desks or wiping countertops, etc. I get that those things need to be done but there was literally no positive interaction with the kids at all. A few stern "go wash your hands" type of stuff but that was it. There was one little guy who cried by himself for 15+ minutes after his mom left and then wandered aimlessly the rest of the two hours I was there. He got no attention. I'm worried that would be my O.
Is this normal Montessori stuff? If so, do the more aggressive kids just run the show/control who works with what and how? I'm so confused.
My main concern was with the lack of positive interaction with the teachers. We walked in and were briefly introduced to the teachers. that's the only interaction O had with them. I know montessori is child not teacher focused (and I love that) but I got the impression he'd be 100% left to figure it out on his own.
O has a great attention span and would keep himself busy for hours. He doesnt need lesson plans or to be entertained. However, watching him this morning I'm not sure how much opportunity he'd have to actually work.
He's the youngest by at least a year and naturally reserved and compliant. He was completely bulldozed and sometimes flat out told to leave by different children each time he got out and started a new piece of work. I was frustrated watching him not know how to use some of the things in the room and got sick of kids telling him that he wasn't allowed to do this or that without any instruction or guidance on how TO use it. I practically had to sit on my hands to avoid intervening while watching kids rip things out of his little hands. He was even slapped once
Meanwhile the teachers were either at their respective desks or wiping countertops, etc. I get that those things need to be done but there was literally no positive interaction with the kids at all. A few stern "go wash your hands" type of stuff but that was it. There was one little guy who cried by himself for 15+ minutes after his mom left and then wandered aimlessly the rest of the two hours I was there. He got no attention. I'm worried that would be my O.
Is this normal Montessori stuff? If so, do the more aggressive kids just run the show/control who works with what and how? I'm so confused.
Cat mommy since 2002 
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