Which method of teaching should I be trained in, Montessori or Waldorf?
May 8, 2010 7:16 PM Subscribe
Which method of teaching should I be trained in, Montessori or Waldorf?
I'm currently finishing up my bachelor's of education in primary/junior (in Ontario) and I'm interested in taking additional qualifications in other teaching methods.
After doing some preliminary research, the Montessori method and Waldorf pedagogy seem interesting to me.
I would like first hand information about the teacher training programs they offer to help me make my decision. If there is another method I should consider, please feel free to mention that too. Thanks!
I'm currently finishing up my bachelor's of education in primary/junior (in Ontario) and I'm interested in taking additional qualifications in other teaching methods.
After doing some preliminary research, the Montessori method and Waldorf pedagogy seem interesting to me.
I would like first hand information about the teacher training programs they offer to help me make my decision. If there is another method I should consider, please feel free to mention that too. Thanks!
Read "Spinster" and "Teacher," both by Sylvia Ashton-Warner. I also recommend The Sky's not Broken, the Sun's Just in the Way, by Sydney Gurewitz Clemens. Best of luck!
posted by emhutchinson at 8:43 PM on May 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by emhutchinson at 8:43 PM on May 8, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think the first thing to do would be to visit one or two schools in each to experience the classroom environment first hand. Waldorf, particularly, is difficult to get a feel for even from first hand accounts (my research on the internet and experiences talking to former students range from glowing praise to accusations of the schools being a cult).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:20 PM on May 8, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:20 PM on May 8, 2010
From a purely crass job hunting perspective.....? I would say that there are about 3 to 1 Montessori to Waldorf schools in the metro area I am in.
posted by ian1977 at 11:07 PM on May 8, 2010
posted by ian1977 at 11:07 PM on May 8, 2010
I know very little about Waldorf, but I know a bit about Montessori. Both of my parents are Montessori trained instructors (although, they trained in Mexico City in, I think, the 70s). If you want me to get information from them, memail me. Obviously, they're biased, but I'm sure they have opinions. And they keep up, more or less, with the training community.
posted by hapticactionnetwork at 3:30 AM on May 9, 2010
posted by hapticactionnetwork at 3:30 AM on May 9, 2010
I think the first thing to do would be to visit one or two schools in each to experience the classroom environment first hand. Waldorf, particularly, is difficult to get a feel for even from first hand accounts (my research on the internet and experiences talking to former students range from glowing praise to accusations of the schools being a cult).
Yes this. If you don't like the teaching pedagogy, you're going to hate your school and your job. Choose the one you groove with. As far as employment goes, I don't know about Ontario, but there are significantly more Montessori schools in Oregon than Waldorf schools.
On a side note, Reggio Emilia is another one you might also want to look at. It's gaining a lot of popularity and is an approach that's pretty neat.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:22 AM on May 9, 2010
Yes this. If you don't like the teaching pedagogy, you're going to hate your school and your job. Choose the one you groove with. As far as employment goes, I don't know about Ontario, but there are significantly more Montessori schools in Oregon than Waldorf schools.
On a side note, Reggio Emilia is another one you might also want to look at. It's gaining a lot of popularity and is an approach that's pretty neat.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:22 AM on May 9, 2010
I know a few people working in Reggio Emilia-based preschools. Neither had previous credentialing in that specific curriculum, just generic teacher training/certification. The curriculum training was provided by the employer.
It might be worth it to approach specific schools that you have an interest in and find one that will train you in the Montessori/Waldorf/Reggio approach during your employment.
posted by nayrb5 at 10:43 AM on May 9, 2010
It might be worth it to approach specific schools that you have an interest in and find one that will train you in the Montessori/Waldorf/Reggio approach during your employment.
posted by nayrb5 at 10:43 AM on May 9, 2010
You might want to know more about Waldorf, Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy. I considered Waldorf schools for my kids but I found the whole philosophy very strange.
posted by Biblio at 4:40 PM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Biblio at 4:40 PM on May 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Montessori and Waldorf are both fascinating but are very different. I also looked into both and settled on Montessori, an approach to education that I am very comfortable with and fits in well with my parenting philosophies. There are some aspects of Waldorf that I am drawn to including the focus on nature and imagination but I just couldn't get into the philosophy.
I highly recommend doing some basic readings on both and calling around to schools in your area and asking to observe a class. There is also a wealth of information to be had by reading blogs of teachers in both areas.
I trained for both Infant and Toddler 0-3 and Casa 3-6 and love it. Please feel free to msg. me if you have any questions.
posted by Abbril at 5:35 PM on May 9, 2010
I highly recommend doing some basic readings on both and calling around to schools in your area and asking to observe a class. There is also a wealth of information to be had by reading blogs of teachers in both areas.
I trained for both Infant and Toddler 0-3 and Casa 3-6 and love it. Please feel free to msg. me if you have any questions.
posted by Abbril at 5:35 PM on May 9, 2010
You might actually want to consider getting into the classroom for a while before you specialize in a particular type of early childhood education.
Agreeing with the posters above who suggest reading more, and visiting the classes, but really, being in the classroom as a teacher is very different from being there as an observer, and you may not want to "lock yourself in" before you have some feel for what you're comfortable with and good at as a teacher.
posted by bardophile at 3:36 AM on May 12, 2010
Agreeing with the posters above who suggest reading more, and visiting the classes, but really, being in the classroom as a teacher is very different from being there as an observer, and you may not want to "lock yourself in" before you have some feel for what you're comfortable with and good at as a teacher.
posted by bardophile at 3:36 AM on May 12, 2010
There's a huge difference between Montessori and Steiner Waldorf. Waldorf is rooted in anthroposophy, a pseudo religion. It colours everything from the curriculum to the shape of the buildings, colours on the walls etc etc, and it has been called cult-like, although they are fairly secretive and evasive about anthroposophy until they think you're "ready" be exposed to it. So it is possible to not really know or hear much about it, although it's being used in the classroom.
Another cult-like aspect is the supression of discussion about Waldorf on the net- there are some anthroposophists who go to huge lengths to ensure only thir version is what is seen by pprospective parents - Wikipedia for instance, is guarded day & night in case anyone writes something they dislike.
I would do a lot of reading, the Steiner belief system is fairly crazy.
http://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/
http://www.social-ecology.org/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-ecofascism-2/http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles.html
http://zooey.wordpress.com/links/
This one is a comparison between Waldorf and Montessori
http://www.montessorianswers.com/my-experiences-with-waldorf.html
posted by RationalExplanation at 7:00 AM on May 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Another cult-like aspect is the supression of discussion about Waldorf on the net- there are some anthroposophists who go to huge lengths to ensure only thir version is what is seen by pprospective parents - Wikipedia for instance, is guarded day & night in case anyone writes something they dislike.
I would do a lot of reading, the Steiner belief system is fairly crazy.
http://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/
http://www.social-ecology.org/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-ecofascism-2/http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles.html
http://zooey.wordpress.com/links/
This one is a comparison between Waldorf and Montessori
http://www.montessorianswers.com/my-experiences-with-waldorf.html
posted by RationalExplanation at 7:00 AM on May 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Another point worth noting is that Montessori doesn't have a "Survivor's Group"..which Waldorf does.
And I've had children in both systems.
Montessori is great.
These links were slightly muddled up.
http://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/
http://www.social-ecology.org/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-ecofascism-2/
http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles.html
http://zooey.wordpress.com/links/
http://www.montessorianswers.com/my-experiences-with-waldorf.html
posted by RationalExplanation at 7:04 AM on May 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
And I've had children in both systems.
Montessori is great.
These links were slightly muddled up.
http://sites.google.com/site/waldorfwatch/
http://www.social-ecology.org/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-ecofascism-2/
http://www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles.html
http://zooey.wordpress.com/links/
http://www.montessorianswers.com/my-experiences-with-waldorf.html
posted by RationalExplanation at 7:04 AM on May 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by k8t at 7:56 PM on May 8, 2010