Montessori Vs Steiner Methods Essay

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Philosophy

The world and scope of philosophy in a modern context is expansive and wide. A primary reason for this would be the fact that there are many great minds and scholars when it comes to the subject. Two of those people would be Waldorf Steiner and Montessori. This brief report will be a review and summary of the similarities and differences between those two great minds. With those two experts in mind, there will be a special focus on two forms and examples of creative curriculum. Prior to that being done, there will be a review and summary of each of the experts in question and how they do and do not intersect. While there is a lot of overlap between the Waldorf and Montessori models, this overlap is not absolute.

Analysis

As one might gather, the obvious parallel and story being told when it comes to this report about curriculum is the focus on the Steiner and Montessori models of schooling. Depending on who one asks, one or both of these methods are considered controversial and worthy of debate. Even so, it is important to know what each model involves and why they are touted as being the best option or options. Further, the similarities and differences between the two brain trusts involved and the models they put forth is also important to flesh out. First up would be the history and context of the Waldorf method. Indeed, much of that comes from a man named Rudolf Steiner. Alive from 1861 to 19235, Steiner was of the mind that every person is comprised of three portions, those being spirit, soul and body. He further asserted that these parts of the whole person play out and develop during the differing stages of development, those being early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence. As he perfected and refined his model, he was more than willing to translate it to all forms of the human experience. This would include art, drama, education, agriculture and medicine, among other parts of life. This report, of course, will focus on the educational aspects of that paradigm (“History of Waldorf”, 2017).

Those aspects, as shown in his original attempts in 1919, were quite radical and different for that time and era. Indeed, he had four conditions that he insisted upon when Emil Molt, a factory owner that wanted him to create a school, asked him to teach the children. Those conditions were that the school would be open to all children, that it would be coeducational, that all pre-college grade levels would go to the same school and that the teachers would run all aspects of the school, rather than some different or higher administrator.

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In the century or so that has passed since then, it is interesting to note that all Steiner-model schools are independent and govern themselves. Indeed, they share much the same model. However, they all make their own administrative and managerial decisions, even if they follow the same basic teaching model (“History of Waldorf”, 2017). Modern characterizations of Steiner/Waldorf schools include that they are “hippyish” and “playful”. However, some are prone to point out that some common beliefs of Steiner schools are less than popular. Indeed, some people classify Steiner, a person that is known as being the progenitor of anthroposophy, was an “occultist” that believed in things like reincarnation and alternative medicine. This has often translated, at least in some Steiner Schools, into an aversion towards vaccines and some troubling views about the perceived genetic inferiority/superiority and/or hierarchy of different races, inclusive of Caucasians being considered the more “intellectual” race (Cook, 2014).

The Montessori method, by contrast, is a tad less divisive and controversial. Even so, there are many people that are either very much in favor of the Montessori method while others insist that other models and patterns are better. The namesake and creator of the Montessori method is actually a woman, that being Dr. Maria Montessori. She lived at around the same time as Steiner. She, like Steiner, lived in Europe. However, she was in Italy and her model was (and still is) different in many ways. Important facets of the Montessori method would include blocks of uninterrupted learning time, the fostering and heavy use of peer learning and a “triangle” that is formed by the teacher, the child and the learning environment. Indeed, there is the common belief relating to the Montessori method that windows of learning opportunity should be harnessed and not left to waste. During the pivotal and important early childhood years, there is a heavy focus on the development of sensory/motor activities, working with the proper materials and the skilled use of direct experience. One very important facet of the Montessori method would be the use of older children to teach younger children. The use of this pattern and method is done with the idea of mimicking how the real and adult world works in much the same pattern and fashion (AMSHQ, 2017).

There are obviously strengths and challenges when it comes to both models. Both models are strong in that they focus on the development and growth of the students involved.….....

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