From the pupil’s point of view

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All children want to learn

At the International Montessori School, we nurture and support the natural curiosity of children and young people. This curiosity forms an important foundation for sustained, focused and independent learning – and thus for a successful educational journey.In mixed-age learning groups, pupils work on different topics and tasks according to their interests and level of learning – both independently and together with others.

„Here, it’s not the teacher who decides what we learn. We’re allowed to choose for ourselves when we do German or maths.“
(a pupil, learning group 1-3, aged 8 years)

„I like that I can work with my materials wherever I want: by the window, on the carpet, at the table…“
(a pupil, learning group 4-6, aged 10 years)

„The great thing about this school is that you can work at your own pace and do your own projects. The teachers provide excellent support.“
(a pupil, learning group 7-10, aged 13 years)

„The lessons are well structured and great fun. And the whole school community is very friendly.“
(a teacher)

Freedom and structure

“Freedom and discipline are two sides of the same coin”

(Maria Montessori).

Our learning environment allows for free work. This means that pupils have:

  • the free choice of the object/material they want to work with,
  • the free choice of workplace, inside and outside the classroom,
  • the free choice of the time they devote to a specific topic within the given framework, as well as
  • the free choice of the partner with whom they work on a task.

Freedom includes structures and boundaries:

  • The learning environment prepared by the teacher is adapted to the size, strength and needs of the children.
  • With house and class rules that are uniform and transparent for all, we enable an atmosphere in which children and adults feel comfortable.
  • With a weekly class council, we promote the reflection of one’s own behaviour as well as the exchange about it in the group and thus support the respectful treatment of other people and the material.
  • The school year is divided into several sections, each of which focuses on one of Maria Montessori’s “great stories”. These stories are, for example, about the origin of the earth or the origin of man and offer interdisciplinary learning stimuli.
  • Pupils and teachers agree on the next learning steps and use workbooks (compilation of learning content), weekly plans and individual reflection meetings for this purpose.

Stages of development

Maria Montessori describes a child’s development as a series of sequential stages, each with its own needs and developmental priorities.

  • In the first stage of development (0–6 years), the child discovers the world through all their senses and increasingly strives for independence: ‘Help me to do it myself.’
  • In the second stage of development (6–12 years), the focus is on curiosity, imagination and understanding how things are connected: ‘Help me to think for myself.’ Children want to explore, ask questions, learn together and discover the world beyond the classroom.
  • In the third stage of development (12–18 years), identity, a sense of belonging and social responsibility come to the fore: “Help me to become myself.” Young people need opportunities to take on responsibility, gain real-life experience and realise that their own actions can contribute to the community.

In this way, Montessori education guides young people on a journey from doing things for themselves, through thinking for themselves, to becoming themselves. The learning environment, materials, forms of collaboration and the pupils’ responsibilities therefore continue to evolve alongside them.

What begins in the primary years as independent discovery increasingly develops in the secondary years into self-directed, cooperative and socially oriented learning. In this way, Montessori education remains age-appropriate and effective throughout the entire school career.

Effectiveness

Why is learning particularly successful in the Montessori approach?

  • Every young person receives the individual support they need at any given time. Because not everyone is doing the same thing at the same time, no one is overburdened or underchallenged.
  • Pupils work on topics that interest and engage them. Positive emotions increase their willingness to make an effort and make it easier to internalise and retain what they have learnt.
  • The Montessori materials and the method of independent work ensure what Maria Montessori calls a ‘polarisation of attention’. Children and young people immerse themselves in their tasks and work for long periods with a high level of concentration. The proportion of lesson time during which they are cognitively highly active increases.
  • Children and young people enjoy coming to our school. This is the most important prerequisite for academic success. Here, they do not learn for the sake of grades, but are allowed to engage with what is close to their hearts. They experience themselves as competent.
  • In this way, Montessori education creates the conditions for pupils to learn independently and with joy, to realise their potential and to achieve the best possible school-leaving qualifications for each individual.

The success of our pedagogy is evident:

  • the excellent results achieved by our pupils in nationwide comparative studies in which IMS voluntarily participates, especially VERA 3.
  • average 95 % Gymnasium recommendations for our graduates in grade 6
  • in the feedback that our graduates and their parents give us about their successful start at secondary school.
  • Study on social learning success in Montessori schools (Montessori Germany 2022 leavers’ survey)
  • the improvement in academic performance and equality of opportunity, as confirmed by several international studies on the Montessori method.

Alexander Delport Headmaster International Montessorischool Berlin

Alexander Delport Headmaster International Montessorischool Berlin

Only what I myself find meaningful, what makes me curious, will I keep in the long term. My school creates the conditions for this