Interview with Yu-Feng Yeh, First Cohort Participant of TMEC Tuition-Free Montessori Elementary School Teacher Training Program
A small turning point during the training changed Yu-Feng’s teaching philosophy: Children don’t follow adult plans. First, observe whether they have a sense of direction—then consider how far they can go.
Interview with Chien-Chih Li, First Cohort Participant of TMEC Tuition-Free Montessori Elementary School Teacher Training Program
This program helped me discover that my cosmic task is to care for myself, others, and the environment. It taught me that every stage of human development has its own characteristics and requires different kinds of support—support that is grounded in observation.
Interview with Joey Liaw, 4th Cohort Participant of Y2 Social Impact Talent Development Program
Nestled inside Chuang-Wei Junior High School in Yilan, the Chinese name of Yixin Montessori School may sound like an independent bookstore, but it is actually a vital hub for Montessori experimental education in the region. Its founder, Joey Liaw, took an unexpected yet seemingly destined path into education—a story that reads like a twist of fate.
Interview with Rhonda Stone, Lead House Parent of Y2 Montessori School – Adolescent Community (Y2MAC)
Many people are curious—just how exactly is residential life at a Montessori middle school? Life in the Montessori boarding community is structured and independent with steady rhythm, allowing new students to adjust quickly to the environment.
Fancy shared, “In every project, the most important elements are the space itself and the audience within it.” Compared to his previous works designing large-scale artworks and concert visuals, creating a soft installation art for Y2MC pushed him to step outside his past experiences and rethink what art for children should look like.
How to help parents balance both their careers and family life? Located within Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, Y2 Montessori Casa (Y2MC) offers a new option for families working in the Hsinchu Science Park area. Tyson Bioresearch Inc. envisioned a preschool where families sharing a common educational philosophy could work and grow together.
The Montessori Adolescent Education Observation comes out of the Y2 Montessori School - Adolescent Community (Y2MAC). It seeks to introduce the public to Montessori educational concepts by observing schools on a day-to-day basis.
(Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels)
Unary equations, geometry, π=3.141592... junior high school math is without a doubt one of the most sleep-inducing subjects, especially when combined with sleep-deprived knot-tied brains. Almost everyone has been guilty at one time or another of daydreaming or dozing off in class. And despite a teacher’s best efforts, even Montessori middle school students drift off to the "land of nod” now and then.
Fankan Hsu, a Montessori mathematics teacher, when faced with the dilemma of students face-down fast-asleep at their desks did not take the traditional approach of throwing chalk to wake the sleepyheads up or bawling them out for a mid-class slumber. Montessori middle school instructors have been trained to respect individual differences and needs. Of course, when a student is sleeping, it affects the learning atmosphere and other students' states of mind. However, if students seem drowsy, Mr. Hsu thinks, "Should I wake the kids?" or "If the students are tired, shouldn’t I let them rest? How should I handle the situation?” He put the question to other teachers.
(Photo by fauxels on Pexels)
The instructors engaged in a serious discussion on sleeping in class. Why do students fall asleep? Is sleeping in class strictly forbidden? How does sleeping affect others? And how can students balance schoolwork and rest? The consensus was that the focus should not be on whether students should be permitted to sleep in class but on how to help the kids develop self-discipline. Before discussing the issue with their classes, the teachers first conducted simulated discussions before broaching the subject in the classroom and asking students to brainstorm solutions.
"Can I sleep in class?" The question sparked intense interest on the part of the kids in classes. But teachers, having examined all sides of the problem in their mock discussion, were well-equipped to help students hash out their opinions. The result was a unanimous decision: If you’re really tired and want to sleep, then go right ahead! However, students would be required to sign a log and would be given a timer to remind them when break time was over. If they were sleepy, they wouldn’t need to raise their hands or inform the teacher; just leave the classroom silently and return when the time is up.
Thanks to this “siesta system,” students would no longer have to study reluctantly or feel guilty because they’re sleepy. Everyone would be free to leave and catch a few winks before returning, and teachers would no longer have to worry about whether to awaken a somnolent student. The discussions bore fruit; everyone now understood that the solution at its core was the setting up of a system for self-discipline. After all, if you’re nodding off, learning will be compromised.
Montessori middle school teachers spend lots of time talking over issues of a similar nature; such as, if a door lock is broken, should it be replaced or repaired? What are the pros and cons? What should be discussed with students, and what should be left to the school to decide? Everything in life is a learning opportunity. Through discussion and reflection, students can enhance the application of logic in their thinking by looking at all sides of an issue. Moreover, the decisions reached in this manner are more open and democratic, so everyone will naturally be more inclined to abide by them. Sleepy? Then lie down and recharge!
Written by Yu-Hsiu Su
Images provided by Y2MAC
Translator: Robert Fox／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU
Established in 2022, Y2MAC is Taiwan’s first fully residential Montessori middle school. By creating a well-prepared environment, cross-disciplinary projects, and meaningful work for young people, we assist them in understanding themselves, connecting with the community, and developing the courage and wisdom that they’ll need in their adult lives.
The Montessori Adolescent Education Observation comes out of the Y2 Montessori School - Adolescent Community (Y2MAC). It seeks to introduce the public to Montessori educational concepts by observing schools on a day-to-day basis.
“Today we’re having mapo tofu for lunch. The ingredients are tofu, rice, pork, chilis and garlic. Please enjoy the meal.” K and V, the two chefs in charge of preparing today's lunch, self-consciously but with open hearts stand in front of the dining table, introducing the dishes and inviting everyone to enjoy the meal, guests included. Teachers and students queue up to serve themselves rice, then scoop up ladles full of spicy mapo tofu to pour it, and finally sit back and dig in.
An hour earlier, the "chefs" left the classroom, rolled up their sleeves, and went to work preparing lunch. Montessori middle schools don’t hire cooks; meals are not simply provided. Students write the menu, select the ingredients, and do all the cooking themselves because meal preparation is a lifelong lesson. As for delectability, well, that’s a question of taste!
Today, it was Principal Jan Gaffney’s turn to observe and assist, watching carefully to ensure students handled cleavers properly and safely, or whether they used they needed more attentive guidance. Alarmed by a bowl overflowing with red-hot chili peppers, she didn’t show her apprehension, but simply asked the kids light-heartedly, "How many chili peppers do you plan to add to the mapo tofu?" "All of them,” said the head chef casually. Jan then asked, “Have you tested the spiciness?” The cook replied that it shouldn’t be a problem. So, at noon a big pan of fiery red mapo tofu appeared in the lunchroom. "How much chili pepper did you put in?” students asked, choking on the heat. “It's super spicy!” Consequently, the cooks on duty that day learned a valuable lesson: When you prepare mapo tofu, temper your dish and don’t dump the whole bowl of chili peppers in.
The teachers don’t weigh in on the discussion but only provide assistance or offer comments at the students’ request. That’s how the kids learn to take responsibility for their cooking and decision-making!
If you’re planning a meal for nine people and your budget is NT$500, how would you spend it? Kids who once had no idea about food prices are now like budget czars, keeping an eye on every cent. How much is a catty of cabbage or a package of ground pork? “Just buy tofu; it’s the cheapest!” one student says. “But will that make a balanced meal?” says another. “Shouldn’t we add a little meat?” “What can we cook if Principal Jan has to have gluten-free meals?" The students continue the discussion, carefully planning lunch for the entire school. Some even go home and cook for their families, much to the delight of their hardworking parents.
Once a week, the students go back and forth in groups like this, discussing dishes, researching options online, and all the while keeping in mind everyone’s different requirements. Who doesn't eat what? Who’s allergic to this or that ingredient? The cooks on duty carefully attend to the dietary needs of every student and teacher in the school because if they slip up and cook the wrong food, somebody will go hungry. “Oops, I forgot that Freya is a vegetarian!” The kids are annoyed and upset with themselves for forgetting that the operations director was visiting that day. Although they're unaware of it, cooking teaches them empathy.
As the Taiwanese saying goes, “When it comes to eating, everyone is a king or a queen.” That’s why balanced nutrition is essential. One of Montessori teacher Susan’s tasks is helping students learn about nutritional values, calorie counts, and other relevant information; because, when shopping for food, you can’t just choose the cheapest—you also must consider balanced nutrition. "In all, we’ve cooked mapo tofu five times this year!” the students beam. “Today’s is an upgrade!”
After the meal, the kids tidy the tables and wash the dishes without being told to, and the kitchen falls silent again, awaiting tomorrow’s chef-of-the-day.
Written by Yu-Hsiu Su
Images provided by Y2MAC
Translator: Robert Fox／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU
Established in 2022, Y2MAC is Taiwan’s first fully residential Montessori middle school. By creating a well-prepared environment, cross-disciplinary projects, and meaningful work for young people, we assist them in understanding themselves, connecting with the community, and developing the courage and wisdom that they’ll need in their adult lives.
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.
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.
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
Images provided by Utopia Montessori School
Translators: Robert Fox, Jen Hsu／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU