Interview with Sandra Wang, Public School Transformation Consultant for the "Accessible Montessori Program" at Taiwan Montessori Education Center (TMEC)
When talking about Montessori education, the elegant Sandra lights up, speaking rapidly: "The best part of Montessori is teaching gratitude and mindfulness of others." This alone gives Sandra a surge of positive energy.
Have you heard that Montessori education is very free? That many famous people around the world attended Montessori schools? That Montessori schools don't have exams? But what truly qualifies a school to be called a Montessori school?
With over thirty years of hands-on Montessori experience, Sandra Wang offers clear insights on common misconceptions, while painting a vivid picture of flourishing Montessori education.
A Prepared Environment Offers Children the Freedom
to Explore and a Sense of Contribution
When speaking about Montessori education, the elegant Sandra Wang’s eyes immediately light up, her speech quickens, and her cheeks glow with enthusiasm.
Since obtaining her first AMI diploma in 1994, Sandra has combined deep theoretical knowledge with extensive practical experience. She has served as a teacher and principal at Montessori preschools and elementary schools in Taipei and is currently a consultant for TMEC’s "Accessible Montessori Program," helping public schools such as Taipei Zhongyi Elementary School and Taichung Zhong-Keng Elementary School transition into Montessori experimental schools.
Sandra also helped establish TMEC’s first Tuition-Free Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Program. From private to public schools, from frontline teacher to teacher trainer, Sandra has never stopped learning. She shares, "I truly love Montessori education, and I constantly grow and benefit from the students' feedback, so I never feel tired." One of the core reasons is this: "The best part of Montessori education is that it teaches gratitude and fosters a mindfulness for others." This philosophy continuously fills her with positive energy.
The concept of "Cosmic Education" in Montessori elementary schools emphasizes that each person has a unique cosmic task and the ability to contribute to society. However, children who are often cherished and protected by their parents can easily become selfcentered. How can education cultivate Montessori character and values? It all begins with the Montessori environment.
A "Prepared Environment" is much more than plants, books, or materials. Sandra explains that a true prepared environment immerses the child in a rich living space that provides for their natural, practical, and experimental needs. Montessori classrooms are orderly and beautiful. "Only by creating a prepared environment can we attract children to learn and to work eagerly," Sandra says. Children develop a sense of freedom and self-confidence – a feeling of "I can do anything!"
When the environment is right, learning naturally unfolds—for both children and adults. Unlike traditional schools, where rules and procedures are fixed, a Montessori environment is guided by children’s natural instincts. For example, children learning about the 24 solar terms will start growing plants at suitable times - from buying seeds, loosening soil, sowing, watering, to pest control. Children may even proactively build trellises themselves to help vines grow. They might cook meals or sell the produce they harvested. During the process, children aren't just participating; they are engaged from beginning to end. This journey becomes their personal mission, a daily practice, and simply, a way of life.
"In traditional schooling, teachers have to teach each class. In Montessori, if the child has an interest, they can immerse themselves and work endlessly; children are not attending 'classes'; they are in a prepared environment, where they satisfy their inner needs," Sandra explains.
“When children immerse in these experiences fully, they repeated receive the powerful message of: ‘I am capable. I can contribute.’ Human beings build themselves through experience. Adults and the environment are merely guides. Education is a way of life, and its purpose is to assist the unfolding of life." Sandra eloquently states, explaining why Montessori-educated children naturally develop mindfulness for others, not just themselves.
Creating Continuous and Life-Integrated Learning
Montessori education strongly emphasizes learning through living, rather than treating learning as information transfer. Sandra points out that Montessori learning ties closely to children's developmental stages and blends seamlessly into daily life. This is one reason why the classroom environment is so critical in Montessori education.
From birth to six years old, children begin developing a sense of order and learning to care for themselves and their environment.
For example, from birth to six years old, children are developing a sense of order and learning how to care for themselves and their surroundings. Classroom setups are orderly, with every object in its designated place; children are given tools appropriate for their ages’ developmental needs—small watering cans for watering plants, small cloths for wiping tables, etc.—and through proper guidance, children will gradually adapt to the environment and acquire simple life skills.
As they grow into the toddler stage, the activities deepen: washing cloths, peeling and slicing apples, washing rice and cooking it, sweeping and mopping the floor… This approach nurtures children's independence, self-management, and self-driven exploration, helping them find satisfaction and accomplishment through everyday living.
Anyone Who Truly Observes and Supports a Child’s Needs Is a Montessori Teacher
Beyond the environment, Montessori education stresses allowing children to fully concentrate and complete their work without interruption. There are no ringing bells marking class periods. A child's inner sense of fulfillment signals when they are done. Some elementary school teachers might worry: "Our classes are only 40 minutes long. We can’t interrupt the schedule."
Sandra acknowledges these challenges, but she notes that many teachers will creatively adjust their class content to better meet children's needs. "Any teacher who thoughtfully designs lessons to align closer to children’s needs, who cares about their inner world and uniqueness—that’s Montessori!" she affirms. In Sandra's view, Montessori is not rigid. It’s broad, adaptable, alive and not necessarily confined to traditional notions.
Is Montessori education suitable for public elementary schools? As a former Montessori elementary school principal, Sandra understands teachers' doubts. She smilingly shares a personal story: Growing up, she was considered a mischievous student—endlessly curious, always questioning why there should be only one way, one book, and one option. Fortunately, her family was open-minded and supportive, allowing her to forge her own path beyond traditional education models. "Growing up, I was never limited by age," Sandra says confidently.
"Humans naturally learn, adapt, and create pathways most suitable for themselves." Today, despite not holding a traditional master's or PhD degree, she holds AMI diplomas across all Montessori age levels. Thus, she encourages everyone: Forget about age, break through boundaries, and dare to explore.
With vibrant energy she explains that her passion results from her innate curiosity. Her childlike spirit has been nurtured since childhood, supported by her parents who gave her great freedom to explore. She reminds us, "When a child has curiosity and passion, it is a blessing from above!" Adults should carefully protect this sense of wonder, allowing children's curiosity to blossom and bear fruit.
Montessori Principles Can Be Practiced in Public Elementary Schools
Building consensus is the first step in helping schools adopt Montessori education. Casual conversations and meetings with parents and teachers help ease fears and spark interest.
In recent years, Sandra has served as the consultant for two schools, Zhongyi and Zhong-Keng, helping them integrate Montessori education into their campuses. "The first step is building consensus—chatting with parents, teachers, even security guards—to let everyone know that Montessori is coming into the school," she shares.
Taking advantage of the time before the school year begins is especially critical, she notes. It's the most opportune time to prepare the environment and to connect with parents, who are particularly attentive to school communications. Sandra understands that shifting mindsets takes time; through casual conversations and parent meetings, she gradually familiarizes parents with Montessori concepts and helps teachers overcome fear and hesitation toward this unfamiliar approach. In time, they will be willing to get to know Montessori education.
Sandra observes that while the teachers in both schools are passionate, they worry about making mistakes without formal Montessori training, yet she noticed that many teachers' teaching styles already embodied the Montessori philosophy—blending textbook content with real-life applications. For example, in a natural science class discussing "why water flows downward," one child mentioned that their family lives downstream and grows organic fruit.
Another child, living upstream, shared that their family uses pesticides. The teacher extended the discussion by asking: "If water with pesticide from upstream flows downstream, will it affect the organic fruit trees?" After discussing and brainstorming solutions, the child living upstream expressed a willingness to talk with their family about reducing pesticide use as a first step.
Hearing this, Sandra marveled: This is exactly the spirit of Montessori education! Gradually, teachers will begin to open their minds, shedding fears and hesitations. The next step is to break free from traditional time constraints. Sandra encourages schools to allocate an uninterrupted three-hour work period in the morning, free from the 40-minute class period interruptions common in traditional schools. She acknowledges: "This is a huge change—it will dramatically affect the scheduling of over a dozen teachers," but transformation requires a first step. Once the rigid time blocks are removed, the advantages of mixed-age learning can truly emerge.
Montessori emphasizes a prepared environment—an inviting, well-designed space where children feel free and motivated to work and learn.
"When all students are doing the same thing simultaneously, only the highest performers stand out, making it harder for teachers to discover each child's unique strengths," Sandra explains, "but when the work cycle is extended, teachers can observe who is more willing to help others, who is more meticulous, and what topics spark different children’s interests." By recognizing differences, true individualized guidance can happen, allowing each child to grow into their authentic self.
In a traditional elementary school, subjects are taught separately, whereas in a Montessori elementary school, learning is integrated across disciplines. Montessori teachers demonstrate lessons across all subjects while also nurturing the intellectual, emotional, and social development of the child. Currently, in public Montessori experimental schools, each classroom has a lead teacher and a co-teacher. Teachers themselves model collaboration, supporting each other not only in teaching but also in observation, documentation, and administrative tasks. Through communication and coordination, they can better support the students and ensure smoother classroom operations.
Montessori-Educated Children Thrive in University
Why is uninterrupted learning time so crucial? Sandra explains that Montessori teachers devote tremendous effort to allowing children to focus deeply on what they love because "inner fulfillment requires uninterrupted time." Through this approach, students don't just complete "assignments." They immerse themselves in meaningful, authentic experiences.
In Montessori elementary years, children are already developing the ability to focus, document, and reflect on their learning. This fosters self-discipline and collaboration from an early age.
Although many Montessori-educated children may need some time to adjust to exam-centered learning when they transition to traditional middle schools, Sandra observes that they thrive once they reach university. Having been trained from a young age to think critically and work cooperatively, these students find the university environment a natural fit. "Students have told me," Sandra shares, "that university is when they feel most at ease, because it demands independent learning, time management, and research skills—habits they have been cultivating since their early Montessori years."
The CAN DO Philosophy: Focus on What You Can Control
Extending the work cycle reveals each child's interests and differences, allowing for meaningful guidance and helping children grow into their true selves.
Sandra offers a heartfelt reminder to parents and educators: "Montessori isn't just a method—it's a way of seeing people." Through the Montessori perspective, we learn to respect human beings, recognizing that every person is precious and worthy of being treated with care.
She emphasizes that teachers don't need to worry about whether they have formal Montessori training. Instead, both adults and children must learn to "let go of what you cannot do or change, and focus on what you CAN DO." Sandra, with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, cheerfully repeats this advice three times!
Only when growing up in environments of strict correction and excessive control do children lose their love of learning. Human beings are naturally inclined to enjoy learning and learning with others. Given proper guidance and time, children will learn independently.
On the other hand, when a child consistently shows resistance or negative behavior, it’s often a message that they are in need of help.
“In Montessori education, the development of life itself comes first. Teaching materials and environment preparation all exist to support this growth, enabling each individual to live life fully and authentically.” This, Sandra says, is precisely why she loves Montessori, and what she believes is the true essence of Montessori education.
Text by Yu-Hsiu Su
Images provided by Taiwan Montessori Education Center, Y2 Montessori Casa, Y2 Montessori Parent-Infant Community
Translator: Scott Faul／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU