Montessori Education

How an Unconventional Learner Inspires Passion for Learning

Interview with Hsing-Cheng Fu, Rural Caring Center of Fu Jen Catholic University


Hsing-Cheng Fu was never a particularly studious child. After leaving the regular education system in high school, he entered a technical college. At that time, he never thought that education would be his calling, his life’s work, and that he would one day become a dedicated and enthusiastic educator.

Hsing-Cheng Fu feels that he owes it all to the teachers who believed in him and provided him attention and support. This is what motivates him to want to help others, to nurture their growth, and to work as an educator.

Hsing-Cheng may appear to be an ordinary college student, but he has worked in education counseling for over 10 years at the Rural Caring Center of Fu Jen Catholic University.

In addition to regularly assisting Fu Jen Catholic University and Mercy Home in promoting services for remote communities through online after-school programs, Hsing-Cheng also visits the children personally during summer and winter breaks to guide them on their learning journey.

Looking back on his own past, Hsing-Cheng feels that he owes it all to the teachers who believed in him and provided him attention and support. This is what motivates him to want to help others, to nurture their growth, and to work as an educator.

“I believe, rather than changing the environment, it is better to help the child to better face the environment that they’re in.” It is his empathy that drives him to better the lives of children living in remote areas.

Learning is letting children make mistakes


When conducting after-school programs for children in remote areas, Hsing-Cheng realized that in many cases, perhaps due to the child’s family dysfunction or lack of learning resources growing up, it takes time for both the educator and student to communicate and adjust to each other’s value system.

He believes that letting children make mistakes is also part of learning. Traditional educators tend to unilaterally "teach" or "remind" children orally, but he saw a different approach in Montessori philosophy.

Hsing-Cheng notices that “when children make mistakes, we should encourage them to understand the process, systematically guide children to break down steps, observe, and accompany them from the sidelines. In the end, the teacher has to learn to let go and return to their role as a guide.”

In 2021, Hsing-Cheng joined the Montessori Social Impact Talent Development Program and underwent AMI Montessori teacher training. Afterwards, by applying his training and past experiences, he developed a program and cultivated college students to participate in local community services.

Montessori philosophy highlights that the natural environment supports students’ development; therefore, “caring for the environment” is an important part of Montessori education.

For example, teaching an adolescent mop a floor is more than just telling them to do the chore. The teacher should guide the adolescents, show them how to hold a mop, how much water to use, how to put away the tools and in what order.

Each step is dissected so that the adolescent is motivated to use their own acquired skills to complete the task. How does a teacher help fulfill a child’s need for independence?

Hsing-Cheng confidently replies, "The Montessori teaching concept of 'learning by doing' and 'doing by learning' is not only suitable for children aged 6-12, but as long as we establish systematic learning in their minds, it will also have an unconscious influence on their future careers and lives after entering society!"

After undergoing the intensive curriculum of AMI Montessori teacher training, Hsing-Cheng realized that the difficulty for many educators is that there is no prescribed formula in applying Montessori theories, but that is exactly what makes the Montessori approach so interesting!

He embraces the ideal that as each child explores within a Montessori environment, they can find the path, which best suits their own learning.

This new outlook toward teaching inspired him to return to the remote areas of his childhood and to inspire youths and college students to join his efforts to teach in remote areas.

Each conversation is a lifeline

Hsing-Cheng Fu believes that as each child explores within a Montessori environment, they can find the path, which best suits their own learning.

Working to assist children in remote areas comes with a host of challenges, as many students come from troubled families or are unable or unwilling to attend school.

Those, who work in educational counseling, are mostly still enrolled in or are new graduates from college in urban areas. The difference between their backgrounds and that of the children they are seeking to help forms a nearly insurmountable obstacle.

If this gap is not bridged, the result is that the children feel alienated, and the counselors are left feeling frustrated. Hsing-Cheng’s advice to counselors in this dilemma is to take a step back and maintain a degree of flexibility in the situation rather than proceeding by the book.

He prefers to focus on the child and guide them through some kind of hands-on activity, whether that be gardening, woodwork, or doing math calculations, to uncover their intrinsic motivation for learning.

This allows both the student and educator to give and receive feedback, learn from one another, and build their confidence.

Hsing-Cheng’s participation in sponsored teacher training and his return to Taiwan to integrate Montessori principles with educational counseling for children in remote areas has inspired him to reset, reflect, and push forward on his quest.

He believes that with each guidance session, comes the opportunity to restore a child’s passion in learning, which can prevent them from giving up on themselves or to decide to turn to a life of organized crime.

In addition to working through existing agencies, Hsing-Cheng plans to establish an experimental education group to make Montessori affordable for everyone. It is this enthusiasm and dedication that has brought him to where he is today and empowers him to continue on his quest in the future.

Written by Angelina Chan 
Images provided by Hsing-Cheng Fu
Translators: Robert Fox, Jen Hsu／Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU

Experimental Education as a Self-Guided Journey of Exploration

Interview with Tim Chen, Chief Organizer of Taiwan Homeschool Advocates

What kind of education method can encourage children to explore their world freely? In 2003, Tim Chen and his wife Dorota Chen-Wernik had seen enough of Taiwan’s spoon-feeding education system and decided to take their 6-year-old daughter Zosia on a path of self-study, allowing her to have autonomy over her own learning process and to engage with her Polish culture.

Ever since then, Tim Chen, has been called “Taiwan’s Godfather of Homeschooling,”as he has been an ardent advocate of home schooling.

He shares his family’s experiences and is instrumental in promoting the passing of the Three Laws on Experimental Education. His three children were all home-schooled, and their experiences have served as a guiding light for families interested in self-directed education.

Tim Chen, Chief Organizer of Taiwan Homeschool Advocates.

What is experimental education? Tim cleverly likens home schooling or experimental education to a self-guided tour. The child can plan out their journey based on their own interests and pace.

While the child may veer off the path or encounter obstacles, the detours may lead to unexpected scenery; eventually, the child will find their own way.

In contrast, traditional education is like traveling with a tour group. The teacher acts as a tour guide, leading students on a predetermined itinerary. The students are not allowed to wander off or linger for too long on something that has piqued their interest.

In the end, the students are not encouraged to think for themselves, only to follow the teacher’s instruction and plans, eventually resulting in students losing their own proactiveness.

Parents as learners are the key to successful experimental education

photo by pexels

In the past, only a small number of children are home schooled, and they were often unfairly labeled as “problem children“.

Now times have changed, and more parents are taking their children on a self-guided journey of learning and exploring alternative paths. In Taipei City alone, more than 1,000 children and their families have chosen to engage in home schooling each year.

Engaging in home schooling or experimental education is not a path to be taken lightly. It may not always be smooth sailing to freedom, and the responsibility of education does not rest on the teacher. Instead, parents will face a transition period going from traditional education to experimental education, during which they need to commit more time to their children.

Tim suggests that both parents and children need to set their sights on bigger objectives and discard traditional education system benchmarks typically used in measuring progress, such as grades, class ranking, and blind obedience to authority.

Parents also need to become learners, exercising patience and devoting more time to discover their children’s strengths and rethinking the roles they will play in the world of the future.

In Tim’s experience, it takes on average three to six months for parents and children to fully adjust and to regain their motivation for self-learning. Slowly, parents will begin to see the transformative effects of home schooling on their child.

True experimental education has not yet begun

photo by pexels

What kind of talent does the future need? No one can say for certain. All we know is that students must have the ability to face the unknown and the motivation to explore it.

It is exactly for this purpose that educational reform in recent years have sought to undo the spoon-fed or cramming feature of the current school system.

However, that is easier said than done. Tim, who was a member on the advisory committee for education reform, believes that experimental education can lead the way and offer a tangible example of what traditional school systems can do. He points out,

“Experimental education or self-study can nudge traditional education into changing for the better. By showing them that change is not as hard as it seems or that overcoming obstacles can lead to interesting results, we are offering the existing education system an opportunity to transform itself!”

Tim has even proclaimed that “true experimental education has not yet begun.” Current curriculum design reflects our past experiences; to prepare for the future, we need to think outside the existing framework and adapt to the changing world more quickly and flexibly.

“Education should be constantly evolving as we pursue shifting objectives. We cannot afford to rest on the laurels of past education reforms.”

In Tim’s opinion, the framework for future public education should shift from vertical to horizontal integration. Furthermore, existing education institutions should be deconstructed. Tim believes that “the education authority should be supervisory and not the provider of education.”

Perhaps, communities, villages, and tribes can adopt the school board system that is so popular abroad, so as to develop suitable education styles that reflect localized features.

Technology can be utilized to integrate resources horizontally so that every child can be supported and guided on their learning journey in their own way, with no child left behind.

Promoting Montessori to provide more humanistic care and support


The Montessori approach is not just tailored for childhood education, it can support individual needs and lifestyles for people aged 0 to 100! Montessori methods for aging and dementia also empowers elders to feel supported and to live with dignity.

Professor Chou is planning to incorporate Montessori methods into the curriculum of the School of Nursing as well as the design of the dementia ward at Taipei Medical University Hospital. To her, this online workshop marks an important first step for promoting public awareness of Montessori concepts.

“Students can apply these principles in their professional fields. In the future, when the number of professionals immersed in the Montessori method reaches critical mass, we can build a dedicated environment, where application of Montessori principles are possible.”

Professor Chou also offers a gentle reminder to keep in mind the cultural differences between the East and the West when applying Montessori principles, “In our culture, the elders expect to be cared for by the younger generation, so we need to consider how best to introduce the Montessori method in aged care and help maintain their independence, while ensuring that they feel sufficiently cared for and respected.”

Text: Yi-Yun Li
Translator: Jen Hsu / Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU

This article is an excerpt from Y2 2021 Annual Report.

Montessori Education Shines a Spotlight on Dementia Patient

Interview with Professor Kuei-Ru Chou, Taipei Medical University


Imagine that one day, you can’t remember your way home, you no longer recognize the faces of your family, and even feeding yourself becomes an insurmountable challenge. Imagine living in such a terrifying and miserable situation.

In Taiwan, 1 in 12 seniors above the age of 65 suffers from dementia. According to the World Alzheimer Report 2019 by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), more than 50 million people live with dementia globally, with someone developing dementia every three seconds. Figures are forecasted to increase to 152 million by 2050.

(Photo by Dominik Lange on Unsplash)

In light of the pressing need to address dementia, the Montessori approach brings new hope for the care of the elderly and dementia patients. Through a prepared environment, we can compensate for their cognitive or physical impairment and encourage them to live a happy and fulfilled life by stimulating their remaining faculties, helping them to maintain their independence, and in turn, finding life fulfillment and joy.

Academia and medicine cooperate to explore Montessori applications in dementia care

Images provided by: Kuei-Ru Chou

Through Y2’s introduction and networking, Taipei Medical University Professor Kuei-Ru Chou began their collaboration with AMI, hosting the Montessori for Dementia Care Online Workshop to promote the use of Montessori methods to care for elders and those suffering with dementia.

Anne Kelly, the keynote speaker, is a registered nurse from Australia with more than 40 years of experience in nursing and aged care. She has been using the Montessori approach for elders with dementia for over 13 years and is the Head of Montessori for Dementia and Aging at AMI.

The online workshop took place over two days and attracted more than 400 participants globally. Everyone was eager to learn how to apply Montessori education methods to the care of dementia patients. Professor Kuei-Ru Chou of the School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, shared her thoughts:

“Dementia is a very important subject in geriatric psychiatry. Traditional aged care puts us on the sidelines, always observing but never able to do anything for the patient. The Montessori method supplements what is lacking in traditional methods of professional nursing. It reminds us to see the individual obscured by the symptoms of dementia, find out what they are good at, and enable them to be the best that they can be.”

Seeing the person and not just the disease

photo by Matthias Zomer on Pexels

Dr. Maria Montessori once said, “The more you do for me, the more you take away from me.” This sentiment also applies to the care and support for those living with dementia.

This worldview helps shift the focus of professional nurses and family members from the various symptoms of dementia back to the person. Professor Chou explains,

“We need to focus on the individual’s desires, habits, and needs and how they became the person they are today. How does the individual feel? What are they capable of? What activities make them feel happy and confident? These questions all get to the heart of who an individual is.”

We should view persons with dementia as people who are still capable of learning. This shift in focus means that, in the event when somebody is losing the ability to feed themselves, we don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that they need to be spoon fed.

Instead, we should design related activities to maintain their fine motor skills to allow them to be able to continue to feed themselves for as long as possible.

Professor Chou uses “eating dumplings” as an example: “Eating dumplings can be divided into many smaller tasks, such as choosing the type of dumplings, meal preparation, setting up utensils, plating the dumplings, and the act of eating.

These are all tasks that our elders can participate in and accomplish. These activities not only slow the progression of dementia, but also allow our elders to live with dignity.”

Promoting Montessori to provide more humanistic care and support


The Montessori approach is not just tailored for childhood education, it can support individual needs and lifestyles for people aged 0 to 100! Montessori methods for aging and dementia also empowers elders to feel supported and to live with dignity.

Professor Chou is planning to incorporate Montessori methods into the curriculum of the School of Nursing as well as the design of the dementia ward at Taipei Medical University Hospital. To her, this online workshop marks an important first step for promoting public awareness of Montessori concepts.

“Students can apply these principles in their professional fields. In the future, when the number of professionals immersed in the Montessori method reaches critical mass, we can build a dedicated environment, where application of Montessori principles are possible.”

Professor Chou also offers a gentle reminder to keep in mind the cultural differences between the East and the West when applying Montessori principles, “In our culture, the elders expect to be cared for by the younger generation, so we need to consider how best to introduce the Montessori method in aged care and help maintain their independence, while ensuring that they feel sufficiently cared for and respected.”

Text: Shu-Mei Weng
Translator: Jen Hsu / Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation, NTNU