The path into the unknown: Montessori teacher training

interview with Fangyun Hsu, Chief Development Officer of Y2 Foundation for Future Education

What in the world would drive Fangyun Hsu, Chief Development Officer of Y2 Foundation for Future Education, to apply for leave without pay and travel to Italy on her own dime to undergo Montessori teacher training? Having spent more than 10 years working in the arts, Fangyun recalled how she felt three years ago upon deciding to join Y2: “I asked myself, what kind of job would I be willingly do without pay? My instinctive answer was ‘education.’” Without the paradigm shift through education, children are disconnected with real life learning, let alone the appreciation for the arts and culture.

Fangyun jokes that, although she works in education, she only started learning about education fairly recently. “I didn’t even know about Dr. Montessori, or that she had run an elementary and middle school.” To further understand what it means to be a “learner”, Fangyun applied for leave without pay in August 2019 and boldly set out for Bergamo, Italy to study at the International Centre for Montessori Studies Foundation (CISM - AMI Fondazione Centro Internazionale Studi Montessoriani). Under the immersive tutelage of Baiba Krumins Grazzini herself, Fangyun undertook the training for the AMI 6-12 Diploma. She recalls that “I followed Baiba’s training and immersed myself in the Montessori educational environment. In contrast to how I learned before, which was to only retain knowledge, learning by “doing” is a completely different experience. The lessons she taught by example and through her lectures had an extra weight and depth.”

---

Face your fears, reset, then boldly set out and explore

Fangyun explains that, even with her determination, she was extremely ill at ease in the beginning. The fear of being out of her comfort zone, her anxiety and unease, mixed with her demands of being a perfectionist all added to her stress. What’s more, the uncertainty of a sudden pandemic made her life as a teacher-in-training all the more difficult.

At this point, Fangyun sought to comfort herself with a number of mantras: “Growth comes from thrusting yourself into the unknown.” “Treat life like an experiment.” “Refusing to change is the greatest threat.” “Even with fear, you can still go on.” At first, she was only trying to survive; however, after a while, these mantras opened the door to more than surviving. She learned to accept, to reset, to surrender, to believe. Little by little, she changed and began to thrive.

“When children are confronting with challenges, does it feel as sudden and overwhelming as facing the pandemic?” Fangyun muses, firm in her belief that every individual possesses the courage and inherent ability to overcome unfamiliar situations.

“We cannot be fully prepared for everything life throws at us. All we can do is to try our best!” This faith has stood her in good stead as she mastered nine subjects, hundreds of teaching materials, and thousands of presentations!

---

Ignite the passion within each person

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic played havoc with Fangyun’s teacher training by disrupting the Montessori method’s focus on the sense of place and learning by doing. Of the 14 international students, 10 fled Italy before it went into lockdown. High-risk, senior trainers began teaching classes on Zoom. She and her remaining classmates faced a chaotic, unpredictable life, but they became each other’s anchor in the three hours of online classes each afternoon.

This experience not only taught Fangyun to cherish her freedom, it also gave her immense respect for her Montessori trainer for her willingness to try new things.

“This is what Montessori calls ‘Adaptability’. I can see how thoroughly my trainer embodies this quality, especially when dealing with so much uncertainty.”

Fangyun explains that “Undergoing teacher training is the best decision of my life. I feel as if I have been through a delicate yet seismic shift.” She describes that, prior to teacher training, it’s like she had gone through life wearing thick, coke-bottle glasses. Now that she has taken them off, she can see the world clearly with her own eyes and discover how exciting and fun learning can be. Unlike the traditional disjointed education system, Montessori’s Cosmic Education provides students with an integrated learning experience through the Five Great Lessons: Coming of the Universe and the Earth, Coming of Life, Coming of Human Beings, Communication in Signs, and The Story of Numbers.

What unfolds before the children’s eyes is the whole picture of knowledge. These lessons open the door to understanding the universe, ignite children’s curiosity, and guide them to further explore and learn of their own volition. Fangyun explains, “When we were in school, we would go from one class to another, learning this puzzle piece of information or that piece, but never taking in the whole of the puzzle. We were not active learners, and the bits of information that we did learn remained disjointed from our life and environment.” She muses that perhaps this is why students lose their sense of curiosity or motivation for learning.

“Even though I don’t work on the front lines of education, my passion can still be reignited. If an educator can reignite their passion for learning, for life, and for all beings in the cosmos, imagine how that passion can infect those around her and fire up children’s motivation for learning!”

Fangyun knows that there is still a long way to go to promote the Montessori method in Taiwan, but she is undaunted and full of confidence!

---

Written by Yu-Hsiu Su
Images provided by Fangyun Hsu, Fu-Sheng Li
This article is an excerpt from Y2 2020 Annual Report.

FROM 0 TO NOW

A word from the Founders - Y2 2019 Annual Report

2019 marks the second anniversary of Y2, a foundation which resulted from the inspiration of our two children and countless others, who have dedicated their lives to education and the betterment of humanity. 

A lot has happened in our seemingly short yet long journey. We faced challenges but also opportunities, yet the core of our work never wavered. 

Y2 exists to support quality, alternative education choice in Taiwan, because we believe education is the key to a better future and that diversity and the freedom of choice in society are what drive innovation and advancement.

We choose Montessori education as Y2’s starting point, because it is a philosophy centering on the respect for life, individuality, unlimited human potential, humanity, peaceful co-existence, and life purpose—all of which we, as Y2 co-founders, value as human beings, parents, and global citizens.

---

FROM 0 TO NOW

Teacher Sponsorship

Y2’s first task is to increase the number of quality-trained Montessori elementary school teachers in Taiwan through teacher sponsorship. 

To date, we have sponsored the following number of participants for training:  seven for AMI elementary diploma; four for AMI adolescent orientation; and three for AMS Montessori for Public. 

Combined, these educators spanning across Taiwan will impact over 300 children through their Montessori work.

In 2020, we optimistically anticipate the training sponsorship program as the kick-start for Montessori-inspired projects with social impact.

Montessori for Global Impact (MGI) Project

During our first year, we also launched the MGI Project with National Cheng-Chi University and National Taiwan Normal University to integrate Montessori philosophy to our own culture and place and to implement the three pillars of research & development, training & orientation, and education platform. 

We have accumulated over 85 Montessori-related papers and hosted 12 workshops to advocate Montessori and support educators.

In 2020, we will host a series of Montessori workshops covering elementary, adolescent, placed-based education, and aging-care, because Montessori philosophy is really about the respect for life, from start to the end.

Montessori for Public

Y2’s goal for more families and children to have quality and affordable options when it comes to education remains our guiding principle. 

We have been paving the way toward this effort with the MGI Project.  In 2019, we approached public schools and government education agencies. 

Our goal in 2020 is to support the transformation of the first-ever public Montessori elementary school in Taiwan, which will serve as a prototype and sharing platform for other interested public schools.

---

THE CONTINUUM

When Y2 first started, we had the pleasure of visiting Dr. David Kahn, the Montessori adolescent studies pioneer with more than 40 years of Montessori experience. 

David shares with us his interpretive model of the Four Planes.  It is the Montessori model of the continuum, a new concept that expands on Dr. Montessori’s theory that education needs to align with human development to optimize human potential. 

He adds that human development is a continuous process, where Montessori education age levels of 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, and 12-18 exist independently but integrate to complete a mature human being, but the continuum concept doesn’t end here. 

The different subjects of learning (e.g. math, history, art, language, sciences, etc.); the interdependent relationship amongst each human being, culture, local environment, and nature—all need to be integrated in the school curriculum to serve the holistic development of each child.

This task is much easily said than done. As well-seasoned Montessorians like David model, they research, explore, and learn the art of implementation through continuous trial and adjustment. 

Ms. Laurie-Ewert-Krocker, director of Hershey Montessori School’s upper school program, echoes this sentiment. Hershey started in 1978, while its adolescent program began in 2000. 

Its name alone is often linked to the words “authentic” and “model farm school,” yet as Laurie explains during MGI’s international adolescent event in 2019, Hershey is by no means “complete.”  It is still a work under refinement.

David’s profound concept of the continuum doesn’t only apply to Montessori education and development of the child, as how to implement this concept is also a continuum, a never-ending process of continuous modification. 

We know public Montessori in Taiwan is a bold goal, but historically, miracles become reality when someone decides to dream big.  We are just about to take the first step, which means public Montessori will be far from “authentic” or “model,” but it initiates the start of new possibility. 

As we take David’s wisdom to heart, Y2’s work and our public Montessori efforts will sure resonate that everything is a journey of continuous improvement, because life, itself, is a continuum after all.

---

SWING FOR THE FENCES

In its 20th year, philanthropist Bill Gates reflects on his foundation, which spent USD53.8 billion to “improving health around the world and strengthening the public education system in the United States because [they] believe that health and education are key to a healthier, better, and more equal world.”[1]

Bill recalls having setbacks, mistakes, and also triumph.  He also illustrates the suggestion of his good friend, Warren Buffet, who urges him to “swing for the fences.”  This baseball term means “[to put] every ounce of strength into hitting the ball as far as possible. 

You know that your bat might miss the ball entirely—but that if you succeed in making contact, the rewards can be huge.”[2]

As we stand here, reflecting upon Y2’s humble work in the past two years and looking ahead to the future, we will continue aim to “swing for the fences” and hope that YOU will join us on this journey for CHANGE.

Founders of Y2 Foundation for Future Education
Andy Chen
Cynthia Hang

---

[1] Gates, Bill and Melinda.  “Why We Swing for the Fences.”  Gates Notes:  https://www.gatesnotes.com/2020-Annual-Letter.

[2] Gates.  “Why We Swing for the Fences.”

---

This article is an excerpt from Y2 2019 Annual Report.

Montessori - Opportunity to shape education of the future

In an era of globalization and individualized learning, Taiwan’s existing education system has reached a bottleneck. The outlook for future education remains uncertain. For many years, Professor Cheng Tung-Liao, principal investigator of the Taiwan Experimental Education Center, has been searching for the solution to this challenge. Professor Cheng is a pioneer in Taiwan’s experimental education and has founded eight experimental schools. When his path crosses Montessori education in 2016, he believes he has finally found the light at the end of the tunnel—the path towards education of the future.

In fact, before understanding Montessori education in depth, Professor Cheng had heard that its training method was rather rigid, but being a researcher himself, he delved deeper into the Montessori Method and found that it has been widely misunderstood. One cause of the misconception is that the Montessori Method is typically used in Taiwan’s preschools, which emphasize the use of teaching aids, while proper training and quality of implementation may be inconsistent.

An opportunity to see for himself what Montessori theory is all about completely changes Professor Cheng’s mind. His eyes sparkle and his voice is animated, as he recounts his experience attending the 2018 AMI/NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies course at Hershey Montessori School in Ohio. He remembers his surprise upon learning that the meals for all 40 adult training participants were prepared by a couple of middle-school students. “The food was delicious and beautifully presented. It was simply amazing,” recalls Professor Cheng. What impressed him most was the students’ confidence and their way of thinking. When Professor Cheng asked the adolescents about what they wanted to do in the future, they responded, “Whatever we decide to do, as long as we choose to do it, we will be successful.” When asked why, the middle-schoolers replied, without hesitation, “Because we know how to learn.” This is the kind of self-confidence even many university graduates in Taiwan are lacking. After this experience, Professor Cheng vows to find a suitable way to apply Montessori Method in Taiwanese context so that more children can benefit from Montessori education.

Secondary education—Preparation to enter society

 Professor Cheng is particularly fascinated by Montessori’s idea of the Erdkinder (“children of the land”) program for adolescents. Dr. Maria Montessori proposed that secondary school students live on a farm to develop the essential characteristics needed to enter society. In other words, the role of secondary education is not only to practice life in adult society but also to prepare adolescents with all kinds of necessary capabilities. In addition to academic studies, the students also have to learn practical life skills and financial literacy. Through “farm school” education, students also acquire problem-solving skills and the ability to learn on their own.

“The traditional approach to education in Taiwan only gives children a very limited range of knowledge, and they tend to have difficulty solving problems,” says Professor Cheng. “When you see with your own eyes, generation after generation of children wasting their lives away in this unchanging system, you would feel very strongly that things have to change!” After attending the Montessori orientation adolescent course, Professor Cheng sees opportunity for a paradigm shift.

Key to Success: Prepared teachers and environment

 
According to Professor Cheng, “Montessori stresses two features: prepared adults and prepared environment. Teachers need to do a lot of preparation.” For instance, Dr. Montessori herself once led a group of secondary school students to design a massive chicken coop covering almost 100 m2, with the planning, design, and construction all done by the students. In the process, students applied a variety of academic knowledge, including physics, mathematics, design, etc. Rather than being an one-way lecturer, the teacher’s role is to be a side-by-side partner, who motivates students to learn, observes their needs, and supports self-directed learning. “Montessori teachers are all great storytellers,” says Professor Cheng with a smile.

 
Montessori education echoes goals of Taiwan’s 12-year curriculum

 
“Motivation, self-directed learning, and sharing” emphasized in the Montessori Method correspond perfectly to the core objectives of Taiwan’s 12-year Basic Education Curriculum: self-initiative, interactive, and common good.” Professor Cheng believes that the three core objectives are, in fact, very progressive and show great promise, but their implementation in Taiwan has been slow. Professor Cheng is concerned about fierce global competition. “I think whoever is slow to change will be at a disadvantage. That’s what I’m worried about.” In his view, “Montessori education can be the solution for small schools in Taiwan looking to implement project-based and mixed-age learning. Montessori can bring people closer together, because it focuses on mutual cooperation and learning. That’s what Taiwan needs.”

 
How should we change education in Taiwan? Professor Cheng responds, “According to Montessori, you won’t know how to change the world until you’ve seen the world.” Many teachers in the current education system also want to bring about change, but administrative and bureaucratic work takes up time that could be used for teaching and research. While this is a systemic problem, Professor Cheng believes “the key is still the teachers’ mentality. Reform is ultimately dependent on mindset.” If teachers are willing to change, they will find a way to transform any classroom. Once teachers take this initial step, the next is to be proactive in locating resources to advance their teaching methods. The third step is to reach out. Doing things alone can often feel isolated and limiting. That’s why it’s important to connect with like-minded peers and synergize. Professor Cheng beams as he calls out to all teachers to take action, urging that “the fourth, and the bravest step of all, is to begin change!”

 
Professor Cheng notes from his observation that Montessori teachers are empathetic, patient, and passionate about education, regardless of their age. They have a near-religious faith in the unlimited possibilities of humanity. It’s the power stemming from this conviction that makes it possible for every child to become an unique and valued individual.

---

This article is an excerpt from Y2 2019 Annual Report.

Every child is a genius

Adolescence is a time when the human body and mind undergo tremendous change. The million-dollar question for middle school teachers is how to balance high academic pressures and children’s developmental needs.

Fortunately, a group of children under the guidance of Montessori-trained educators are working to achieve that balance. These children have developed almost computer-like ability to sift through and synthesize information. Moreover, they have the opportunity to learn the art of socializing through the experience of boarding. According to Chen Hui-Chun (Chen), director of the Green Shepherd Montessori Elementary School in Taichung, “conventional education focuses on the assessment of teaching results through homework and exams. Montessori education works through teacher demonstration and group discussion of a concept. It doesn’t offer one correct answer to any question. On the contrary, students are encouraged to find their own answers through the process of preparing oral presentations, in which students can share their findings with others.”

Montessori is an aid for neurological development

 “Every child is a genius. It’s just that often times, different education methods may overshadow their brilliance,” describes Chen. When Chen’s son was in preschool, he questioned why Seran wrap clung to surfaces but not to hands. When a six year-old child asks a question, which requires high school physics to solve, Chen explains that as the adult, she cautiously & closely worked with her son to discover the answer together. In order to provide her son with room to learn more freely, Chen begins to explore Montessori elementary school education. Little did she know that this choice will later change the path of her career.

At the time, Chen was working as a medical technician specializing in cytopathology. When her son received Montessori education in early childhood, Chen recognized that this type of learning clearly aided neurological development. In 2013, she funded her own tuition and attended the AMI Montessori Elementary Teacher Training program, diving into the field of education.

“Initially, there weren’t any organizations like Y2 Foundation for Future Education. Most teachers took out loans to pay for their training,” expressed Chen. She decided to take the elementary Montessori course, because she was interested in its core concept of “cosmic education.” She wondered how the teacher can, at each stage of development, motivate the students to willingly learn through repeated practice—all the while engaging the children’s learning and interest to build a solid academic foundation. This way, the students can make a smooth transition to secondary school, where learning is much more abstract.

Different goals for different stages of education

 “Fortunately through the Foundation’s sponsorship, I am able to attend the AMI/NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies program in 2018, which enabled me to have a more comprehensive and macro level understanding of the Montessori Method. Through discussions and working with teachers at the Green Shepherd Montessori Elementary School, we made adjustments to how to implement Montessori theories. Whereas in elementary school the goal is to inspire interest, in the middle school curriculum, we incorporate interdisciplinary and practical application of various subjects to project-based learning, where students can practice and participate in civil society.”

During her time training abroad, Chen saw that the children of Taiwan will face global competition. Both the challenges and opportunities awaiting them are unknown. According to Chen, “adults, therefore, should be guides rather than teachers.” Dr. Montessori believed that every child has an inner teacher, who guides the child to self-learn. Teachers are encouraged to spend more time to observe children and provide only the necessary guidance and resources.

Montessori education has been practiced around the world for over a century. Today, it offers the gift of enabling children to develop the ability to identify resources and acquire a macro perspective within their own surrounding environment. Through ”place-based learning,” the Montessori Method prepares children’s character and skillset so that they are ready for globalization in the future.

---

This article is an excerpt from Y2 2019 Annual Report.

Child-centered education promotes independent thinking

The teacher of a child-centered approach to education attends to each child’s own skill level and pace of learning. An elementary school teacher must consider this aspiration in conjunction with preparing the students to transition to middle school. If you are an elementary school teacher, how would you manage a mixed-age classroom, while ensuring the curriculum truly matches the learning needs of every child?

Teaching & learning: for children to be proactive

“Going to school is so much fun, like going on holiday!” It is because of this declaration from his daughter that Lee Hsien-wei (Lee) decided to train as a Montessori teacher.  Lee is now a teacher at the Harvard Montessori Elementary School in Tainan. When Lee’s daughter first began kindergarten, she was often reluctant to go, but her resistance went away completely when she moved to a Montessori preschool a year later. Inspired by the change in his daughter, Lee accepted the invitation of Hsieh Fu-chue (then director of the Harvard Montessori Preschool) to co-found a Montessori elementary school.

Montessori elementary school teachers need to have many skills up their sleeve. “Thanks to the grant provided by Y2 Foundation, I was able to attend the 2017 AMI Montessori Elementary Teacher Training program in the US. When combined with my experience of working in the new elementary school project during its first two years, the training is extremely helpful to my teaching. I am truly convinced that if you give children freedom and respect, they will be proactive learners.”

As the AMI elementary training takes three summers to complete, Lee found that the training broadened his horizons even further each year. From the initial focus on teaching aids, the course gradually expanded to a deeper understanding of the Montessori philosophy.

 
“Teachers need to know how to make good use of the teaching aids and understand how these materials can help turn abstract concepts into something concrete,” Lee explained. “But more importantly, it’s about the balance between teaching and learning. Teachers need to give just enough information to stimulate students’ interest but not too much that they get bored. It’s about how to motivate the students to do more research and to dig deeper.”

During the history lesson, for instance, after Lee made a brief introduction to the history of Taiwan, some students became interested in and proactively began to study the names of roads in Tainan before turning their attention to the historical city walls and gates. The students discovered there were remains of old city walls within Tainan Park and about the relocation of the Lesser West Gate. “The children understood how hard our ancestors worked to build the city walls and the love and heritage that have been passed down from generation to generation. While they felt sad about tearing down the old city walls due to practical necessity, the children also had an opportunity to reflect on the trade-off between the preservation of history and culture versus economic development. This kind of appreciation and critical thinking can’t be learned from textbooks or lectures alone.”

Self-directed learning vs. rote memorization

In order to transition to the next level of education, Lee believes Montessori elementary school teachers have the responsibility to help children learn, at a minimum, all the skills conventional elementary schools deliver. To help ensure children can smoothly move from Montessori elementary to secondary school, Lee attended the AMI/NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies program (for ages 12–18) in 2019.

For Lee, guiding children to think critically about What is the purpose of learning? What is meaning of life? is much more important than the mere transmission of knowledge. He has seen many children, whose smiles are stifled by exam pressures, even to the point that some say they no longer know what they’re living for. This is why Lee is more convinced than ever about the importance of Montessori education.

“Artificial intelligence is bound to replace many skills that we teach in traditional education. We have to go back to the basics and foster children’s self-driven interest and motivation for learning,” according to Lee. “More importantly, we have to enable children to appreciate all aspects of what they inherited from nature and all of the love and cultural heritage of our ancestors. This is so that children can begin to think about what it means to be human and the role they each can play. I believe this is the true purpose of education.”

---

This article is an excerpt from Y2 2019 Annual Report.

A Montessori preschool in Wanhua － A new kind of education blooms in the old quarters of Taipei

What comes to mind when you think of Wanhua? A historic neighborhood? Longshan Temple? Snake Alley?What do you imagine a Montessori school would be like? Expensive? Lots of teaching materials? Different from traditional schools?

A new type of education is flourishing in the old neighborhood of Wanhua. Children, parents, and the local community are all benefiting from Montessori philosophy in ways that are gradually bringing change.

---

From failing to star preschool

 
Back in 2012, after integrating its kindergarten and nursery school, the Taipei Municipal Wanhua Preschool was left with unfilled student vacancies. Things began to change after Hui-Ling Lu was selected by the Taipei Department of Education to be the new director. The once unpopular preschool now has hundreds of families on the waiting list. The preschool’s transformation results from integrating the Montessori Method into the existing curriculum. The key to the school’s success was Director Lu’s commitment to create a prepared environment for the children and to prepare teachers during the change.

Upon walking into Wanhua Preschool, the bright, spacious rooms feel like a private preschool. The children are all busy doing something: some squeezing lemon juice to share with others, another concentrating on the Addition Snake Game, while a group of children are working on a geography jigsaw puzzle. The teachers are not shouting “Quiet!” or “Sit down!” Instead, there is a serene learning atmosphere. Here, learning to live and learning knowledge are one in the same, as order, logic, and life skills are all integrated.

Education absolutely changes children

 
Director Lu of the preschool has gotten used to visitors being astonished and moved by what they see. “Because of where we are, half of the children in our preschool come from underprivileged families. As we transitioned to the Montessori model in 2015, our biggest challenge was to help these children enjoy learning and to help children with special needs find their place in the educational system.”

In fact, many of these “special needs” children simply lacked cultural stimulus. To help them, Director Lu applied for assistance from special education professionals, who’d come in to support these children and to assist their smooth transition to formal elementary school education. “This situation is just like when Maria Montessori set up the first Children’s House in Rome,” remarked Director Lu. Montessori believed that education can change children. Education provides children from disadvantaged families with more cultural stimulus, while other children have the opportunity to learn even more. Education is not about requiring all children to reach the same standard.

Putting children at the center of learning

At the Municipal Wanhua Preschool, teachers are always attentive, observing children as they progress through different stages. For example, once the teachers overheard children talking about how eggs hatch into chicks. The next day, without saying anything, the teachers placed five eggs in the classroom. The children who found the eggs were delighted and started to talk about how to hatch them, coming up with lots of ideas, including lamps, thermometers, and chicken nests. In the end, three chicks hatched.

But what next? The teachers followed the children’s curiosity and responded by asking all sorts of questions: How should the chicks be raised? Where should they live? What do they eat? What if there are rats? The children wrecked their brains and tried to find solutions together. They even used Lego bricks to build a model chicken coop and asked the Director to find a carpenter to build it. Now, the third generation of chicks have been born.

“I think what’s great about Montessori education is that it respects children and doesn’t have standardized teaching materials,” explained Director Lu. “Teachers provide education that suits each child’s individual needs. But it’s very important to have teachers who are prepared, because they have to observe, wait, and think about when to give, what to give, and how to prepare children for what’s next.”

Teachers impact children’s lives

At first, the teachers were uncertain about integrating the Montessori Method into the curriculum, but Director Lu encouraged them to try. “The teachers love the children as much as I do,” illustrated Director Lu. “At the end of the day, we all just want to do more for them.”

Director Lu continued to motivate the teachers by assuring, “You can impact the children’s lives.” Because of these teachers, who are not afraid to try new things and willing to spend their own holidays doing 360 hours of local Montessori teachers’ training, many underprivileged children now have the opportunity to benefit from this change. What’s more, the affect upon the children has also led to changes in their families. “Our child learned to clear the table and even reminds us to do it now!” exclaimed a parent with a smile.

“The Montessori Method is actually an education model, not a technique. Children are born with the innate disposition to self-learn, and they can expand their intelligence through learning, as long as we’re willing to offer them the opportunity,” according to Director Lu.

The success story of the Wanhua Preschool exemplifies the change Montessori education can bring, regardless of families’ socio-economic status. A new kind of education continue to flourish in an old neighborhood.

Facing global competition & AI: Cultivating children’s transferable skills

The ever-changing educational environment has led parents, teachers, and students to a state of extreme anxiety. The question on everyone’s mind is: What type of education do we need right now in Taiwan?

---

Y2 is committed to finding solutions to this question. In November 2018, we co-hosted “Future Education for Adolescents—Montessori for Social Change” with National Chengchi University, Taiwan Experimental Education Center, and US Montessori teacher training institute Great Work, Inc. The goal of this forum was to advocate that Montessori education goes beyond early childhood education. Pioneers in experimental education from the US, Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Thailand joined the event. Through first-hand sharing of case studies and discussion, the aim was to bring ideas for innovation in terms of diversity, reform, and transformation in Taiwan’s national curriculum.

Affordable Montessori: Helping more children develop the ability to adapt to the future

Why Montessori? At the forum, Laurie Ewert-Krocker, director of the Upper School Program at Hershey Montessori School in Ohio, explained: “Montessori schools for adolescents are created based on society in reality. This creates a natural environment for students to ponder about real-life issues, a process which cultivates their ability to discover and solve problems. Deep engagement in these issues, in turn, allows students to develop empathy.”

Laurie further illustrated that although many famous individuals are Montessori alumni, they may not have been the students with the best grades in school. Those successful in life are actually the ones, who have discovered their life purpose.

In speaking about his original intention to establish Y2, co-founder Andy Chen says: “Based on my own experience in the high-tech industry, I’m not sure whether the one-size-fits-all education model can keep up with the ever-changing and fast-growing future. I founded the Foundation to encourage diversity of educational methods to best unleash children’s potential.”

In fact, before the forum, Y2 undertook a series of actions, including the teacher sponsorship program, launching the MGI Montessori Global Impact Program, and participating in AMI’s Annual General Meeting in Amsterdam — all in preparation for the ultimate goal of affordable Montessori for more children.

Childhood dream for education realized

Chen Pao-Chu’s (Chen) children are both Montessori educated. Chen recalled how she will always remember her first encounter with a Montessori classroom, because it reminded her so much of the kind of education she had hoped for when she was a second grader.

“When the Montessori teacher opened the door, I was delighted but also sad for what I missed out on as a child, because my school experience was that of the teachers always rushing through lessons. Even though I didn’t understand, I didn’t dare ask, and I couldn’t spend extra time on subjects I was interested in. Fortunately, I finally found a better learning environment for my children,” Chen joyfully commented.

Without a doubt, when Montessori education extends from preschool to elementary school and then onto secondary school, the first and biggest hurdle is the parents’ concern over whether their children are well-prepared for school entrance exams and whether their transition to higher education will be smooth.

Echoing this concern is Wang Chih-rou (Wang), a parent and founder of a successful global consultancy company. Wang expressed that she greatly benefitted from this forum and responded to this common parental concern in saying: “Globalization involves change and adapting to work in different cultures. When individuals or companies over emphasize or focus only on measurable competitiveness, development of the human potential is actually limited.”

For more than a century, the Montessori Method has insisted on being child-centered, respecting the learning and development rhythm of each child. This insistence is especially relevant in a world of increasingly fierce global competition and the erosion of job opportunities due to AI. Every person’s uniqueness and self-sufficiency is more important than ever.

How do we help children gradually transition from each critical stage of life, from early childhood into adulthood? How do we equip them with the transferrable skills, courage, and mindset to take on the world and to transform infinite possibilities of the future? This all begins with education.

Education of today shapes the world of tomorrow

With the rapid development of a vast array of new technologies, discussions about what the future may hold have taken center stage. We are blessed to witness transformations brought about by technology, but at the same time, we also need to ponder what else humans need in order to survive.

---

Education is the key to the peaceful development of humankind

In 1945, as Europe and Asia lay in the ruins of World War II, many hoped to find a way to prevent the reoccurrence of such atrocities.  It was against this backdrop that the United Nations was born. The spark leading to war starts in the human mind.  Fostering mutual respect and understanding, therefore, is the key to peace. In 1946, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded to promote cooperation and exchange in education, science, and culture, in hopes of global peace and human welfare.

The concept of education being the key to peaceful existence was widely accepted in the last century. Now, the human race is once again confronted with drastic disruption—this time not from war but from technology.  In the face of an uncertain future, education must be re-examined.

Looking to history as inspiration for future education

Renowned 20th-century educator Dr. Maria Montessori survived the devastation of two World Wars and saw hope for peace through education.  She dedicated her life to promoting children’s rights and education and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949, 1950, and 1951.  In 1962, Dr. Montessori founded the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), a non-profit organization, which became a long-term UNESCO partner that continues the fight for children’s rights globally and for life-long learning opportunities for all.

Since the first Montessori school opened its doors in Rome in 1907, the Montessori Method of Education has withstood the test of time and remains highly regarded around the world.  In a TV interview, Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, attributed Google’s success to his early Montessori education in saying, “I think it was part of that training, of not following rules and orders, and being self-motivated and questioning what’s going on in the world, [and] doing things a bit differently.”  Thanks to developing the ability to consistently identify and resolve problems in early childhood, Brin helped turn Google from a humble project to improve a library search system into a tech giant that processes over 60,000 search queries every second.

Brin is only one amongst numerous changemakers, whose life was inspired by Montessori education.  Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google co-founder Larry Page, SimCity designer Will Wright, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, rap mogul Puff Daddy, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and NBA star Steph Curry are just a few notable figures on a long list of Montessori alumi.

In the age of technology, a time when the world is undergoing tremendous change, humanity is our most precious asset.  Montessori philosophy, which centers education on the child, in guiding and awakening each person’s inner potential, is more relevant than ever.

Education of today shapes the world of tomorrow

In response to an unpredictable future, a wave of education reforms is sweeping across the world. Education must be the rallying force that unites all members of society.  Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a student, or simply committed to effect change, everyone can make a difference.