Waldorf vs. Montessori vs. Public Education

Comparative Case Study

There are many “schools of thought” represented in the education systems around the world. The philosophical basis, the underlying mission, rights vs. privileges, and over-all goals of education all affect the funding of these schools, who is admitted, services offered, and overall academic achievement. In addition to these variables is the constant shifting of ideologies within each system. In America, public education has been ever-changing since the moment it began and continues to shift in many aspects even today. This essay will discuss three educational systems found locally in Flagstaff, AZ as well as across the nation and in other parts of the world: fully public education, Montessori, and Waldorf. The differences in philosophical bases, pedagogical approaches, and distinguishing features will be the focus of this paper.

Philosophical Bases:

The fully public educational system in America stands on the principles that every child has a right to an equal opportunity to education. This system relies heavily on scientific measurements of academic achievements through standardized testing and nationally recognized academic achievement standards. This idea of expecting all students to perform at a specific pre-determined level of proficiency is reminiscent of the behaviorist psychological theory in which all learning is determined through the measurement of behaviors. While many citizens, teachers, and even administrators do not agree with the theory that all learning must be measured, the system’s protocol continues to move more and more closely toward that end.

The Montessori school system was founded on the ideas of Dr. Maria Montessori who, through her work within a psychiatric clinic for the insane and severely retarded, learned that the deficiencies she encountered were not only medical, but also pedagogical issues. The results from her work were considered miraculous. Later after working with mentally healthy students she developed a scientifically designed program of “working with children at critical points in their development in a very well-defined environment that provides all the materials and trained guides…which are needed to achieve success” She believed “adult guides” should look at a child’s education from the child’s point of view and help them through what they find interesting or difficult. Consequently, the world-wide Montessori foundation encourages lessons which are largely hands-on and student-guided. (Giermaine, 2012).  This approach seems to be in line with both Piaget’s theory of the critical stages of development, as well as Vygotsky’s belief in the phenomenon of equilibration.

Waldorf schools stem from the work of Rudolf Steiner, who believed that “The true aim of education is to awaken real powers of perception and judgment in relation to life and living” (Pine Forest Charter School, nd). The Waldorf motto is head, heart, and hands, suggesting that the whole student must be educated as opposed to the mind only. Additionally, Waldorf schools place up-most importance on socialization by keeping students and teacher together for 8 consistent years. This importance on learning through social interaction is another belief supported in Vygotsky’s theories. Further, “The central focus for the Waldorf teacher is the…instilling in his/her pupils an understanding of and appreciation for their background and place in the world as members of humanity and world citizens” (Mays, R. 2013). Individual thinking and expression is revered and Waldorf lessons are integrated with movement, authentic life experiences, and various forms of art expression at every stage.  

Pedagogical Approaches

25 desks placed in small clusters or rows for 25 students of the same age, one teacher at the front of the room, book shelves, dry-erase boards, and near-standing-room only is a typical scene in the fully public education classrooms. Elementary students spend most of their time in one classroom, visiting a computer lab, PE room, music room, and library once a week for 30 minutes. The teacher has a schedule allotting a certain amount of time for each subject covered. Many times each subject has a scripted program the teacher must follow allowing limited flexibility in the curriculum for her students. A usual week might introduce new skills, vocabulary, and concepts, then go through multiple strategies to master them, and finalize with an assessment. While some differentiation occurs naturally within the classroom lessons, large efforts for exceptional children are made outside the classroom with a specialist either during school hours or after school. These services are free to the family of the student and are determined necessary through assessments by either the teacher, or through third party evaluations. Written tests are a huge part of the academic assessments of all students within the public schools. Proficiency in both the state and the national academic standards is determined through frequent written standardized testing. One of the many problems presented by these tests, are the scores of students who suffer with their literacy skills but are academically proficient in other areas.

A student’s experience within a Montessori school is much different. Classroom size is also around 20 to 30 students although their ages could span over 3 years. Teachers as well as older students help to guide the younger students. Classrooms are much larger and contain settings which offer places to conduct authentic and practical life skills such as kitchens, wood working stations, art, and music. While some schools choose to hire specialists in the fields of music, science, or PE, other schools train their teachers as “generalists” and qualify them to guide all lessons for every kind of student. Gifted or special education students are mainstreamed with other classmates and all differentiation happens within the classroom. Testing and grades is not a traditional belief or practice of Dr. Montessori, however, public Montessori schools are mandated to administer the same standardized testing as other public schools. Grades, though, are never administered because the Montessori approach strives to “nurture motivation that comes from within, kindling the child’s natural desire to learn,” rather than offering external motivation (American Montessori Society, 2013). Additionally, many out-of-classroom experiences are part of the pedagogical approach at Montessori schools. For example, middle school students at Sungrove Montessori run a full-scale breakfast café 5 days a week. In sum, “the Montessori Classroom is a community that parallels life” (Perolman, 2011).

The Waldorf classroom experience may seem similar at first to the fully public classroom with fewer children (15-18). Desks sit in rows, a teacher instructs from the front of the room, blackboards, pencil sharpener, and bookshelves line the edges of the room. However, the major differences lie in the details. There are musical instruments in one corner, another corner dedicated to meditation with art, relaxing music, and possibly a fish aquarium. There are no computers, no electronic screen of any kind, and no clock. The day begins with music, exercise, and dancing. After a “main lesson” in which all students discuss a topic chosen by the teacher, children spend much of the rest of the morning individually working on their own projects. Some may spend their time creating scenery for an upcoming play while others are rehearsing lines for it. Some may choose to practice their instrument some more, and some may work on the textbook they each are required to write and illustrate. The teacher roams and offers support. There are no exams, grades, or traditional textbooks. All lessons for all ages are designed “so that the child’s intellect, feeling life, and physical will forces - in other words, the head, heart, and hands – are engaged. These classrooms around the world do not ever pressure a child to progress in academics before they are ready. In fact, children up through 1st grade are not ever taught directly to read or write. Exceptional students are again, integrated into the main classroom and all students learn together. “Our school is seen as a refuge for students with special needs by many parents who have felt like their children are pushed aside in the public school system” says Bernice Hall of Pine Forest School in Flagstaff, AZ. Specialists are hired to teach the students for the afternoon which is filled with physical activity and/or the arts (Koetzsch, 2011).

Distinguishing Features

Below are some of the distinguishing features of each educational system.

	Waldorf	Montessori	Public
Funding:	Traditionally private Locally: Public Charter	Public Charter	Fully Public: Tax dollars
Available to:	All, if there is room	All, if there is room	All
Philosophical basis:	Head, Heart, and hands	Child-directed Model of life	Learning must be measured
Transportation:	No	No	Yes
Free Food:	Two days	No	Yes
Special Education	Integrated/mainstream	Integrated/mainstream	Specialized
Curricula	Integrated Music, Movement, and Art. No textbooks, No computers, No tests.	Hands on, field trips, authentic experiences. No grades, no tests, peer instruction.	Traditional Classroom setting. Scripted Programs. Many written assessments.
Enrichment Programs outside of regular classroom programs	No	Yes / Cost to Family	Yes / Free
Class size	15	25	25
Availability in US As of 2010	1,000 in all of North America	4,000	98,800

Conclusion

While each educational system would like to claim that their students achieve more, and probably can prove that by using some specific statistic in their favor, the truth is there are so many variables which come into play when trying to measure the educational “success” of a child it is impossible to fairly claim one system as the “winner.” Because children are individuals who can think, learn, be motivated, and achieve by choice as well as through given biological strengths and weaknesses, not even identically instructed children can be expected to perform a certain way academically. Comparing between achievement and different methodologies of instruction then, is useful purely for comparison’s sake. As parents, teachers, administrators, and members of the human race, we must all attempt to educate children in the “best” ways we believe there are. Ultimately, it would seem logical that a balanced approach using methods from fully public, Montessori, and Waldorf school systems would be a good place to start. Each exhibit good ideas, and research based methods. Each has the goal of educating children. No program can be perfect because no person is the same. However, concerned and active adults can always make better choices regarding the education of children when they are well informed.

References:

American Montessori Society. (2013).

Retrieved from: https://www.amshq.org/Montessori-Education/FAQs.aspx

Giermaine, J. (2012). Why Montessori? Why Not Montessori? Educating & Parenting as

if The Spirit in Each Child Matters. Tomorrow’s Child. April 2012. (p 5-9).

Koetzsch, R. (2011). Waldorf Education Schooling the Head, Hands, and Heart.

Brochure available from rkoetzsch@awsna.org.

Perolman, C. (2011). Social Peers?. Tomorrow’s Child. Vol. 19 No. 4 September, 2001.

p. 48.

Pine Forest Charter School. (nd). Waldorf Education A World-wide Association of

Schools, Begun in 1919. pamphlet.

Mays, R. and Nordall, S. (2013).

Retrieved from: http://www.waldorfanswers.com/Waldorf.htm