Comments on: In the Classroom, One Size Never Fits All

By: September Goodies

September Goodies — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:10:38 +0000

[...] from Reschool Yourself As a young woman, Melia Dicker went back to school, starting with kindergarten, in an attempt to understand the influence school had on her. In this post, she shares some ideas that would help students to develop more naturally and enjoy the process. [...]

By: Melia

Melia — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:00:37 +0000

Thanks for the comment! I’m excited to read more on your blog about the day-to-day life of a Montessori guide — I love that title instead of “teacher.” I subscribe to the John Holt idea that an adult should be like a travel agent for a child’s education: helping her get where she wants to go, discussing the journey, and suggesting new places to visit.

By: montessorimoments

montessorimoments — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:52:45 +0000

What a great post! Everything you say resonates with what I do in my Montessori classroom every day, and I see how the children thrive in that type of environment, yet I have parents calling every week asking me when their child is going to start reading or doing math. I wish everyone could read your post.

By: Melia

Melia — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:17:53 +0000

Stacy, I’m glad to help add fuel to the homeschooling/unschooling fire. The unschooled children I’ve met are, for the most part, more confident and articulate than traditionally schooled kids. They are more advanced in the fields that interest them — e.g. learning programming from a young age — because they have the time, flexibility, and individualized coaching to find answers to their own questions.

I’m passionate about infusing mainstream education with this way of learning, so every child has the opportunities that unschooled kids do.

By: Stacy (Mama-Om)

Stacy (Mama-Om) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:56:51 +0000

Oh, what a great post… It sums up nicely what I am trying to bring into my sons’ lives by choosing to homeschool (unschool) them.

It is wonderful that you created the opportunity to learn all this first-hand. Magical.

By: Melia

Melia — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:25:47 +0000

I’m glad it resonated with you. One thing that I was thinking during yoga class is that I had actually signed on to do the activity, whereas young people haven’t even agreed to the school game. It’s just required of them.

I had loved doing science experiments as a kid, but like you, the way it was taught in school turned me off. I also thought of myself as “an English person” and not “a math and science person,” as if they were mutually exclusive.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:48:45 +0000

I love this post, Melia. You really hit the nail on the head about most of the issues I’ve got–and I’m sure others have–regarding education.

It’s funny you mention not liking chemistry–I am the opposite. I love chemistry and doing experiments but hated the course in school because it was mostly just book work and memorization.