Middle School Philosophy

A Time of Self-Exploration

Young Adults 12 to 15 years old

During adolescence the young person experiences changes unknown since the 0-3 age. Here again, the body and brain both change and develop rapidly. The students are in a state of flux, but this time they are learning how to become members of society. They are no longer children, not yet adults, but are eager to understand the adult world that they will soon enter.

All of their Montessori environments have been carefully prepared for them in their education thus far. However, now they are ready to prepare an environment for themselves. The land-based Montessori middle school gives adolescents what they need most -- the space from which they are invited to create their own identity. They now use the "freedom through discipline" that they have learned through all the other Montessori planes to begin to understand themselves. In the elementary classroom they explored the world. Now, they explore themselves in relation to that world. With the land as their classroom they begin to ask the questions of themselves, "What can I do? What are my strengths? What is my place in adult society?"

Here, in addition to their regular academic subjects, they are given many choices: Shall I plant a garden? Shall I raise livestock? Shall I run a bed-and-breakfast business? Shall I bake bread? Prepare dinners? Write? Dance? Design interiors? Manage a store or a food market? With adult encouragement and guidance and aided by the knowledge they've learned in their academic classes, they are allowed to choose many different activities during this time of self-exploration.

In the course of the child's Montessori education the goal has been normalization, or the ability to be engaged, focused, and disciplined in his or her educational choices. Now, after normalization has been achieved, a land-based Montessori education seeks the "valorization" of each individual. No matter what a student's skill level, academic level, or achievement level, all young people will, along with their peers and their teachers, learn that they have the ability and the right to share their talents, their enthusiasm, and their compassion with the world. When this occurs, the goal of valorization has been achieved.