“The adolescent must never be treated as a child, for that is a stage of life that he has surpassed. It is better to treat an adolescent as if he had greater value than he actually shows than as if he had less and let him feel that his merits and self-respect are disregarded.” (Childhood to Adolescence, P. 72)
Community
With a low student to teacher ratio, teachers get to know their students on a personal level. Knowing students personalities and interests outside of school helps them to create lessons that interest and challenge each child individually. Students work together in small communities, called advisories and support one another’s unique strengths and weaknesses.
Cooperation
Through cooperation with one another and their teachers, students can achieve higher levels of independence and academics. Group projects, teacher teaming and community involvement support this cooperation.
Service and dignity of humans
By providing service to others we can find our true purpose. Students are asked to contribute 10 hours of service each year to their community and they are given multiple opportunities to participate in service at the school through fundraisers, peer mentoring other classroom activities.
Nobility of work
All work is noble. Each person is valued for what they can bring to their community. The person who takes out the garbage each day is equally as important as the person who leads the group in their restoration process. Additionally, students study different types of college and career options to explore the numerous opportunities our world of work and learning provide.
Role of the teacher
In a Montessori school the teacher is a guide and a coach. They provide the lessons necessary for each child at the level at which they are functioning with an eye toward what is expected for each grade level. Teachers follow the students’ interests and abilities.
Hope and progression of the human spirit
The goal of education at an adolescent level is to use the curriculum to help students feel as though they can make a difference.
Valorization
“Valorization is Montessori’s term for the adolescent’s process of becoming a strong and worthy person. Valorization comes gradually to the adolescent as she realizes she is useful and capable of effort. This is accomplished only by the work of the mind, hands, and heart. It happens when adolescents have appropriate responsi- bilities and expectations; when they are able to experience the joy that comes from successfully meeting challenges, and the character building that is the result for their restitution when they have made poor decisions.” (M. Donahoe http://cmstep.com/wp-content/uploads/Valorization_of_the_Personality1.pdf)