Montessori Method

Montessori is a method of education that is based on self-directed activity, hands-on learning, and collaborative work. In Montessori classrooms, children make choices in their learning, while the classroom and the teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. Children work in groups and individually to discover and explore knowledge of the world and to develop their maximum potential. Students use materials created by Maria Montessori and classroom teachers.

The Montessori program at Eugene Field will follow the Montessori philosophy and method of education. The Montessori program is a fully inclusive curriculum and will cover all areas of learning. Each classroom will have a full line of specific Montessori materials that teach all objectives in the curriculum. Teachers in Montessori classrooms undergo a rigorous training program and are the key to the success of a Montessori classroom.

Montessori is rich in academics and cultural subjects. Students are given tools to solve problems and lead others.

• Students and teachers working on the floor and at tables using flexible seating.
• Multi-age groups working in the same classroom.
• Students working on different lessons based on ability and need.

The Montessori model, first established in Tulsa Public Schools at Emerson Elementary, has been in place since 2018.

Through informal teacher forums, Montessori trained teachers report a high level of satisfaction with their teaching experience, support for their development, and a belief that their students’ Montessori experience will increase student academic achievement, especially during the early childhood years.

Parent requests for seats in the Montessori program at Emerson this year exceeded available seats, and indicates that families in our district want access to the program and believe that it is a viable investment for Tulsa Public Schools in shaping our future.   

Per available national research studies, the impact of the Montessori model, if implemented with fidelity, has the potential to equalize the achievement of students across all socio-economic levels in the early childhood years, (Pre-K-2), positioning students for higher levels of achievement in grades 3-5.

The program model is funded through multiple funding sources: 

• Teachers are allocated through the district staffing plan.
• Some teacher allocations are exchanged for teacher assistants, as class sizes are typically larger than in traditional classrooms, 24-28 students.  Each class is staffed with a Montessori trained teacher and teacher assistant
• Teacher assistants not earned by allocation exchanges are funded by site Title I funds
• Montessori curriculum, materials, and equipment are non-consumable, and funded through a bond project budget dedicated to Montessori programming
• Site Title I funds support intervention programs, such as guided reading, and intervention teachers, and other support roles such as Academic Engagement Teachers, etc.
• District funds support teacher training costs and related stipends

Successful Montessori instruction is dependent on having two Montessori trained professionals in each classroom, as the model requires that a teacher and assistant work together to support the delivery of individual student lessons and related student work.  Upper elementary classrooms may share a teacher assistant.

Yes, the design of classrooms changes dramatically as a classroom becomes a Montessori learning environment.

In the first year, Eugene Field will start with converting pre-kindergarten and kindergarten to the Montessori model. The program will expand by one grade each year through the 2027-2028 school year.

Pre-K through 1st grade students that enter Eugene Field Elementary in school year 23-24 will be included in the Montessori cohort. This cohort of students will have a Montessori education through grade 5, expanding the program by one grade level each year. 

Students that will attend Eugene Field Elementary in grades 2-5 in school year 23-24 will continue their learning in the traditional program model in place at Eugene Field Elementary through grade 5. 

Teachers will experience a “phase out” process of traditional teaching positions as the Montessori program expands one grade level at a time each year for six years. 

The “phase out” of traditional teaching positions will be managed through teacher attrition, retirements, transfers, and the district rebalance process if necessary, as the Montessori program cohort expands by a grade level each year.

This is a question we are exploring. We are examining Montessori secondary models across the nation.  Available research studies indicate that students that exit an elementary Montessori program are successful in traditional secondary school options. We are exploring the extension of the Montessori education principles through the personalized learning programs at Central MS and HS, and Memorial HS and HS, as well as through interest-based programs.