Redallia

I am familiar with the Montessori approach and materials and was excited to have our child join the Extended Day (Kindergarten) program in one of the Primary Classroom at Greenville Montessori School (GMS). Our experience at GMS, however, was not good. Below are some of my observations:1. Art and music offerings in the Primary classroom at GMS were limited to non-existent. For instance, unlike other Montessori schools we have experienced, there was no singing or learning of songs in our child’s Primary classroom.2. The teaching approach was highly technical and the learning environment was very dry. This might be OK at the elementary level, but not in a Primary class for pre-school and kindergarten level children.3. There are three Primary classrooms at GMS and each has a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. The communication style of the lead teacher in our child’s Primary classroom was very defensive, unprofessional and at times politely condescending in response to parental concerns. It was thus difficult to have conversations with her. 4. A core tenet of the Montessori approach is genuine respect for the child and their concerns. I did not see this quality in the lead teacher of our child's class. During one instance, I witnessed the lead teacher speak down to my child without empathy, respect or understanding of the child’s concerns. It was very jarring to see this at a Montessori school.5. The GMS Director was defensive in her communications and ineffective in resolving issues.