Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education [Paperback]

Trevor Eissler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2009

We know we need to improve our traditional school system, both public and private. But how? More homework? Better-qualified teachers? Longer school days or school years? More testing? More funding? No, no, no, no, and no. Montessori Madness! explains why the incremental steps politicians and administrators continue to propose are incremental steps in the wrong direction. The entire system must be turned on its head. This book asks parents to take a look one thirty-minute observation at a Montessori school. Your picture of what education should look like will never be the same.

Montessori Madness!<i/> follows one family with young children on their journey of determination, discovery, and delight. Learn the who, what, when, where, why, and how of Montessori education.

This book makes an aggressive, humorous, and passionate case for a brilliant method of education that has received too little attention, very likely because it is based on a revolutionary, dangerous, and shocking concept: children love to learn!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Just what the wider educational community needs a book written with passion and understanding by a Montessori parent to other parents. Trevor Eissler is a rare parent who can put into writing his enthusiasm and first-hand experience as a Montessori advocate to other parents. ---Barbara Gordon, President, Montessori Institute of Texas; Founder, Barbara Gordon Montessori School

I am excited that our faculty will be reading Montessori Madness! this summer for our summer reading selection. It is a very practical perspective from a parent that gives great insight and answers to the questions that our parent body seems to be seeking. This book gives us very tangible topics to discuss with parents in the upcoming years. ---Michele Shane, Head of School, The Children's House

What's great about this book is that it is written by a Montessori parent for other parents who may or may not have already discovered Montessori education for their children. It's easy reading and passionately makes the case for choosing Montessori. ---Nirvair Khalsa, Head of School, Khalsa Montessori School

About the Author

Trevor Eissler, father of three children attending Montessori schools, is a pilot and flight instructor. His teaching experience is in a jet airplane cockpit at 40,000 feet. The painfully slow evolution of pilot training was brought home to him while observing 3 year-olds in a Montessori classroom. The learning principles that leading-edge aviation instructors were trying to implement (while running up against entrenched bureaucracy in aviation) were the very same principles already implemented and proving wildly successful in Montessori classrooms.

Researching these learning principles and practices, observing his children's progress, and experiencing a new way of looking at children, family, and community through the Montessori lens convinced him of the urgent need to let other families know about this wonderful education option.

Eissler is an author, a juggler, a unicyclist, a Toastmaster, a pianist, a triathlete, and a husband. He wants to be a Montessori student when he grows up.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sevenoff, LLC; First edition (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 098228330X
• ISBN-13: 978-0982283301
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author of "Montessori Madness! A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education", "4,962,571", "That 17th Hat", and "N is for North Korea", Trevor Eissler is a business jet pilot and flight instructor. He speaks internationally on education issues. He lives with his wife and three children in Texas.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Original and compelling! July 11, 2009

By SusanC

Format:Paperback

I love this book. Trevor Eissler has an easy, conversational writing style, and a gift for translating academic jargon into something useful. He walks readers right into the Montessori classroom and provides the details they crave when trying to compare schools, programs, and philosophies. As a great storyteller with a sense of humor, he entertains as he enlightens. The book is packed with meaty anecdotes and the best of what critics and educators have had to say on the subject of school reform. It held my attention from the first eight word opening sentence to the very last page.

Montessori Madness! not only discusses what's gone wrong in other schools, but also identifies what exactly about the Montessori classroom goes so delightfully right. It inspires parents to experiment and innovate and actively participate in the design of the education of their children. My sense is that Montessori Madness! began as a father's private investigation and evolved into a call to action. I have not found another book out there that gets to the heart of the Montessori education like this book does. Thank you, Trevor Eissler, for a great offering.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Obama must read this book! July 12, 2009

By L. McReynolds

Format:Paperback

As a Montessori teacher for over 30 years, I was thrilled to read Trevor Eissler's book Montessori Madness. This book is not the usual dry treatise on education, but an entertaining, thought-provoking insight into Montessori philosophy. A father of three children and a pilot by profession, Mr. Eissler uses his own interesting life experiences to illustrate the basic tenets of Montessori philosophy. His colorful and descriptive analogies paint a picture so moving, so profound, and yet so entertaining, one cannot put it down. Montessori Madness is not only an informative book for Montessori parents; it is an impassioned plea for a complete paradigm shift in education. I'm ordering a copy for President Obama!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling and personal argument for Montessori Education August 21, 2009

By Audrey O'Neill

Format:Paperback

We recently ordered this book after wanting to know more about the Montessori education our child receives and to help us decide how long we would keep our child enrolled at his Montessori school. The book really catches your attention as Trevor Eissler tells the story of his family's journey to Montessori education and as he describes the environment where his children attend school. The book is written with a light touch: the author is full of engaging ancedotes of his own life experience that are both relevant and humorous.

In the end, this book helped us understand more about why this educational approach has worked so well for our child. It also provided a well-reasoned explanation of why Montessori education should be available to all children, and why that is not an unreasonable goal. Now we need Mr. Eissler to write a how-to manual on where to go from here!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Parent to Parent July 22, 2009

By Nirvair K. Khalsa

Format:Paperback

What's great about this book is that it is written by a Montessori parent for other parents who may or may not have already discovered Montessori education for their children. It's easy reading and passionately makes the case for choosing Montessori.

Trevor is a business jet pilot and flight instructor who lives near Austin, Texas. The story begins with Trevor's own experiences as a new father discovering his own children and exploring education options, including homeschooling, as the children grow to preschool age. Trevor and his wife asked a lot of questions and did a lot of reading as they worked out their decisions for their family.

Exploring the homeschool option, Trevor was alarmed to discover that there are those who believe that the present school system is actually harmful to education. So he researched more and found lots of new voices in education who advocate a rethinking of teaching methods and our whole approach to education. He worries that single-minded focus on measurable results compromises education because it focusses on achievement which can be measured, and marginalizes achievement that can't be measured such as independence, motivation, curiosity, concentration, wisdom, resourcefulness, courage and originality.

This path of questioning and research eventually lead Trevor and his wife to a Montessori school. He beautifully describes what it was like to walk into the classroom for the first time. In the remaining chapters Trevor explains the fundamentals of Montessori education. It's a great tutorial for anyone who wants to know what happens in a Montessori classroom. He shows that Montessori education is concrete yet profound, as well as fun. It's perfectly natural and revolutionary all at once.... He breathes a sigh of relief because he knows that although his children are not at home, they are in the next-best place.

Read the book, you'll love it. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to Montessori July 31, 2009

By G. Roberson

Format:Paperback

I'm halfway through this book right now and already I've seen my own questions, arguments, concerns, and thoughts addressed through another parent's journey and experience. Not only does this reassure me that Montessori was the right path for MY child, it helps reinforce that the Montessori approach is the most appropriate way for MOST (if not all) children.
Great insight into what all parents ask: how can i best support my child to be (not just become) a healthy, curious, independent, confident person?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Resource for Montessorians July 9, 2009

By Niven

Format:Paperback

So many people don't understand what Montessori is all about. As a Montessori teacher, I've often seen families disagree about whether or not Montessori is right for their children.

This book gives a great explanation - totally understandable to a Montessori newcomer - of why it's such a great way to educate children.

I hope schools give this book to parents, who then pass it on to their friends and families!