You Might Be A Montessorian | Katy Wright

In her TEDx talk, Katy Wright — a National Board Certified teacher and Montessori advocate — explores the Montessori educational approach and challenges why mainstream schools still follow a traditional “factory model” of education. She explains how Montessori methods focus on individualized learning and human development, and argues that many teachers and parents may already embody Montessori principles without realizing it.

Key Points from the Talk Montessori Is Based on Human Development

Wright explains that Montessori education is grounded in how children naturally learn — allowing them to move at their own pace, follow their interests, and build deep understanding through hands-on exploration rather than one-size-fits-all instruction.

Personal Journey into Montessori She shares her own transition from traditional teaching to discovering Montessori when her son attended a Montessori preschool. This experience transformed her views on education and led her to pursue Montessori training herself.

Benefits of Montessori in Public Schools Wright highlights research showing that Montessori can:

• Bridge achievement gaps

• Increase student motivation

• Provide teachers with tools for individualized instruction

• She argues that implementing Montessori in public education could improve outcomes and equity.

Montessori in Practice She describes key elements such as:

• Flexible pacing so students learn when they’re ready

• Hands-on materials that guide understanding

• Multi-age classrooms that foster collaboration and social learning

• These elements help students develop concentration, decision-making, and executive functioning skills.

Why Montessori Isn’t More Widespread Despite its benefits, most traditional teacher education programs don’t include Montessori training, so many educators never learn about this approach, even if public Montessori classrooms exist in their own districts.

Wright’s talk is a call to rethink how we educate children — suggesting that many of the problems in current schooling stem from outdated models that don’t honor how children actually learn. She encourages educators and parents to recognize Montessori principles in action and consider how they could be integrated more broadly to benefit all students