We Love Hillsboro

This month we celebrate “We Love Hillsboro Day”, but our love goes far beyond that day. Our love embraces our favorite educational method, the Montessori Method. Why? Because the Montessori teaching method is the best way to raise self-directed, free-thinking, compassionate and creative children. Montessori does this in a few ways:

First, Montessori allows for independence and individual instruction.  Students are taught based on their abilities and not their age. We understand that children do not learn at the same pace or in the same way.  Each student follows a curriculum that is tailored by them, for them. Because of this, our student teacher ratio is lower than traditional schools. Students are in control of their learning. The teacher is not the sole source of information in the classroom and students have one another as resources. Many times a student who has mastered a lesson will teach another student. Working together to solve problems is encouraged. A student-centered classroom ensures that each student learns in a way that makes sense to them. This individualized attention and the development of independence in children is the first thing we love about Hillsboro.

Second, Montessori classrooms are a prepared environment that sets students up for success. The best way to learn how to make good choices is to practice making choices.  Our classroom environment is prepared in such a way that the student chooses which subject, or “job”, they will work on first.  Any choice they make is the right one. In choosing this way, a student can either work on their least favorite subject first (and get it out of the way), or save it for last. They discover their academic strengths and weaknesses, and how to best manage their time at a young age. Just as you prepare the soil to grow a flower, our classrooms are perfectly prepared to grow a student’s love of discovery and learning. Students blossom at Hillsboro.

Third, the Montessori Method is more than academics. While strong academics is a focus, healthy and whole development of the child is the goal. Students learn leadership and compassion in authentic ways thanks to multi-age classrooms and real world experiences. Grace and courtesy lessons are highlighted each day and practiced both inside and outside of the classroom.  Older students model conflict-resolution and students learn how to interact with others in healthy ways. Their confidence carries over to having thoughtful conversations with adults. “It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once was.”— Maria Montessori

At Hillsboro, we love Montessori. Our school was founded on the idea that a Montessori education shouldn’t end at middle school so we became the first Montessori school in Birmingham to go all the way through 12th grade. And as a non-profit school, it’s our love that drives our mission to provide our students with individualized attention to ignite their curiosity, foster compassion and inspire their creativity.