My childhood education was by far one of the most valuable times in my life. From the day I entered pre-school to ending my 9th-grade year at a local Montessori School, I found enjoyment and value in going to school each day. As I sit here writing this story, I am imagining myself sitting on the rug surrounded by friends. To me, friends weren’t a few people who I spent time with outside of school; my friends were everyone in my class, including my teachers.

I never quite understood the importance of this mindset until I graduated from 9th grade to go to a public high school, but being exposed to this culture for over 10 years made it part of a natural habit. I can remember sitting in the hallway sprawled out over the floor doing a long division problem. This wasn’t any ordinary long-division problem but rather a long-division problem that spanned the length of 15-20 college-ruled papers. I was the type of ‘go big or go home’ person, and turning something ordinary into a big project was my type of fun. I still look back upon this moment and admire how I turned something that might not have been my favorite activity into something I enjoyed.

My 10+ years of attending a Montessori school also proved to be valuable in other ways. In a Montessori classroom, you are surrounded by materials that teach you by using physical objects. Through this learning style, I learned not only what the materials taught me but also what ways I learn best. Entering 10th grade, I gained a real appreciation for knowing how I learn best. As I was surrounded by peers and teachers, I began to realize that despite preparing as much as I could, there were going to be times when I still wouldn’t get everything right. It was the step I took after that, the act of self-teaching and self-motivation, that pushed my learning and set me apart from my peers.

In 8th grade, I took a big step in self-understanding. 8th grade marked a time when I first got a glimpse of my future and adulthood. Apart from being a curriculum that focused on the use of objects as teaching tools, Montessori education was also based on fostering self-motivation to learn. On a school robotics team, I decided to try my hand at robot design. From the moment I began using design software to create robot parts, I knew I had found my clique. I was introduced to a tool that allowed me to create what I envisioned in my head. After school and on weekends, I spent the next few weeks learning how to use the design tool through trial and error. I designed parts, 3D printed them, woke up in the morning with multiple new design ideas, rinsed, and repeated the process. Some days, I would go to school and find ways to use these new skills to put my own twist on projects.

Above all, learning more about myself through Montessori education is what made my childhood so valuable. I know my strengths, I know my weaknesses, and I found ways to use my strengths to make learning enjoyable. Knowing how I learn best is one of the most important and valuable lessons I have learned, and it is this lesson that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

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