Developing school guidance program to normalize dysfunctional children

I had just arrived from Montessori Preschool Teacher Training in Perugia, Italy and London in January 1966 when I found myself conducting my first Montessori preschool in the Syquia apartment suite in Ermita. Rented by Operation Brotherhood International to assist their civic projects, the OBI headquarters was in the same building. Architect Oscar Arellano directed all its international and local projects for refugees of the war stricken Vietnam and Laos, Sapang Palay relocation center for Intramuros squatters, and the rehabilitation of the Taal Volcano eruption victims.

I crammed an intensive schedule of handling the first Montessori preschool in the morning, training teachers in the afternoon and completing the classroom with the “Prepared Environment” with 22 Practical Life, 21 Sensorial, 13 Language, 11 Math and Geometry and 21 Geography, History and Science apparata.

1966-1990 - Training preschool teachers to be part of the guidance counseling team

Since 1966, all the teachers, including the guidance counselors of OB Montessori undergo an intensive training on the philosophical and psychological foundation of Dr. Montessori. The teachers however have to learn to observe each child’s behavioral transformation and master the materials which condition them to love work and be self-confident

Thus, they are required to record the weekly behavior of each child in the class using anecdotal records. A quarterly report by the teachers and the counselors summarize the observations and share these with the parents during the regular parent-teacher conferences.

Although guidance counselors in the Philippines have been trained in college to understand child development and the different teaching strategies, they end up merely interviewing the child with behavioral problem in their office. In contrast, the Montessori guidance counselors have to enter the classroom and observe the child’s behavior: how they work with Montessori materials and interrelate with classmates and the teacher. The regular psychology college course offered usually provides a major in Clinical Psychology (science of deviated behavior) instead of basic Developmental Psychology (science of normal behavior).

The Montessori scientific apparata prevents deviation of preschoolers

Even before the emergence of theories and researches on Special Education (SPED), Dr. Maria Montessori has laid down the fundamentals of ‘normality and deviations’ in children. She asserted that, “in the growing child there are two streams of energy whose balanced interplay is of utmost importance — the physical and the mental energy.” If during the child’s development, these two streams of energy should become separated from each other, we expect to find deviations from the normal.

There are many forms of deviations, some are obvious, such as physical deviations. But there are other symptoms like timidity, disorderly and destructive movements, disobedience, constantly asking questions without waiting for the answers, or the child shows extreme attachment to another person, instability of attention. These could easily be considered “normal” by traditional parents and teachers who have not been trained to observe the true nature and behavior of children.

To address these deviations, Dr. Montessori offered one solution — “normalization through work.” The key she says is the harmonization or the synthesis of the two streams of energy by providing “work” to the child which brings about “normalization.” 

1990-2011 – Setting up intervention programs from preschool to highschool

In 1990, Millett Sta. Ana, a guidance counselor who worked with college students, joined our school. The Montessori system enabled her to shift her attention to the guidance counseling of students in Basic Education. With four OB Montessori schools, complete in all levels, she developed a system wherein each branch could have a well trained guidance counselor who could guide the malfunctioning student in any level.

In 1993, my daughter, Sara Soliven-de Guzman, began to assist me. She had just graduated (AB Psychology, cum laude) from Mary Mount University and had AMI Montessori training for elementary school in Michigan. She readily streamlined everything I have set up for the OB Montessori Center — working closely with Mrs. Sta. Ana.

For Teacher Training, senior line managers have joined the corps of lecturers. Trainees continue to write every 10 minutes within the hour observation of each child in the class. When officially assigned her own class she continues to do a weekly behavioral record per child.

The Daily Achievement Record Book (DARB) is used by the students to communicate daily achievement or events to their parents, who in turn are free to respond or inquire about other matters. This year the DARB has a thicker glossy cover with a new design.

Like other schools, OB Montessori schools hold the school opening June Orientation, but since last year noting her anxiety about her daughter who just started Grade 1, she thought of inviting the Primary school parents during the second month to confer individually with the teacher in helping them adjust to the study and activity schedule of their children. Teachers meet with each parent for the issuance of the first quarterly report card but in the succeeding quarters only the parents of the underachievers meet the teachers.

In the middle of the year when students have settled down, preschool parents are invited to sit in the classrooms to see how their children work. Most of them marvel that they would not believe their sons or daughters would be so focused and very enthusiastic working by themselves.

Meantime, Millet Sta. Ana makes it a point to confer with her corps of guidance counselors weekly to exchange views on various case studies of the students from the five branches.

MY child has special needs – should I tell the school or not?

Despite the increased awareness on special needs and learning disabilities, Filipino parents tend to have mixed feelings disclosing to school officials and teachers about their child’s condition. Understandably so, because very few regular schools accept and mainstream children with special needs. Often parents fear their child will not be admitted or that their child will be teased or labeled. In other schools, children may be accepted and placed in SpEd classes but are excluded from the regular classes.

What parents should look for are regular schools that offer “inclusive” programs to accommodate their children with special needs. A student who has difficulty learning and functioning should be placed in the school’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) program or support program which covers a wide range of needs including learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cognitive behavioral, social and emotional challenges, autism, Asperger’s syndrome, speech or language impairment, developmental delays and physical/sensory skills including visual and hearing impairments. 

At OB Montessori, parents of children with special needs work together with a team of professionals: their child psychologist, the therapists (occupational/speech/behavioral therapists), the Montessori teachers and the counselors. They set the goals for a child during the school year, align their intervention programs and provide any other special support needed to help achieve them.

Although the inclusion program allows the student to be treated like a full member of the class, he/she receives additional help or accommodations in the classroom whenever possible. While specialized services such as occupational and speech therapy, are provided outside school hours.

Regular meetings and annual case conferences with the team is crucial in monitoring the progress of the child. Annual assessments also help track the improvements of the child and draw up a plan of action that will be carried the following year. 

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