Pleasant Lake Montessori principal urges expansion of free public Montessori in Steuben County

Sarah Glary, principal at Pleasant Lake Montessori, urged support for expanding free public Montessori options in Steuben County, saying the school completed its first year and is "very excited about the opportunity to offer free public Montessori to our community."

Glary told meeting attendees Montessori education is "student led, teacher guided, and hands on," and described classroom routines and materials she said support both students who need extra help and those who are advanced. "Kids are allowed to work at their own pace. We have the phrase 'freedom within limits,'" she said, describing a morning three-hour work cycle during which children choose tasks from a work plan.

The principal said Montessori classrooms use small-group lessons that allow teachers to tailor instruction. "My favorite part about the Montessori philosophy is that all of the students are taught in small group lessons," Glary said. She added that in a classroom covering first through third grades she can "differentiate every single thing that I teach," pulling small groups for targeted instruction or additional challenge.

Glary also emphasized practical life and social-emotional skills taught in Montessori, including cooking, communication, problem solving and peer conflict resolution. She described the program's hands-on materials as helpful for both "a math mind" and "a non math mind," allowing students to manipulate concrete objects to understand abstract concepts.

An unnamed student who spoke during the same comment period said, "Favorite thing that I learned? Science. I like knowing the maps." Glary closed by saying her daughter had "flourished" at the school and that Montessori gives children the chance to "find their own pace to work."