Author pens book about Montesorri education
Educator, author writes book about her family's alternative education story
Susan Mayclin Stephenson of Trinidad has released her seventh book. “Montessori Homeschooling: One Family’s Story” chronicles the years (kindergarten through 12th grade) that she and husband, Jim, homeschooled their son, Michael.
“It was Michael’s idea from the very beginning. We never would’ve thought of it as parents. Every year, he made the decision for the following year,” Stephenson said in an email interview with the Times-Standard.
“The book tracks this journey — not only what Michael learned, but what we, his parents, learned,” she said.
Stephenson — who has traveled in more than 70 countries — first got interested in the Montessori method of education in the early 1970s while attending college.
“I had seen so much poverty in Third World countries,” she said, “and philosophy seemed to be what I needed to study to figure out how to help. I was in graduate school studying philosophy at San Francisco State University when a friend gave me a book about Montessori. My first child was then 3 years old and at the parent co-op nursery. I saw by the immediate changes in her — too many to go into, but they were remarkable and positive — that helping children through this system of ‘education’ in the broadest sense would be a way (to help). I asked the head of the school where was the best place to learn to be a Montessori teacher and she told me the AMI (Association Montessori Internationale, the organization started in 1929 by Dr. Montessori to keep the highest standards as the method spread) center in London. So, we packed up and went there.”
Stephenson was a Montesorri teacher for more than 20 years, working with children of all ages. Since 2002, she has been an international Montessori school consultant, speaker and oral examiner for AMI teacher training courses. And, she’s been a full-time writer.
“I began to write about Montessori … because we had a Montessori supply store (Michael Olaf Montessori Company — now online) on College Avenue in Oakland, and every day I found myself explaining Montessori to all kinds of people — college professors, parents, public school administrators, etc. — and I could find no book available that covered the subjects I found myself talking about. … A lot of my writing was during our homeschooling years as I learned to explain Montessori to other home-schoolers,” Stephenson said.
In 2013, Stephenson published “The Joyful Child: Montessori, Global Wisdom for Birth to Three” and “The Universal Child, Guided by Nature.” The titles “Child of the World: Montessori, Global Education for Age 3-12+,” “The Red Corolla, Montessori Cosmic Education,” “Montessori and Mindfulness” and “Montessori Chess Lessons for Age 3-90+” followed. “Montessori Homeschooling: One Family’s Story” is her newest book.
“Many times over the years,” she said, “I have been asked to write down our home education experiences. So in March, I sat down to begin, and created the book which has just been released.”
She added: “It is geared toward parents of children of all ages, traditional teachers and Montessori teachers of all ages,” said Stephenson, who hopes “Montessori Homeschooling” will also be helpful for teachers and parents trying to navigate education during the COVID-19 health crisis.
“I hope it gives ideas for things for families to do together, as one of the silver linings is that families are spending more time together,” she said. “I also hope it gives ideas for teachers who are working remotely with their students.”
“Montessori Homeschooling: One Family’s Story” ($19.95) is available at Northtown Books in Arcata, Blake’s Books in McKinleyville and both Trinidad Trading Company and The Lighthouse in Trinidad. It’s also available at www.michaelolaf.net and via Amazon.