Claudia Díaz, Montessori British School headmistress and expert in pedagogy—with multiple master’s degrees from renowned universities like MIT
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Northwestern University—, describes the fatal mistakes parents should avoid at the time of choosing the best school for their children.
Education in excellence
A demanding and high-quality education, in which at least three languages are taught, will give your child the opportunity to be admitted to the most prestigious universities in the world and to aspire to the best job offers, standing out among thousands of students. This education should be reflected both in measurable criteria—such as standardized knowledge tests (Cambridge Examinations, SAT, AV…) or language tests (IELTS [English], DELF [French], and HSK [Mandarin])—as well as non-measurable ones —artistic performances (music, dance, and art), robotics, photography, high-definition video, sports, debate, politics, ecology, journalism, etc…—. Education at Montessori British School goes further, as ours is a special curriculum that trains true entrepreneurs with insatiable innovation and the qualities of great leaders. Here we train students to be well-rounded and inclined to excellent results, as is demonstrated by our statistics: 94% of our students have been admitted to the first or second university of their choice, and 12% have been granted scholarships. The fatal mistake involves your child’s not taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the globalized world; thus, making a mistake and not realizing it until 11 years later.
Character formation
It is very important to form your child’s character, as well as develop them psychologically. Since we, the parents, did not study this in school, we are surely wondering what it means: the older generation’s character was formed at home with the teachings of parents. And although this is still valid, cutting-edge studies give us a path, a direction, and a methodology to reform that knowledge: a pilot we sponsor at Montessori British School. If a true leader is not born, but made, we have the key for your child to become one, since we recognize, promote, and live this need. The fatal mistake is forgetting to form them in character, privileging knowledge only.
Creative infrastructure
It is very important to offer your children a school that has the right infrastructure for them to fully develop all their abilities. The appearance of the school reflects its inner workings; therefore, the right tools will allow—in technological and sporting terms—full development, comfort, and safety in their activities. Remember that they will spend most of their time there during the day, and it is extremely important for them to feel comfortable. Thus, at Montessori British School, we have come up with creative and welcoming physical premises. The fatal mistake is to think highly of a school’s pedagogical qualities if they are not reflected in its physical premises and to believe that ambience is not directly related to the students’ learning process. Maria Montessori said it well, when she spoke about the "appropriate environments" that stimulate learning. cuando hablé sobre los “ambientes adecuados” que estimulan el aprendizaje.
No time to lose
Time is a non-renewable resource; for that reason, it must be highly valued upon choosing a school. Transport times between the student’s home and educational institution do take on another meaning upon asking ourselves: “How many productive things could they do in that period of time?” Surely many. That is why you should find a school located in strategic areas of the city, such as Montessori British School. The fatal mistake is to force them to lose two hours of their life a day, something that, at the end of their school life, becomes two years of their life.
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