Teaching the Child, Not the Curriculum:
Choosing Conscious Education
Recently, while searching for clarity around the vision I’ve been shaping at Montessori Moments, I stumbled upon an older podcast episode that instantly resonated with me. This podcast “Conscious Education for your Child” originally aired in 2022 on Raising Wildlings.
Even though it’s been a few years since the episode aired, the message was still meaningful: education should be thoughtful, intentional, and deeply connected to the child — not simply the curriculum.
It gave language to something I’ve felt for a long time: that learning is not about checking off standards or racing through content. It’s about nurturing the whole child — emotionally, socially, and intellectually — in a way that feels real, responsive, and respectful.
This is what we’re building at Montessori Moments . A space where we choose to teach the child, not the curriculum.
Rethinking the Default
For many of us, me included, the default idea of education is what we experienced ourselves: same-aged peers, one teacher, one lesson, everyone expected to stay on the same page — literally.
But what happens when a child isn’t ready for that lesson? Or what if they already understand it and are ready for something more?
In traditional systems, the answer often involves pushing the child to keep up or asking them to wait.
But in conscious education — and at Montessori Moments — we ask a different question:
“What does this child need right now?”
And from there, we shape our learning environment around the child — not the other way around.
Education with Intention
To teach consciously means to teach with intention. It means we pay attention to the child’s interests, struggles, sparks of curiosity, and pace of growth. We ask questions. We listen. We adjust.
Our guides (teachers) don’t start with a scripted lesson. They start by observing.
From that observation, we build small groups, hands-on lessons, collaborative projects, and independent work time that aligns with the needs of the children in the room — not just the expectations of a curriculum guide.
We still use curriculum — it’s a valuable tool — but it doesn’t drive the learning. It supports it.
Why It Matters
This approach matters because children aren’t standard. They’re human.
Some are ready to write pages before they’re ready to read fluently. Others understand big math concepts long before they can spell out their ideas in words. Some children need to move to think. Others need quiet to focus.
When we start with the child, we make space for learning that is intentional, relevant, and lasting.
We teach for understanding, not memorization.
We teach through connection, not coercion.
We teach for life, not just for tests.
This post is just the beginning. In the next post, I’ll take you inside the classroom — to show you what this kind of learning looks like in action, from reading and writing groups to math and movement.
Until then, I hope this gives you something to reflect on — especially if you’ve ever felt that your child didn’t quite fit the mold. Maybe the mold wasn’t meant for them in the first place.
We make space for learning that is purposeful, relevant, and lasting.
Let’s keep creating something different.
Let’s keep choosing the child.
