Lead Compassionately.
Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.
Albert Schweitzer
How do children learn what makes a good leader and how do they become one? At Montgomery, it’s by example and practice. Every day, students experience being guided, coached, mentored, supported, cheered on, empowered, heard, and respected. They see decisions being made with an individual’s unique best interest in mind. They experience what it feels like to be valued, to have a voice, and to have a platform for self-expression. They also read stories and study history to understand and appreciate behavioral cause and effect. And they have opportunities to practice important relationships—with their classmates, teammates, and friends.
Montgomery students are always making choices about how they work with each other and they have time to process the outcomes. They have a place to grow up gracefully—a testing ground to explore their capacity for leadership. It is not by accident that Montgomery students are movers and shakers in their next schools. Intentional classroom content, discussion topics, and meaningful projects help students build a toolbox with understanding, confidence, and appreciation for the needs of others. The learning environment here not only encourages but requires active participation. In a gradual, deliberate sequence, students take on increasing responsibility—for themselves and for each other.
The three pillars that frame the Montgomery School experience support who we are as well as who we will become—as a school, as collaborative learners, and as graduates. Our pillars are both descriptive and directive: this is what we do now, and these are the habits we are committed to practicing in the world.
Think Boldly
Thinking boldly at Montgomery means considering the thoughts less traveled.
Solve Creatively
Solving creatively at Montgomery means looking past the first answer (or lack of one) that comes to mind.
Lead Compassionately
Leading compassionately at Montgomery means making decisions in someone else’s shoes.
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