"An Outsider’s Perspective" by Judith M. Tincher, Intern I want to share with you my experience as a newcomer to Mountain Pathways Montessori School (MPMS) and the Montessori method. As part of my teacher-training program at Appalachian State University, I have been helping Mike and Diana in the 9-12 class twice a week since the 2004-2005 school year began. I am impressed and even awed when I contrast my experience at MPMS to that of my experience with traditional programs. I will outline some of the underlying and most notable differences I have seen, in particular: cooperation and respect among students; the emergence and self-recognition of students’ individual strengths and interests; and students’ conscious awareness of relationships between school and the world beyond the classroom. The cooperation I see among the students at MPMS is unique among my varied educational and tutoring experiences. The students help each other, willingly work in groups, ask each other questions and respect each other. Like any group of 9-12-year olds there are moments when their patience wears thin, but I have seen students address one another with their concerns, such as asking peers to quiet down or find another seat. To me, cooperation, respect, and the ability to take responsibility for ones’ relationships are all critical to healthy human development.  Another distinctive component of MPMS is the ease with which I have discovered the students’ personal strengths and interests. One reason it is so easy is because the students seem to know themselves so well. When working with groups of students in conventional learning environments it has taken a good deal of time and sometimes a bit of coaxing to get students to disclose their interests, or to tap into their strengths. I know that all students are gifted at something, and the atmosphere at Mountain Pathways has facilitated this process of discovery for me. I see some students drawing graphs in seconds and quickly lining up their protractors, while others will voraciously consume a book, and still others practice their kinesthetic abilities through constant movement. One last remarkable difference about MPMS is the integration in their learning of themes that are present in the world beyond the classroom. Students integrate their lessons and activities into discussions regarding the class itself. In a discussion aimed at coming to a consensus-based decision regarding the use of the back door, I heard references to the United Nations in support of being respectful of speakers at a meeting and giving all an opportunity to speak, as well as references to Gandhi and the fairness of rules and tactics of nonviolent non-cooperation. In my experience, it is rare to find college students who know much about the UN or Gandhi; those who do were unlikely exposed to such ideas as 9-12-year olds. Other examples of bringing the “real world” into the classroom include discussions about the recent flooding which led to creative suggestions of ways to measure the river. These same 9-12 year olds brought up themes of immigration, social mobility, and concentration of wealth when discussing Esperanza Rising, a book they are reading together. It is important for students to develop critical awareness of these kinds of issues so they can begin to analyze and synthesize their own ideas, and help contribute to society in creative and positive ways.  Most importantly, students here have a remarkable and contagious enthusiasm for learning. This love of learning, along with cooperation and respect among students and teachers, the availability of a variety of activities in which students with differing abilities can all succeed, and opportunities for analytical discussion about themes beyond and within the classroom clearly set Mountain Pathways apart in my experience. Getting to know about MPMS, as well as seeing the interaction among students, teachers and parents, has been a good learning experience for me. May we all be as enthusiastic about learning in and out of the classroom as are the students of Mountain Pathways.