Amsive

School, According to 3rd Graders: Ishaan & Ayaan

Season 2 | Episode 17

with Nicole Coman and William “Biff” Maier

What do children actually think about school?

For this special conversation, we hand the microphones over to two very honest critics: nine-year-old twins Ishaan and Ayaan. After years in Montessori and a recent transition to a new school, the third graders have plenty to say about how they learn, what they love, what they miss, and what they would change.

Their answers are funny, thoughtful, occasionally surprising—and often more insightful than adults might expect. They talk about choosing their work, grades and homework, learning at their own pace, working with friends, hands-on materials, research projects, technology, and what makes a lesson exciting. They also imagine their ideal classroom and share what they think schools could do to help kids make better use of their time.

Together, they explore:

  • What they remember—and don’t remember—about starting Montessori
  • The differences they’ve noticed between Montessori and their current school
  • Why they miss Montessori materials, reports, and opportunities to choose their work
  • What grades and homework feel like from a child’s perspective
  • Why learning at the right level matters when you’ve already mastered something
  • What they would put in a classroom if they could design one themselves

More than anything, this conversation is a reminder that children have ideas about their education, too. Sometimes the best way to understand what makes a school work is simply to ask the kids who are living it.

00:00:02:22 – 00:00:12:07
Nicole
Welcome to Educating the Human Potential. The podcast about optimizing education for a better society through a montessori lens. My name is Nicole Coman

00:00:12:07 – 00:00:13:18
Biff
And I’m Biff Maier

00:00:13:18 – 00:00:27:15
Nicole
And we I’d like to think that these our guest today. We have two guests here in our studio. And these are probably the most special guests that we’ve ever had. Would you say?

00:00:27:16 – 00:00:29:06
Biff
I would say so. Yeah.

00:00:29:07 – 00:00:32:11
Nicole
This is do you want to introduce yourselves and say what your name is?

00:00:32:12 – 00:00:35:20
Ishaan & Ayaan
I’m Ayaan and this is Ishaan

00:00:35:22 – 00:00:58:01
Nicole
Ion and Ishan are third grade. Third grade. Yeah. Nine year old twins. Yes. Yes. Great. And so we thought it would be fun for our listeners to interview some students about what they like about school. So we have these two brave boys that came in and they’re talking with Biff and I today.

00:00:58:01 – 00:01:13:21
Biff
We talk all the time about Montessori schools, but we thought, time to get the get the story straight from the kids who are most affected by it. So let me ask you, how old were you when you started in a montessori school?

00:01:13:22 – 00:01:17:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
I think we were two or three when we.

00:01:17:22 – 00:01:18:06
Biff
Okay.

00:01:18:07 – 00:01:21:02
Ishaan & Ayaan
So you to our first school, which was Montessori

00:01:21:05 – 00:01:24:05
Biff
Was really the beginning. And what do you remember?

00:01:24:07 – 00:01:27:05
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, not much.

00:01:27:06 – 00:01:33:19
Biff
Oh come on. What are your first memories? Do you remember walking in the first day? No.

00:01:33:21 – 00:01:40:17
Ishaan & Ayaan
No, but I do remember the school name and a few. And one of my friends.

00:01:40:18 – 00:01:41:19
Nicole
Well. That’s important.

00:01:41:20 – 00:02:05:03
Biff
Well, friends are. Yeah. People often. My. When my son walked in at three years old, he walked directly up to another boy and he said, Will you be my best friend? Three years old tactic. Yeah. They’re still friends. So, I mean, it’s pretty memorable to make your friends there, but do you remember anything about how you spent your time?

00:02:05:04 – 00:02:30:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
I remember that, One day, if we did all our work, we could play with this, like, like, city set. And we got a lot of fun because all of the classmates could play together. And I’m very sure we, like friend had built like a tower and then like a airport station, a airport.

00:02:30:05 – 00:02:36:11
Biff
So this was a challenge for the whole community. Everybody had to have done their work. Yes. And then you could do that all together.

00:02:36:12 – 00:02:37:17
Ishaan & Ayaan
All the friends

00:02:37:19 – 00:02:43:06
Nicole
Yeah. Let me ask you a question. What is your favorite thing about school?

00:02:43:08 – 00:02:49:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
We get to learn new things that could help you in the future. Yeah?

00:02:49:05 – 00:02:51:12
Nicole
Like what? Tell me one thing that you like.

00:02:51:13 – 00:02:54:11
Biff
What have you learned recently that’s going to help you in the future?

00:02:54:12 – 00:03:02:10
Ishaan & Ayaan
Oh, we’ve been learning to debate in my class, but I already know how to debate because my mom is a lawyer. She taught us.

00:03:02:10 – 00:03:10:01
Nicole
Your mom is a lawyer. And she. She taught you how to debate? Yeah, yeah. What do you think? I on, what’s your favorite thing about school in general?

00:03:10:03 – 00:03:11:09
Ishaan & Ayaan

00:03:12:07 – 00:03:12:22
Ishaan & Ayaan
math.

00:03:12:23 – 00:03:13:10
Nicole
Yeah.

00:03:13:11 – 00:03:17:15
Nicole
Okay. Do you like math? Because you. It’s easy for you or, you.

00:03:17:16 – 00:03:38:00
Ishaan & Ayaan
Know, we do. Kumon. And he is an f of f like high. Ishaan, not f not like not. It’s not like f as in grade school. It’s like f as in like a b c d e f g. Yeah, yeah, he’s an f, I’m an F and I’m an e

00:03:38:01 – 00:03:39:06
Nicole
Yeah I see.

00:03:39:07 – 00:03:41:08
Biff
So you’re both doing well and moving..

00:03:41:10 – 00:03:53:06
Ishaan & Ayaan
And we’re both in D2. Like there’s d. D one d2. We’re both in D2 in reading. So Kumon. We started reading aftermath.

00:03:53:08 – 00:04:00:14
Biff
So so is this your first year in a public school outside of. Sorry first year?

00:04:00:19 – 00:04:05:18
Ishaan & Ayaan
Yes. So our Montessori Schools were both private schools, I say. Yeah.

00:04:05:19 – 00:04:08:10
Biff
So how are things? How’s it different?

00:04:08:12 – 00:04:15:17
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, there is more people. Yeah. There also is more people my age.

00:04:15:18 – 00:04:18:19
Biff
Because everybody’s the same age in your class.

00:04:18:21 – 00:04:26:18
Ishaan & Ayaan
Not everybody. There are a few people still eight, and, one of my friends is ten.

00:04:26:23 – 00:04:28:16
Biff
But everybody’s in third grade.

00:04:28:17 – 00:04:37:23
Nicole
Yeah, so there’s a lot more kids, so that’s different there. Everyone’s the same age. What else is different? How about what’s different about the way you learn?

00:04:38:01 – 00:04:52:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
Oh, so in Montessori we got to choose to work. And it was a lot easier to explain here. We take notes and tests and grades and we don’t really do reports.

00:04:52:07 – 00:04:52:21
Biff
You don’t do.

00:04:52:21 – 00:04:56:05
Ishaan & Ayaan
What reports? Reports like in.

00:04:56:07 – 00:04:58:10
Biff
And you did do reports that much.

00:04:58:11 – 00:05:23:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
Be like, oh, I want to do a report. Yeah. But here there I’m not done one report and then there is something called first nine weeks or 99 weeks for nine weeks. And we, Now, spring break was the end of 39 weeks, so you got nine weeks left of school. Yeah. So we I don’t think we’re going to do it.

00:05:23:05 – 00:05:28:02
Nicole
What was your favorite thing about school? So. Ion says he likes math. What? What do you like?

00:05:28:03 – 00:05:32:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
My favorite subject. I don’t really have one.

00:05:32:22 – 00:05:34:11
Nicole
Yeah.

00:05:34:13 – 00:05:45:09
Ishaan & Ayaan
I like social studies, reading, math. Like, do can I include, like, the outclass art, music?

00:05:45:10 – 00:05:45:20
Nicole
Absolutely.

00:05:45:20 – 00:05:48:22
Ishaan & Ayaan
I like, I like art, p.e.

00:05:49:00 – 00:05:53:13
Nicole
And so you like all the specials too? Yeah. That’s fun.

00:05:53:13 – 00:06:02:05
Biff
So when you move to your new school. Was it did you know kids there before you got there?

00:06:02:10 – 00:06:04:04
Ishaan & Ayaan
No, no.

00:06:04:07 – 00:06:09:18
Biff
Was it how what was it like meeting new kids and making making friends there?

00:06:09:19 – 00:06:31:13
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, it was well, I made friends, like, on my, like, fourth or forth or the third day. Yeah. Because the first nine weeks, the first week of school was pretty much, was pretty much the not very hard that it was pretty much to get friends.

00:06:31:14 – 00:06:34:14
Biff
They were just getting. You used to being there. Yeah.

00:06:34:16 – 00:06:38:11
Nicole
I love that. What makes you excited about a lesson?

00:06:38:12 – 00:06:57:22
Ishaan & Ayaan
Like, I get excited because I’m learning a new thing, and I like learning new things because I like to know a lot and it wants to always be prepared. Yeah, I like to know everything..

00:06:58:00 – 00:06:59:12
Biff
Do you get grades now?

00:06:59:13 – 00:07:00:07
Ishaan & Ayaan
Yes.

00:07:00:08 – 00:07:03:07
Biff
And did you get grades when you were in the Montessori school?

00:07:03:09 – 00:07:04:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
No, no, I don’t.

00:07:04:21 – 00:07:07:07
Biff
Think so. How does that feel? Different.

00:07:07:09 – 00:07:12:04
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, it means a lot. Well, we didn’t have homework one.

00:07:12:06 – 00:07:12:16
Biff
Oh, and you.

00:07:12:16 – 00:07:13:13
Ishaan & Ayaan
Do that now.

00:07:13:17 – 00:07:14:20
Nicole
Now the difference.

00:07:14:21 – 00:07:17:22
Ishaan & Ayaan
Yeah, I didn’t I didn’t like homework.

00:07:17:23 – 00:07:18:22
Nicole
You don’t like homework?

00:07:18:23 – 00:07:29:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
No. Oh, because we have so much to do. Kumon. Both math and reading. Right. We still have to do our Kumon for today. Yeah. School.

00:07:30:01 – 00:07:37:07
Biff
But I. I’m curious about what it feels like to be getting to get grades on the things you’re doing.

00:07:37:08 – 00:07:42:07
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, we have just studying more and staying up more late.

00:07:42:08 – 00:07:44:22
Biff
So do you think it works to make you work better?

00:07:45:04 – 00:07:46:16
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well?

00:07:46:18 – 00:07:52:08
Biff
Or do you think you would? Sometimes you would do just as much work if you weren’t getting grades.

00:07:52:10 – 00:07:55:11
Ishaan & Ayaan
Probably just as much work.

00:07:55:13 – 00:07:57:21
Biff
What about you?

00:07:57:23 – 00:08:28:15
Ishaan & Ayaan
I think grades grades are okay as long as they they like. I thought you didn’t like grades because you are really high in. Kumon But, your math scores, especially your science scores, don’t show that you’re really good science, but they still. It’s still a good, though. I got no, I got to 90. Oh, you finally got it.

00:08:28:16 – 00:09:04:22
Ishaan & Ayaan
So. Yeah. Well both both. Then you went to shape A’s We’re both Shape A’s students. We got some. I think it’s got. And 2 or 1 pluses. And they stayed weeks. I think I got one. But all grades are okay, especially in this first semester. My social study is great. In the first semester was 100, I. I got really, really good grades in the first semester of social studies.

00:09:05:00 – 00:09:11:01
Biff
The the the the getting grades make you compare yourself to each other more than you did.

00:09:11:03 – 00:09:14:06
Ishaan & Ayaan
Oh, yeah. Pretty. Yeah I can.

00:09:14:11 – 00:09:15:18
Nicole
Are you in the same class?

00:09:15:19 – 00:09:23:09
Ishaan & Ayaan
No, no, we’re in switch class. We switch classes. He’s in the other class, so we switched.

00:09:23:10 – 00:09:24:11
Biff
Oh I see.

00:09:24:12 – 00:09:30:13
Nicole
And how do you feel about that? Do you wish you were in the same class? Being twins and brothers?

00:09:30:14 – 00:09:49:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, you’re not supposed to, because, like, it’s you’re going to be more focusing on each other than work that, like, I’m pretty sure the school doesn’t let you, because I’ve a friend in my class and he has a twin in his class. Really? He is friends with it. So it’s fun. Yes.

00:09:49:23 – 00:09:50:08
Biff
Oh.

00:09:50:09 – 00:09:53:12
Nicole
Very cool. Great. How perfect did that work out?

00:09:53:13 – 00:09:59:04
Ishaan & Ayaan
And we also both go to Car Rider. We always pretty much the last ones to be picked up.

00:09:59:05 – 00:10:00:20
Nicole
Yeah, I love that.

00:10:00:21 – 00:10:06:20
Biff
So do you think it’s true that you would focus on each other more than you would focus on school if you were in the same class?

00:10:06:20 – 00:10:09:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, I’d be more distracted. Yes.

00:10:09:22 – 00:10:12:23
Biff
Are you saying that I am as distracting to you?

00:10:13:01 – 00:10:18:08
Ishaan & Ayaan
Oh, well, I would be as focusing because I pay attention. On what? Yeah.

00:10:18:10 – 00:10:22:07
Biff
And would you do the same thing? I.

00:10:22:09 – 00:10:43:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
If it was like he always does. Well, he does focus, but he also doesn’t focus sometimes. From what I see in of you, you you would be more distracted. You talk a lot. no I don’t.

00:10:43:05 – 00:10:43:14
Biff
Okay.

00:10:43:15 – 00:10:45:10
Ishaan & Ayaan
Let’s wait let’s.

00:10:45:12 – 00:10:48:16
Biff
Hang on Ishaan Let’s let Ayaan say what he was going to say.

00:10:48:17 – 00:11:16:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
Since you fidget a lot, it’s really distracting Yeah, well, I got the fidget and then they removed the fidgets because. So basically I have ADHD, so I always need something in my hand. So that’s what miss Ray has figured out. His teacher is a teacher. His homeroom I switch teacher. She has fidgets, so I was. I used to use them to focus.

00:11:16:21 – 00:11:42:19
Ishaan & Ayaan
But then one person, one of my friends was allowed. Started to being allowed to use them. And then everyone took them. Started using them, because even though they weren’t, they weren’t allowed to. Yeah. Only me. And then my friend was allowed to. And then everyone thought they could do it, so they took it. And then she had to take away all of that.

00:11:42:20 – 00:11:45:16
Biff
All of it. So what do you do now?

00:11:45:18 – 00:11:47:18
Ishaan & Ayaan
I just try my best to stay still.

00:11:47:19 – 00:11:52:02
Biff
Do you fidget with your fingers and your instead?

00:11:52:04 – 00:11:57:04
Ishaan & Ayaan
But now I got a few frigates from here in Pennsylvania, so.

00:11:57:06 – 00:12:15:17
Nicole
Yeah. Do you, do you think they help you focus when you do have something in your hand? Yeah, yeah, that’s a helpful strategy. I think some kids don’t know that when they are moving around a lot. Sometimes having to something to fidget in your hand helps your body calm. And you can pay attention better, right? That’s really helpful.

00:12:15:17 – 00:12:35:19
Nicole
I have a question for both of you. If you I want to hear from both of you on this one. Okay. If you can design a perfect classroom, what would it look like? What would be in the classroom? So I know I should have probably prepped you for that one, but what would you like to see if you could just.

00:12:35:21 – 00:12:43:12
Nicole
Let’s back up. If you could ask for anything in your classroom to make it more exciting, what would be in the classroom?

00:12:43:14 – 00:13:15:02
Ishaan & Ayaan
Since I like math, I want I would want like a way to do every single way to do math like multiplication, subtraction, addition, division, and like decimals, fractions, every type of. So basically what you want the schools expectations to be a little higher. Yeah. Like like a our school’s expectations are low because like are lower than Kumon

00:13:15:02 – 00:13:26:14
Ishaan & Ayaan
Because what what he’s doing in Kumon is third grade math But what that is in this school is fifth to six.

00:13:26:16 – 00:13:46:07
Nicole
I see so iron. So what you’re saying is in your new school, you have to do only with the kind of math that the teacher gives you. But if if you could design your own school, you would have all the math materials available to you so you can do all of them and not just what your teacher is teaching you at the moment.

00:13:46:08 – 00:13:48:05
Nicole
Yes. Yeah, that’s a really good.

00:13:48:06 – 00:13:49:12
Ishaan & Ayaan
Like Montessori because.

00:13:49:13 – 00:13:50:14

It’s very Montessori.

00:13:50:17 – 00:13:58:23
Ishaan & Ayaan
Could choose so or you could always choose because if you did do something last time, you had to do it. If you haven’t done it in a long.

00:13:58:23 – 00:14:02:00
Biff
Time, do you miss using materials?

00:14:02:02 – 00:14:18:04
Ishaan & Ayaan
I definitely do miss Montessori materials. I like those a lot. They helped you learn a little bit better and our school taking notes doesn’t always really help as much as it did in Montessori.

00:14:18:06 – 00:14:34:20
Biff
But I’m curious about, especially since you love math and there are so many Montessori math materials, and I wondered whether you like doing that work with your hands, with materials, or whether you would just as soon do it with a paper and pencil?

00:14:34:22 – 00:14:58:17
Ishaan & Ayaan
I like doing it with a paper pencil more than using materials, because using materials could take longer than doing it on paper. And I like to math quickly. Well, I like I with I like writing, I like writing it down and it does the math quicker, but it also is easier to learn first with the material.

00:14:58:18 – 00:14:59:09
Biff
Yeah.

00:14:59:10 – 00:15:19:17
Nicole
That’s so that’s really helpful because it seems like you guys like different things about math and the way that you learn math, and every kid learns differently. And so that’s what we’re kind of interested in each what would if you can put one thing in your classroom, what would that look like? Something to make it more exciting for you?

00:15:19:17 – 00:15:50:16
Ishaan & Ayaan
I probably could figure out this, so I would probably want to put like an idea box. And if someone puts video games in there, I’m going to trash it because it’s video games is not about school. We do have paw time because our school is insolvent. So there is the mascot is a dog. So there is paw time where we can go and do like Excel node games with Excel box.

00:15:50:18 – 00:16:01:15
Ishaan & Ayaan
Excel is in reading what you can do. My only lessons to like and is stand more subjects.

00:16:01:16 – 00:16:08:03
Nicole
Yeah, yeah. And so paw time does. Is there an actual dog there or. No. Yeah.

00:16:08:07 – 00:16:09:16
Ishaan & Ayaan
It is called paw time.

00:16:09:17 – 00:16:19:14
Nicole
Okay. That’s cute though. What’s one thing you wish all schools did to help kids learn better?

00:16:19:16 – 00:16:47:23
Ishaan & Ayaan
I would like for schools. Like if someone can do the, a subject. Really? Well, I like, think they should move on. I suppose they can. Yeah. Because, will make the most of the time in school. Yeah. Because, what we’re doing is pretty much learning what we’ve already learned. So we, we got gifted and talented in all subjects here, and we are pretty.

00:16:48:00 – 00:17:21:09
Ishaan & Ayaan
We already know pretty much every everything, almost everything in the math some in reading, some in social studies. And, like if you I feel like if you have a higher like what you already know, you should go to learning new stuff so you don’t keep learning. Yeah. But I also think you should remember it because I’m starting to forget a few stuff that I learned.

00:17:21:09 – 00:17:42:21
Ishaan & Ayaan
So I like I want to relearn it as well. Like, oh, I’m doing oh, I started Division Fractions the few days ago. That’s tough. And and I have forgotten how to do, long division.

00:17:43:00 – 00:18:15:09
Biff
Yeah. Yeah. But it comes back fast when you practice it again. So we’ve asked a little bit about what you would, what you wish were in your new school from Montessori. I’m curious whether there are any ideas that they have at your, at the school where you are now that if you could make a gift and give that to the Montessori school so that they would have that idea, what would you take from where you are now and give to the Montessori school?

00:18:15:11 – 00:18:18:22

00:18:19:00 – 00:18:52:09
Ishaan & Ayaan
Basically there’s nothing. There’s basically nothing. Montessori is really good. But there are a few like, I think maybe better laptops because the laptops in the Montessori school basically were crazy. They, like you, had to go through so much stuff just to get a blank sheet of paper on the computer. But with this you can just search up, sing, and it will come automatically.

00:18:52:09 – 00:18:57:12
Nicole
So technology is better in your new school versus your Montessori school.

00:18:57:13 – 00:19:34:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
But I like well, I also really like Montessori because you also didn’t need as much technology. But there were there are more reports and there are reports in Montessori and there isn’t in our new school. So having that that better things. Also in Montessori you had to be third grader to use laptops. I feel like, you should be able to be lower to use them as well.

00:19:34:04 – 00:19:41:05
Nicole
I see it sounds like you like to write or research stuff. I’ve heard you say you miss those reports that you wrote.

00:19:41:11 – 00:19:45:18
Ishaan & Ayaan
Down quite a few. I did quite a few reports.

00:19:45:20 – 00:19:48:02
Biff
Like what? What kind of things did you research?

00:19:48:02 – 00:19:59:00
Ishaan & Ayaan
I remember the last report I did was on the taj mahal I did one on birds Mexico. I did a I forgot.

00:19:59:01 – 00:20:05:07
Biff
But you would just get an idea and then you would start looking. Looking in books and things and writing a report.

00:20:05:07 – 00:20:09:17
Ishaan & Ayaan
Yeah. Sometimes my friends wanted to do one and I would. I could help them with it.

00:20:09:21 – 00:20:11:12
Nicole
Oh, I love that.

00:20:11:13 – 00:20:20:21
Biff
Oh, that’s a good question. Do you have very many opportunities to work together with other kids in your current school, or do you work more by yourselves?

00:20:20:23 – 00:20:48:06
Ishaan & Ayaan
Where by yourselves, like there’s independent practice where Montessori you could always work with a friend, but if you were always working with the same person and you weren’t you, you had to work with someone else or independently. But in Montessori, there were a lot more times where you could work with a friend than in our school.

00:20:48:06 – 00:20:56:05
Nicole
If you could make one new class at your school, what would it be?

00:20:56:07 – 00:20:58:07
Biff
You mean one more subject? Yeah, yeah.

00:20:58:08 – 00:21:03:22
Nicole
Any subject. And you can be creative if you want,

00:21:04:00 – 00:21:06:23
Ishaan & Ayaan

00:21:07:01 – 00:21:09:10
Ishaan & Ayaan
maybe Like acting.

00:21:09:12 – 00:21:09:23
Nicole
Oh.

00:21:10:04 – 00:21:10:11
Biff
Oh.

00:21:10:13 – 00:21:13:22
Nicole
What a good idea. So, like a drama class. An acting class.

00:21:13:23 – 00:21:23:22
Ishaan & Ayaan
I we do have music class, and they do kind of teach that because they started the this Aladdin musical.

00:21:23:23 – 00:21:26:01
Biff
Do you do a play at your school?

00:21:26:02 – 00:21:33:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
Oh there isn’t yeah. The musical is like a play. So.

00:21:33:05 – 00:21:39:05
Nicole
But a class for acting. I think that’s a really good idea. Each on. What do you think? What would be a new class?

00:21:39:05 – 00:22:15:07
Ishaan & Ayaan
I don’t know, I feel like there should be, like in Montessori there are included arts and crafts and I really like that. But here is just art. When we have two art classes, two music classes, but both art just are just art painting. But I liked when in Montessori we could like work with like clay and stuff, and there was also free, like a free thing and we could like make cardboard boxes into like creations.

00:22:15:07 – 00:22:42:03
Ishaan & Ayaan
And it was a lot more fun and Montessori and I also like in Montessori how like every Monday and Wednesday you could go to art and and music, but there is like out class, which is every single day where you either go to PE art, music, library, Stem, and a few other things.

00:22:42:04 – 00:22:47:22
Biff
Now that you’re saying that’s what your school does now. Yeah, yeah.

00:22:48:00 – 00:22:56:05
Nicole
I have another question for you guys. What’s one thing that you’ve done in your new school this year that you felt really proud of?

00:22:56:07 – 00:22:58:02

00:22:58:04 – 00:23:04:02
Nicole
Or what’s something you’re looking forward to doing before the end of the year.

00:23:04:04 – 00:23:08:07
Ishaan & Ayaan
I don’t I’m not looking I’m looking forward to the end of the year.

00:23:08:07 – 00:23:11:13
Nicole
Oh fair. That’s fair.

00:23:11:16 – 00:23:14:10
Biff
What are you going to do after school.

00:23:14:12 – 00:23:17:23
Ishaan & Ayaan
I think we’re going to Boston maybe.

00:23:18:01 – 00:23:19:05
Nicole
Oh right. Yes.

00:23:19:05 – 00:23:46:11
Ishaan & Ayaan
Like what we did last year was first two weeks of summer camp. Then we went to Boston. Then we came back two weeks of summer camp. Then we went to Australia, came back. Did we have two weeks of summer camp after that? Yeah. Oh what. And then done. And we also have a longer break in Montessori than in this school.

00:23:46:13 – 00:23:50:16
Nicole
Interesting. Because it started at a different time than the Montessori school started.

00:23:50:17 – 00:23:51:05
Ishaan & Ayaan
Yeah.

00:23:51:06 – 00:24:02:02
Nicole
So yeah, you guys are busy. You have a lot going on. What do you what do you guys do besides school? What kind of fun things do you like to do outside of school?

00:24:02:02 – 00:24:08:15
Ishaan & Ayaan
We do piano. We do? Kumon We do flag football. We just.

00:24:08:16 – 00:24:14:11
Biff
Oh, you. You’re on you. You get together with other kids in play. Are you on a team or is.

00:24:14:11 – 00:24:15:16
Ishaan & Ayaan
It team?

00:24:15:18 – 00:24:19:03
Nicole
That’s fun. That’s something new for you? Yeah.

00:24:19:05 – 00:24:22:05
Ishaan & Ayaan
He is one of the assistant coaches.

00:24:22:07 – 00:24:24:08
Nicole
Oh, your dad is coaching. That’s kind.

00:24:24:08 – 00:24:38:10
Ishaan & Ayaan
Of fun. Assistant coach. There’s a head coach. And do you want to tell them who’s the what? Who’s your assistant coach? Like, what are the assistant coaches? Is the head coach for the Houston, Texans

00:24:38:13 – 00:24:39:10
Biff
Wow.

00:24:39:12 – 00:24:44:21
Nicole
Really I do I can’t think of his name, but that is very cool.

00:24:45:00 – 00:24:46:16
Ishaan & Ayaan
His name is DeMeco Ryans

00:24:46:17 – 00:24:54:19
Nicole
Oh, wow. Okay, well, you guys are learning from the best, then. A real professional NFL coach.

00:24:54:19 – 00:25:22:20
Ishaan & Ayaan
When we did so, we did a practice. We didn’t count the scores. It didn’t count before and we didn’t count on the the scores were encountered. Nothing really. It was like a practice of the game, but I still counted scores in the ending. Scores were 14 zero. We won, but they didn’t count the scores. So and it was just like a practice to.

00:25:22:21 – 00:25:23:22
Biff
Show, you know, you won.

00:25:23:23 – 00:25:28:12
Ishaan & Ayaan
Yeah, we know that I know that. We got to say got to.

00:25:28:14 – 00:25:31:16
Biff
Do you guys think about what you want to do when you’re older.

00:25:31:16 – 00:25:33:05
Nicole
That was going to be my question.

00:25:33:06 – 00:25:35:09
Biff
I grabbed it I you know, what can I say.

00:25:35:12 – 00:25:51:06
Ishaan & Ayaan
I, I don’t I want to say that like I don’t want to lots of things in mind, but it’s very confusing because there is a lot of things I want to do, but i can’t choose

00:25:51:08 – 00:26:03:19
Nicole
Well, the good news is you have a lot of time to figure it out. But if you had to pick one thing today based on where you are today and what you like to do today, what do you think it would be?

00:26:03:21 – 00:26:07:02
Ishaan & Ayaan
And Matt Math.

00:26:07:04 – 00:26:11:05
Nicole
A mathematician. Yes. Yeah, that sounds like you’re on that track.

00:26:11:06 – 00:26:41:06
Ishaan & Ayaan
I, I really don’t know because like my mom, she wants me to be the first astronaut to go to Mars, which I do not want to do. Oh. Not really. It was also a few other options, like five. Which subject that, my mom wants him to be the first astronaut to step on Mars. We went to NASA for our seventh birthday, not seventh

00:26:41:08 – 00:27:02:20
Ishaan & Ayaan
That was our tennis birthday. Oh, yeah. Eighth birthday. Yeah. It was really cool because at that time, they announced that you had to be eight at this exact date. To be you had to be at least eight, eight or. Oh, you have to be eight or up at that exact.

00:27:02:20 – 00:27:05:04
Nicole
Day, that exact day that you were there.

00:27:05:05 – 00:27:08:07
Ishaan & Ayaan
Yeah. The exact day we turned eight. So.

00:27:08:07 – 00:27:10:05
Biff
Wow. You just made it.

00:27:10:06 – 00:27:14:07
Nicole
What’s involved in being an astronaut? So what do you think.

00:27:14:09 – 00:27:16:05
Ishaan & Ayaan
A lot.

00:27:16:07 – 00:27:22:08
Biff
What do you have? What are you going to have to do if you’re going to make your mom happy and be the first astronaut on Mars?

00:27:22:09 – 00:27:29:14
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, first you have to go to the moon okay? And then you have to go to Mars. Then you have to go back to the moon, and then you have to go back there. So.

00:27:29:19 – 00:27:32:21
Biff
So what do you have to do in order to get to the moon?

00:27:32:23 – 00:27:35:23
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well.

00:27:36:01 – 00:28:04:02
Ishaan & Ayaan
Basically basically, so you just launch, you lose two parts, the side of the, rocket ship and then the I think, I don’t know if you keep the most like that big part when you land on the moon, because you will need a lot more. You do need big a lot to get to Mars. I have no idea.

00:28:04:02 – 00:28:04:13
Ishaan & Ayaan
But.

00:28:04:14 – 00:28:04:21
Biff
Yeah.

00:28:04:23 – 00:28:21:07
Ishaan & Ayaan
It’s whatever you have. You, if you do have it, you’re going to lose it here. If you don’t, you just go here, back here, and then I’m pretty sure they launch it back here. And then when they get close enough to the Earth, gravity does.

00:28:21:09 – 00:28:28:11
Biff
Well, when you went, did they did they teach you things about what you have to know or what you have to be good at to be an astronaut?

00:28:28:15 – 00:28:40:06
Ishaan & Ayaan
No. not really. But I really don’t want to do that. If you go on the first spaceship to Mars, I might work in the control room

00:28:40:08 – 00:28:41:03
Biff
Oh, wow.

00:28:41:04 – 00:28:45:02
Nicole
I love that for you guys. So Ayaan can be in the control.

00:28:45:05 – 00:28:46:23
Ishaan & Ayaan
That’s what she wanted for him.

00:28:47:00 – 00:28:55:08
Nicole
Oh, I see both of these jobs mean that you have to work really hard in school. Yeah. So if you’re.

00:28:55:10 – 00:29:01:20
Biff
Yeah. And if you’re going to get out of being an astronaut, then you’ll have to practice your debating skills.

00:29:01:21 – 00:29:12:23
Nicole
I’m going to make a prediction. I say math mathematician for iron and a lawyer for you. Sean, that’s my prediction today. We’ll see later on,

00:29:13:01 – 00:29:14:19
Ishaan & Ayaan
Okay, okay.

00:29:14:21 – 00:29:16:01
Biff
Yeah.

00:29:16:02 – 00:29:32:12
Nicole
Well, thank you so much. You taught bef and I so much about third grade and the differences between different types of schools and how kids learn. And I think our listeners, the people that listen to our episodes are going to really learn from you too.

00:29:32:14 – 00:29:55:21
Biff
Yeah. I’ll tell you a couple of things I learned. I learned how important it is to let kids who are doing well in something keep feeling like they’re challenging themselves and not just sort of sitting still. And I also learned how important it is for kids to be able to follow up their curiosities and do reports, because those are things that make you happy.

00:29:55:23 – 00:30:06:03
Nicole
And you two are very impressive nine year olds. You should be very proud. I know your parents are proud. Thank you. Well, thank you for being on our show.

00:30:06:05 – 00:30:09:12
Ishaan & Ayaan
Welcome to educating the Human Potential.

00:30:09:14 – 00:30:12:18

Great job guys. Thank you. You did it.

00:30:12:20 – 00:30:15:13
Ishaan & Ayaan
Well, I did it. Ishaan chickened out.

00:30:15:14 – 00:30:20:15
Biff
Well, I’m loving these conversations. And I’m hoping that you all are enjoying these as much as we are.

00:30:20:16 – 00:30:27:05
Nicole
And if so, please reach out to us. Follow the show on whatever streaming service you use and leave us a comment.

00:30:27:06 – 00:30:27:17
Biff
We want to.

00:30:27:17 – 00:30:29:08
Nicole
Hear from you. Yeah, we love the feedback.

00:30:29:09 – 00:30:32:09
Biff
And I’m looking forward to the next conversation together.

00:30:32:10 – 00:30:41:10
Nicole
As am I.

00:30:41:12 – 00:30:50:17
Biff
This podcast is produced by AMS, the American Montessori Society. However, the views that are expressed belong to us and to those of our guests.

LISTEN ON:

Nicole Coman
Nicole Coman (she/her) is one of the co-hosts of the Educating the Human Potential podcast, produced by AMS. As a licensed educational psychologist, Nicole brings a wealth of expertise in school psychology and child development. Her experience with educational practices, Montessori education, and child development allows for an ever-captivating and insightful dialogue.
William “Biff” Maier
Biff Maier (he/him) is one of the co-hosts of the Educating the Human Potential podcast, produced by AMS. Biff is an AMS Living Legacy, a former Montessori head of school, and a former teacher education program director. These deep-rooted connections with Montessori education, his passion for Montessori principles, and his legacy within AMS make him the perfect addition to our podcast team.