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At the school where Barbara Sheaffer teaches, there are no bells, no grades, no homework and just one spelling test a week. If Sheaffer's students want to climb a tree and read a book among the branches, that's fine. Her students decide for themselves when they want to work on each assignment and can expect one-on-one presentations from their teachers when they do. Sheaffer and her husband, Scott, have owned and taught at Medford Montessori School for nearly 35 years. The couple bought a Poplar Drive duplex and converted it into a four-grade Montessori school in 1976, and today they have a lively, energetic bunch of 100 students. "The kids love to come to school," said Sheaffer. Medford Montessori follows the traditional teaching styles of Maria Montessori, an Italian physician who believed children were capable of making their own decisions about their education. Montessori education uses mixed-age classrooms and uninterrupted blocks of work time with an emphasis on student independence. Students at the private Medford Montessori School are charged tuition of $465 a month for preschool programs, and $610 a month for kindergarten through fourth grades. Medford Montessori teacher Rainyday Tilton attended the school herself for a full six years as a student in the 1980s. "I always knew I wanted to come back," said Tilton, who started teaching 10 years ago. "I think it nurtures the spirit." At the finish of fourth grade, students graduate and join their peers in public school. "The goal of Montessori is to nurture each child individually," said Sheaffer. "So when they leave they've been nurtured in this cocoon environment." Tilton said the transition between Montessori and public school was surprisingly easy for her 13-year-old son Enzi, who attended Medford Montessori, then Lone Pine Elementary and now Hedrick Middle School. "The transition was great," said Tilton. "He was actually ahead in skill level." Tilton said students usually do well on standardized tests once in public school, and utilize their Montessori skills at their new schools. Tilton believes people become interested in Montessori education after growing disappointed with public education. "With public education it's always a new curriculum or a new program, to see what works," said Tilton. "Here, we know what works." Both Sheaffer and Tilton believe every child would be better off with a Montessori education. With more than 4,000 Montessori schools nationwide, and thousands more throughout the world, the educational philosophy of Montessori continues to gain momentum nearly 100 years after it was created. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin both attended Montessori schools while they were young, and Page has said it was the school values that led to his success. Page publicly credited Montessori school for training him to be self-motivated and question what is happening in the world, traits that helped him move forward in the business world. "They felt those few years of Montessori school, it allowed them to take risks, and they could work more independently," said Tilton. "It's a completely different way of thinking." While Tilton knew from the start she wanted to teach Montessori, other teachers at the school were once public school teachers. "I love the philosophy," said teacher Jami Donahue. "At public schools, all the students move at the same rate." Donahue taught in the Medford School District for several years before getting a job at Medford Montessori. "I'm not teaching to a test anymore," said Donahue. After 35 years, the Sheaffers say they aren't sure what will happen to the school after they retire, and haven't really given it much thought. "We're still going along, and have no immediate plans to retire," said Sheaffer. "But hopefully the school will continue on." Reach reporter Teresa Ristow at 541-776-4459 or [email protected].