Hi Rachel3103,
Coincidentally, your daughter's first day coincided with my first experience too, sending our two year old little boy to his first day at a Montessori nursery school.
I must admit though, that being generally interested in his education and how one venue might affect his curiosity/interests in learning at later stages, I took him on a mini-tour of a few different nurseries/pre-schools, some Montessori and some not, when he was about 17 months old.
I had read a lot about Montessori methods and generally they chimed well with me but I wanted to see him in action in various environments, so that we could make a decision that was right for him, not just what sounded good in the books.
At the first place, which was not Montessori, he pretty much clung to my leg, and maybe ventured out bravely for 5 seconds before scurrying back to me- he was not enamored with the atmosphere.
However, the second place, which was Montessori led, he literally ran into the room the moment the door opened and joined in with whatever he fancied while I chatted with the teacher giving the tour. For the best part of the 30 min we were there, he played mainly on his own with the different activity tables, toys etc, and then occasionally would go and sit down next to a group of kids who were engaging in singing or story time, then he would wander off again and so forth until it was time to go - he didnt look for me once!!
When a teacher came up to him, sometimes he would engage them, but other times, he wasnt interested in chatting and wandered off again....The point being - This is Montessori.
It is child led independence at its core. The teachers make a point of not imposing themselves as they are aware of the delicate and all consuming worlds the kids have in themselves when they discover new things and are enthralled in their own little worlds.
They believe it is important to allow independent discovery and interaction whenever they choose, as this allows the child to develop in a way that they are naturally inclined to, as opposed to being made to sit through certain led activities, when they might feel like doing something else.
Ive been to a few Montessori nurseries and the selection of toys etc (great or small) is there for a reason- to engage one of the senses, curiosity, imagination. From what I could see, my son's immediate interaction with those surroundings and the other kids whenever he felt like it, it seems to sit well with my gut instinct of this type of nursery being the best for him, for now...
You mentioned your daughter was with a childminder before. can I ask how many children she had under her care? Perhaps you were used to seeing your daughter engaged on a more 'one to one' basis and perhaps that suited you both better?
No one can say for sure what is the best for every child. but I must admit that when I saw how happy my little boy was on his first day, it knocked the wind out of me for a good few hours, as I was (am) so used to doing everything with him on a one on one basis, I didnt know what to do with myself when he ran off to more 'independant' activities....much embarrassing sobbing ensued on my part I can tell you, as I grappled with all the emotions ripping through my head, but the overwhelming one, was relief.
Relief that despite being embraced, adored and admittedly, somewhat molly coddled but us at home, without that much of a socially interactive environment- he absolutely thrived when he entered the next stage of his development at nursery.
So Ive started to embrace this new form of interaction that he has too....even if it does mean he doesnt bother saying bye to his mum as he rushes into nursery for the afternoon!;)
I dont know if this is of any help to your situation, but what I can say, is that Montessori teachers positively encourage parental feedback and comments, so perhaps having a word with them might help explain your concerns and even reassure you too?
Anyway, hope that helps and best of luck!
LeeKG