Yeah, right - the ed schools teach teachers to "let go" and "let the child direct his own education."
That's Montessori in a nutshell. "Follow the child." Although, to be fair, the Montessori philosophy is to factor in the kids' interest, pace of learning, etc. into the lesson plan, not to operate without one.
What ED school are you talking about? My experience with ED school is completely opposite from what I'm hearing on this board.