How is work chosen?

You are looking to see how much free choice the children have. 

Choice within boundaries is another foundation of Montessori education. This means that a child can do some subtraction regrouping with the stamps (a math material), put them away correctly when they are done, and then choose to do something totally different, like drawing a time line of Ancient Greece. They are not forced to do the exact same thing at the exact same time as every other child.

On the other hand, playing during work time, writing on the walls, hurting other children, … are not choices and should not be tolerated. Ask the teacher directly, “So, since there is free choice in a Montessori school, is my child allowed to just stare out the window all day, or punch the child next to him if he so “chooses”? The teacher's answer will give you a lot of insight into just how Montessori the school truly is.

I once saw a school once that placed all the work a child had to do for that day on their desk. Children came in, sat down and started working. They were not allowed to get up until recess.  Teachers told me that it was Montessori since the children were working with materials and got to choose the order in which they completed their work.  When I asked why the children weren't allowed to go to the shelves themselves to choose the Material, I was told that this way the children weren't running around the classroom, didn't make bad choices, and didn't wander. My response to that is, all of these traits are to be taught during work time. By not allowing the children to move from their seats, the children never had a chance learn to walk, make good choices and stay on task. Teaching a child to be responsible doesn't come from locking him up, but by TEACHING him how.