When dusting becomes meditation

There's something deeply satisfying about organizing a space. Maybe that's just me. I know some find cleaning and organizing to be quite frustrating. Maybe it's laziness (keep it 100, friends), or maybe there are more important things you can do with your time...like finding your keys. But I've found that organizing one's environment has a way of bringing order to your mind. And this is nothing compared to what it does for children of a certain age. Maria Montessori speaks of it in her book Education and Peace:

The child is capable of developing and giving us tangible proof of the possibility of a better humanity. He has shown us the true process of construction of the human being. We have seen children totally change as they acquire a love for things and as their sense of order, discipline, and self-control develops within them…. The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”

Not only this, but order in a child's environment has an amazing way of bringing a more settled disposition. When I taught in the public school and then switched to public/private Montessori schools, I noticed the stark contrast in how much open space there was on the walls and tables in the Montessori Elementary environment. It seemed bare, compared to the poster laden, brightly colored spaces of public schools. That is, until I noticed the children's reactions...settled is the word that comes to mind. This includes "those children" who are considered hyperactive. Somehow they are able to focus far more in a Montessori environment. Perhaps this is due to there being far less to focus on.

And so consider these things as I dust the shelves. The arrangement of the knobbed cylinder blocks at just the "right" angle takes a moment to achieve. For as neatly as I prefer the space, having a place for everything helps the child build their own mind, even as they pass through their various tendency periods. This allows a sturdy foundation on which to build themselves and thus build the world around them. Making sure each didactic material is complete and ready for use by the children who come after you does not have deeper meaning because of these things. But the meaning of these actions become more fully clarified in light of its effect on children. Raise your mops for peace, dear ones...though be sure to wring it out first.

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