Grace and Courtesy

Starting with apologies I've made a rather terrible mistake. How dare I create a blog called grace and courtesy without explaining what grace and courtesy actually means? Well, I will remedy that now. Hopefully, you can grant me the grace to forgive me and now take heed (see what I did there?). The term is widespread throughout Western culture, but it can be used in many different ways. When we think of courtesy, that could mean showing politeness or good manners. In that same vein, it can also mean doing a service for someone en gratis , or for free. The first definition leans more towards what Montessorians mean when we speak of grace and courtesy as a phrase. But grace has quite a few meanings too. It can speak of a refinement in movement (graceful dancer), or even a prayer. Looking at the etymology of the words reveal that grace has much more to do with a state of being (being gracious or grateful) whereas court esy is more about actions (manners fit for a court; curtsy). Mari...

I wonder sometimes how it is that children, given the freedom, have the ability to create a game out of almost anything? It is certainly a lost art to adults. When we approach a task, we set forth with completing it from beginning to end, maintaining a motivation that is based upon what the task will achieve. For the child, it is the task itself that creates a sort of treasure. Children are trying to create themselves;  their task is to become. It gives them great enjoyment to do so. This is play. Granted, it makes some sense that adults would be sitting around talking about play as though it were the most serious activity; adults tend to be rather serious at times. For the child, play, is just fun, not development. And it is an amazing blessing that in the midst of that fun, somewhat unconsciously, they are problem solving, building executive function skills, and often challenging their physical coordination to better control their body. But this begs the question: can adults play...

Soak up I find that all of the information and perspectives that I bring to these posts come from the ideas and perspectives of others. But isn't that the same for everyone? We build on information that we've received, adding more insight (hopefully), and sharing more knowledge, more facets to the same diamond. Well, I wanted to take a moment to share with you some of the sources of my inspiration. They are often a mix of books, podcasts and conversations. In the future, I hope to have a separate page on my blog that is dedicated to gathering different resources, both for teachers and everyone else.  I've been trying to embrace this extended time of sheltering in place by engaging in "sponge work" And no, Montessorians, I don't mean the practical life activity that aids children in building the muscles in their hands by transferring water from one bowl to another via sponge. I just mean taking the time to learn as much as I can through reading lots of books, l...

Harlem protest A straight up confession I'm not sure how many people feel this, but in some ways, it seems like I am more busy now than I was before COVID-19. I'm not sure if the work I am doing is more, or that it requires  more energy from me. Perhaps it's both. But what I am sure of is that some of my work has been used as a tool to distract me from the increasingly devastating reality that so many people around me are walking in. I took a bit of a hiatus from writing posts and dictati ng podcasts last week, because I was so overcome with sadness, anger, and fatigue. It may seem like an excuse, but I just wasn't able to distract myself with creative work. Consider that this is an unprecedented time for all of us. Consider that so many people have lo st their jobs and are unsure of how they will care for their loved ones. Consider that so many people have lost their loved ones (or know of those who have suffered loss) due to the pandemic. And then there are the daily...

Reflect to Refocus I've been an educator for almost ten years and a Montessori guide for about half that time. One of the reasons I was moved to learn and practice Montessori pedagogy was because of the ways in which the philosophy connects with how I believe children and all people should be treated: with dignity, value, and love. The unique ways that Dr. Montessori considered the child in every aspect of her teaching philosophy is astounding. But equally unique is that she seemed to keep the end in mind.  I'd like to try and do the same. After all, the 3 year old in my class will one day be a 6 year old, then 9, 12, etc. Then what? What was Dr. Montessori aiming at? What should I be keeping in mind in regards to the reasoning behind my work? Not quite the Miss America Answer In a statement, Montessori sought to bring out the fullness of humanity, so as to create peace in the world. It's kind of crazy to think about. This brilliant educator was shooting for one of the high...

Holding Hands Have you had the privilege of holding a three-year-old's hand? It's amazing. It will probably be sticky, and I need you to not ask why...you don't want to know the answer. But it will also be small. Very small. And it may also squeeze your hand very tight. In that moment there is something you need to keep in mind: The child beside you firmly believes that you will take care of her. Let that sink in.   There is a level of seriousness to the work of a Montessorian. We are actively engaged in understanding children as they develop before our eyes, and look for cues that help us be a bridge to the didactic material that will grab their interest and speak to their need. It is both science and art.  It is quite difficult. And it is so much fun! Our Work (All of us) The work of the child is the work of becoming: mastering their bodies, their own senses, so that they can interact with the world all the more precisely and gracefully. They will discover the basic build...

Isaiah 1:16b-17 ...cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. So, there are a lot of definitions. And the phrase itself has continued to find its way into the mouths of many. Since this "many" falls on different sides of the argument, it tends to be an uncomfortable term...for some. It is no less relevant to us all, no matter the community we find ourselves in.  The term, if you haven't gathered, is Social Justice. Here's some ideas I've found across the inter web: "[Social justice is] The way in which human rights are manifested in the everyday lives of people at every level of society". Wikipedia  "Social Justice is the equal access of wealth opportunities and privileges within a society" Pachamama Alliance The objective of making a fair and equal society in which each individual matters, their rights are recognized and protected, and decisions are made t...

Welcome to my blog. If you've been reading this at all, you will have realized that I haven't been writing for quite a long time...years in fact. I'm sorry about that. In reality, I may only be apologizing to my mother, as I think she's the only one who read my previous posts. But I digress. I'm doing a relaunch of sorts, having changed the name of the blog from God over Golden Beads to Grace and Courtesy . Grace and Courtesy (or G&C) will be both a blog and a podcast in the coming weeks/months. The focus will be the intersections of Education--and Montessori Philosophy in particular--Christianity, and being a person of color, all at the same friggin' time. It doesn't quite seem as though these ideas would intersect, but if that is the case then I don't exist. Since I am pretty certain that I do exist (we can go into epistemological arguments at a later date), then I would like to dialogue with you regarding how the tenants of Montessori pedagogy c...