Respecting the Child

One of the things that drew me to Montessori Education is that built within the philosophy there is a deep respect for children. By respect, I mean that the child is not seen merely as an empty vessel that the teacher is meant to fill up with knowledge. Rather, children are seen as the human beings they are. There is something humbling about intentionally maintaining the dignity towards someone who depends on others for support. But I have not merely described children in that statement; I am describing everyone. Adults may come under the guise of believing we are independent in a solitary way. Yet, we depend on children to further humanity. As a Montessori teacher (or a parent, or any adult really), we have the great privilege of being a bridge to the world we inhabit so that our children may take up their task of making that world better. So when I am giving a lesson on the binomial cube, or helping a child change into clean clothes after their "accident", I do so knowing that I am caring for someone immensely valuable...someone who is part of the future of our species.

But please make no mistake. Children, like all people, can be quite foolish at times. Children are honing their impulses, learning to care for others, and must mature in order to engage in critical thinking. They are building the capacity to make wise decisions, but they are not born doing this. To assume that children are capable of doing so without support is not respectful to the child. But to belittle them when they make mistakes, berating and shaming them, this is equally disrespectful.

Who is the adult you wish you knew when you were a child? I imagine they were nurturing, by which I mean they did what they could to make a space which facilitated your (emotional, intellectual, spiritual) growth. Perhaps you were privileged enough to have such a person. If not, what a wonderful opportunity to be such a person. That's what I desire and resolve to be each day. Happy New Year to you!

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A return

It's been a long while since I've used writing as an outlet for thinking about Montessori pedagogy. But I have been using my voice in other ways. When I was growing up, I was slow to speak and would more likely be found writing in a journal rather than talking to others. There are some tendencies (not in the Montessori sense) that stick with you, even into adulthood. But lately, even in shyness, I've been speaking more rather than writing; sometimes to my colleagues regarding the lessons I've learned about the classroom; sometimes to parents to remind them that they are doing the most difficult of jobs, and that I know they're child well. But what I'd forgotten is how the written word has a magic to it that cannot--or perhaps ought not--be forsaken. It is in the written word that the ideas of one person can be conveyed, at least in part, to a completely different person. And in that transfer, hearts can be shared as well as minds. It's how I learned about...

When a square is more than a square

While we've spoken of the long bead chains before, I wanted to focus on a specific point of interest. Each colored bead represents a certain number and a certain set of that number. When placed in a long chain, children are able to count them, identifying important numbers within the set. So in the Long bead chain of 5 (light blue in color) it has number tags for each set of 5 (5, 10, 15, 20, etc). There are larger tags for each square of 5 (that is, each set of 25). When a square tag is placed on each squared number, a square bead is placed as well. To think that Maria Montessori thought about the concept of squared numbers and considered a means to make it as concrete as possible! To think there are children all over the world who are learning a mathematical concept that they can feel in their hands before ever knowing how to connect it to an algebraic equation. It's quite baffling. What beautiful things God makes, both concepts and man to understand them.

Self control and the Preparation of the Adult

As I've been taking my Spring Break as an extended time of contemplation, I wanted to focus in on one aspect of Montessori pedagogy that I continue to strive towards, namely the preparation of the Adult. In truth, Montessori educators are often very keen to setting up their classrooms, based on the previous experiences they've had with children, and taking into the consideration the specific children that are in their care. It's a great gift that so many of the shelves in my classroom are on wheels since, inevitably, there will be certain ideas about what I "know" children need that will manifest quite differently in the children in front of me showing the need to pivot in adjusting the space. But I wonder how much we do that when it comes to our very presence in the space? I remember having a teacher come to observe in my classroom as a substitute. She was constantly moving back and forth, trying to get a better view of what was happening in every area of the r...

Grace and Courtesy

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