What is Montessori?

Maria Montessori             born August 31, 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy -- died May 06, 1952

Maria Montessori was an Italian physician, educator, philosopher, humanitarian and devout Catholic; she is best known for her philosophy and the Montessori method of education of children from birth to adolescence. Her educational method is in use today in a number of public as well as private schools throughout the world.

We thought this would be a great time to review what makes our school unique and remind us why we continue to choose to be a part of it (other than being a part of a wonderfully diverse group of students, families, and teachers).  We have included some quotes by Maria Montessori, as well as information from articles on the Montessori method.

Quotes:

"When mental development is under discussion, there are many who say, 'How does movement come into it? We are talking about the mind.' And when we think of intellectual activity, we always imagine people sitting still, motionless. But mental development must be connected with movement and be dependent on it. It is vital that educational theory and practice should be informed by that idea."  The Absorbent Mind

“This is the first duty of an educator; stir up life, but leave it free to develop” (Montessori, 1985, 111).

“There is in a child a special kind of sensitivity which leads him to absorb everything about him, and it is this work of observing and absorbing that alone enables him to adapt himself to life” (Montessori, 1967, 62).

Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world. 

If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind?

Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.

Education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.

The first idea the child must acquire is that of the difference between good and evil. 



The following notes and statements were taken from a keynote luncheon at a Montessori conference.  The group that lead this discussion included highly qualified Montessori professionals from across the U.S.:

*So many people think that in Montessori education, children can just run wild. The key is to control the environment.  This takes place when every available choice is a good one, and then it will be much easier for the child to make good decisions.

*Uninterrupted work periods and working independently...where the children are choosing their work to complete and the teacher is a guide instead of being teacher directed.

*One of the  most important criteria of an 'authentic' Montessori school is the we respect each other as staff members, the respect we show for children and the children show for each other.

*Authentic Montessori teachers bring authenticity to the classroom as they are the role model, therefore they can make Montessori out of anything.

*We (teachers, educators) are here to continue her work and not just repeat it.

*The Montessori environment is to include daily life throughout the day -- self care, care of the environment, the 'family style' meal.

*Montessori went with the flow of the children...observing and having a respite as needed, in other words, children need downtime just as we do.  Yes, the whole child is very important the variety of work and the cosmic curriculum focuses on this, but outside of school every minute does need to be filled -- so they can be bored and use their imaginations for play or downtime.

*Movement is purposeful even though they are all over the place.  Often difficult to see that in a few minutes of observation, but there is a structure that allows for flexibility of structure.

*Another big part is recognizing how they (the children) are a part of a whole community and that what they do each day affects everyone within it...if one wins, then acknowledging that someone lost.  

*Praise should be used with limits, as well as competiveness.  The point is the realization that they do affect others and it can be positive.

*Creativity is another key element -- in the younger ages it is about teaching the process (the 2nd period) and not necessarily as focused on the product or outcome, and as they children get older it becomes more of a balance of both,  but the product (or 3rd period) is important.  Creativity is the where the choices of how one will accomplish the work comes into play, and independence is exemplified.

The following points are from an article on the concepts of balancing liberty and discipline in a Montessori setting:

When you ask people what they remember most about a Montessori classroom, most people think of the beautiful materials. The next thing they recall is the way the children were working on so many different things with focus and independence. 

The basis, the foundation of it all which encourages the above observations, is the balance of liberty with discipline.

Still, there is always room for disobedience or "non-peaceful behavior" (because that sounds a little nicer), but the truth is that many children have difficulty handling the freedom that comes with the world of Montessori.

This is where observation becomes so important. Each child may differ in their ability to make correct choices. Some may need rules or controls that another child doesn't. Others may repeatedly test guidelines that their peers leave alone.

There are many different ways to balance liberty and discipline. Establishing clear guidelines (ground rules) is a great first step. Children become frustrated when they don't know what the expectations are for their behavior.

A second "must" to balance liberty and discipline is to keep the consequences of misbehavior consistent.  One of the most effective approaches is letting the child choose the consequences, before the misbehavior takes place. They will often choose something even more severe than the teacher or parent would have chosen. The key is to enforce the consequence consistently, and to try to have the consequence be a logical result of the child's behavior.

This quote from Maria Montessori is especially helpful: "It is clear therefore that the discipline which reveals itself in the Montessori class is something which comes more from within than without. But this self-discipline has not come into existence in a day, or a week, or even a month. It is the result of a long inner growth, an achievement won through months of training." (The Absorbent Mind). 

 

It helps enormously to keep in mind that the process of balancing liberty with discipline is a long one. It's not something that is perfected in a day, a week, or a month. Seeing the long-term goal puts into focus the day-to-day choices; just as we as adults are continually growing and changing, still even more are children a work in progress.

Another important concept to keep in mind is balance. A child can be just as hurt by over-permissiveness as by excessive strictness. Remembering to use wise boundaries, instead of overly strict ones is helpful, as well as making all of the available choices good ones.

The end goal - that of a child who is a mature, independent adult - will be characterized by innate discipline. Most people will follow rules when being observed or graded. These external controls are often false, and disappear once you are left on your own. The true test of character is what a child does when left alone. When a child can make good choices when no one is looking, you can know that the combination of liberty and discipline is in perfect alignment.

We hope you enjoyed this brief overview of some key points in the Montessori method.  Please read the next posting, which includes quotes about Montessori from students and teachers at KWMCS... 

Please send any questions to KWMCSblogger@keywestmontessori.com