Montessori guides trust children—not with knives, fireworks, or handling police dogs—not that kind of trust. We trust they are revealing themselves, and what they are showing us is essential data to make wise decisions in service to the child. We trust their timelines of development. We see the child who is not yet there and know they will get there as they get there. We trust they will become orderly, master new things, and grow toward peace, discipline, and refinement.
What precedes our trust are several attributes, beliefs, and practices.
As for attributes, that is too deep a subject to get into here, but if you are interested in attributes, this is a great resource.
Regarding beliefs, a few of our fundamental beliefs are:
*Academic preparation for Kindergarten and 1st grade is important. Still, it must be done in alignment with sensitive periods and appropriately based on development, and never at the expense of the child’s free choice and well-being (stressed, pressured children do not learn to love anything about school, and the damage can last a lifetime).
*Children are intrinsically motivated to move, do, and discover, and we should not do anything to shift that drive toward extrinsic motivation.
*Ground rules are healthy and when doing the right thing becomes internalized, children will make good choices and do not need rewards and punishments.
*Even young children have the wherewithal to be compassionate to the needs of others and they can create a more peaceful society starting with their own little Montessori classroom from an early age.
*The fundamental nature of the child is good. We see the good even when they are not yet manifesting the good. We have an optimistic view of the child; we know nature did not make a mistake. We assume positive intent. We understand that during the first plane of development, the brain is forming and wiring, and emotions can be volatile as regulation develops. Like Janet Lansbury says, there are no bad kids.
Regarding practices, it is the same few things over and over.
We observe. Before we judge, decide we understand, make a move, change the environment, or even speak about your child, we observe. We know that the child reveals himself to us at every moment, and we know that if we pay careful attention, we will understand and can act from a place of wisdom and with the skills we have developed. We give lessons the child is ready for. We give space where they need space. We observe and follow the child.
We hide from the child who has found meaningful work. Interrupting, questioning, hovering, or pushing is not the way.
We model what we expect from the children. For example, we walk with poise and purpose and speak with logic and kindness. We use materials carefully. We push in our chairs.
We tell the truth and do not make jokes, use fantasy, or tell tall tales to make sense out of something real.
We wait for the child’s discovery. For example, if a child colors a monkey blue, we do not correct the three-year-old about color and teach him that monkeys are brown. It would be better if the child discovered “brown” and “blue” authentically without being corrected because discovery is where the magic is, and to rob the young child of magical moments of discovery so we can be teacher extraordinaire correcting mistakes is not the way; if we teach like that, we are missing the point. Later in life, mistakes have to be corrected, but in early childhood, if there is no immediate danger or disruption, discovery is prized.
Maria Montessori shares a beautiful story; I don’t recall the exact experience as she wrote it. A child looked up to the sky and shouted, that’s blue, that’s blue, the sky is blue! That was the day the very young child discovered that the crayon called “blue” was the same color as the sky, and, therefore, the sky is blue.
Finally, we love. Love is the most potent thing of all. If we can embody love and render our hearts burning with charity toward the child, the child will know she is safe, she will know she is heard, and she will experiment and be herself, try new things, trust the adults, and be excited about lessons and academic challenges.
These examples do not capture the totality of our beliefs or practices, but the few shared here reflect the job we do and the stewards we are trying to be; this is the essence of the Montessori teacher.
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