Parents as first educators

Something has been on my mind lately. Are parents relying to much on others to raise their children for them?

I feel that throughout my readings for my Masters in Montessori education, the government is continually trying to decide what is best and that people are looking to schools (and the government) to raise their children for them. We seem to be so far away from parents wanting and being able to raise their own children. Too often it seems to me like people have children as a commodity (for status, social norms, because they have reached a certain age) and then look to others to raise them! While yes, it does take a village to raise a child, shouldn't the parents be the first and primary educators instead of the school, the nanny, or the government?
As the Cathecism of the Catholic Church beautifully says:

2223    Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self–denial, sound judgment, and self–mastery—the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the “material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones.”³¹ Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them: (1804)

http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/

I just heard of a family where the parents are in their fifties and just adopted a child from China. This is awesome but just a few month after adopting him he is in school from 8-4 while his parents work from home. He was in an orphanage for the first 3 years of his life and is most likely experiencing a huge culture shock with little support. I find this to be so sad! Shouldn't he be spending most of his time with his new family getting to know this new and foreign culture?

What do you think? Do parents rely to much on school to raise their children for them? How can we help remedy this?

Lakshmi A. Kripalani- The child’s choice is the clue

Lakshmi A. Kripalani is one of Montessori's own students and strong advocate for the method. She is often referred to as a Montessori sage. She was at the feet of Maria Montessori, the head of a school, a teacher trainer, an author, and has given many lectures on Montessori education.

In the article "The child's choice is the clue" she reminds us of the true meaning of the sequence of Montessori materials. She tells us clearly that: "The sequence is not for the children to follow mechanically. The sequence is for the teachers"(2010). This places an even greater emphasis on the importance of observing each child. Through observations we can see the specific needs of an individual child and thus the correct sequence for this individual.
Yet so many materials rely on each other. Should a child be able to do the number rods before having been introduced to the red rods? Of course this would depend on the teachers observations but does it not also illustrate a certain need for following the sequence of materials?

What are your thoughts? Do we too often rely on the "correct" sequence and place unnecessary barriers on a child's independence or is the sequence not just for the teacher as Lakshmi reminds us?

Kripalani, L. A. (2010) The child’s choice is the clue, Montessori Central, retrieved on September 21st 2013 from http://jola-montessori.com/article/lakshmi-a-kripalani-8/

Pinterest!

Check out my pinterest for many Montessori resources, educational articles, and a wide variety of activities to do with children!

http://www.pinterest.com/paulinemeert/boards/

Authentic Montessori

What do you think makes for authentic Montessori? What do you think are the top 5 non-negotiable for authentic Montessori? Is authentic Montessori even possible?

Here is my short paper on the subject.

Authentic Montessori through Faithful Teachers

Pauline Meert

EDUC 6210- Analysis of Contemporary Issues

Submitted to Sandra Weiner Andrew

Center for Contemporary Montessori Programs

St. Catherine University

September 14, 2013

In the year 1906, the first Montessori school opened its doors, and an international phenomenon began. 107 years later the education community is still learning about Maria Montessori’s method and discoveries. As Montessori teachers, we are also continuing to absorb the depth of her philosophy and grapple with the question, what is authentic Montessori. This question can be seen through various lenses and has been addressed by many professionals. To answer this question, first, we must determine whether Montessori education is relevant to the 21^st century and if so, can this century old method be used without becoming watered down. From there, we can begin to decide what essential components are necessary for Montessori to remain authentic and what role the teacher plays in this endeavor.

In over a century, our culture has considerably changed. One of the most noticeable differences is seen through technology and how it allows us to be more connected than ever before. This has created many changes on how we function as a society. In the article, Is Montessori Ready for the Obama Generation?, Mark Powell illustrates how our culture has changed through “global interdependence”, “global competition”, “ubiquitous information”, and “workplace innovation”, and how it is critical for our education system to create an environment of interactive learning to prepare students for jobs which have yet to be imagined (2009). Powell argues that the model of Montessori education is the ideal system to enable students to learn interactively. It also meets 21^st century learning objectives such as hands on learning, collaborating, and allowing children to go at their own pace (2009). 

The objectives for 21^st century learning clearly match the method of education Maria Montessori began over a hundred years ago. Based on this we can conclude that yes, Montessori education is very much relevant today and is a perfect format for allowing children to learn and grow at their own pace and through real experiences. Our next issue now comes with keeping true to method. Jerry Abraham (2012) reminds us of how easily Montessori education can vary due to the many influences on each individual school. Parents, teachers, and administrators each brings a unique understanding of what Montessori education means. Montessori, wanting to allow her method to be accessible, never trademarked her work making it available to all (2002). While this has allowed for a unique variety in schools, it has also created disagreements on what is essential and what is it not.  Powell reminds us of the importance of uniting and working as a whole in order to build up authentic Montessori (2009). We cannot let disagreements divide us. As John Blessington reminds us, we should instead be learning from each other and be challenged to better ourselves (2004). By doing this, we can strengthen our teaching and learn from each other in order to remain centered on the philosophy and the children.

While it is true that each school, each teacher interprets Montessori education in a unique way, there are core elements of the philosophy that are non-negotiable. In the article “Finding the Right School” (2002) we read an in-depth analysis of the various components needed for a Montessori environment to be “just right”.  It provides concrete examples of what some of these non-negotiable elements are, such as, the scarcity of desks, the full range of Montessori materials, the ratio of children of both genders and mixed ages, and the overall atmosphere of the classroom (2002). Most Montessorians agree that these elements are important and crucial to the success of a classroom. However, we must dig deeper to find what truly makes a classroom authentic.

In his video lecture Authentic Montessori, M. J. Dorer (2008) tells us the story of how a teacher was able to create a Montessori school in the depth of Africa where materials could not be purchased from a high quality store. This story illustrates clearly how Montessori is more than just about its physical aspects. He also defines the term authentic as per the dictionary as something which is true to its original form (2008). We could look at Montessori education’s original form in two ways. One way would be in the concrete and physical aspect, where a classroom would need to be identical to Maria’s original school, with the same number of students, exact materials, and identical routine. Another way would be through its fidelity to the philosophy. The philosophy is far more abstract and hard to grasp, but it is where the heart of Montessori education can be found. By following the philosophy, all other concrete aspects will follow. This can only be done if the teacher is knowledgeable and faithful to the philosophy.

Tim Seldin (2006) clearly illustrates how each one of us interprets Montessori’s method in a unique way making it difficult to define what is purely true to the original form. Seldin notes how “the only truly authentic Montessorian was Dr. Maria Montessori herself.” (2006). While it is true that we may never be as Montessori as Maria was, we must always thrive to understand and practice her philosophy of guiding “…the “teacher within” the child.” (x, 1998) to the best of our abilities. It is when teachers remain faithful to this core of the philosophy that authentic Montessori can happen.

As we can see, the Montessori Method is still relevant to this day, if not even more, as it provides an ideal format for our changing world of the 21^st century.  As Montessorians, we need to be united to learn from each other and celebrate our differences while remaining true to Montessori’s original philosophy in order to stay faithful to her work. We must take into account the many important components that make up an authentic Montessori classroom. However, we must always remember that authentic Montessori is only possible if the teacher is faithful to the philosophy.

References

Abraham, J. (2012). How Much Water Can You Add and Still Call It Lemonade. Montessori Life, 22-25.

Blessington, J. P. (2004,Fall) Deconstructing Montessori: A Growing Problem. Montessori Life, 16(4), 36-37

Dorer, M. (2008). Authentic Montessori, Streaming Media Recording. St. Paul, MN: The College of St. Catherine.

Powell, M. (2009). Is Montessori Ready for the Obama Generation. Montessori Life, 18-29.

Rambusch, N. M., & Stoops, J. A. (2002). Finding the right school. The Montessori Way.

Seldin, T. (2006). Finding an authentic Monessori school. The Montessori Foundation.

Standing, E. M. (1998). Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work. New York: Penguin Group.

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Welcome!

Welcome to my little corner of the internet.
 
I am a Montessori teacher always looking to learn more, hear more opinions, and find new creative ideas for the classroom.

I can be found at- www.forlittleones.etsy.com and http://www.pinterest.com/paulinemeert/