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Tag: Maria Montessori

Birthday Wishes in Honor of Maria Montessori

Written by Montessori Admin on . Posted in Blog.

Maria Montessori – Her Life & Legacy

As we are so deeply indebted to the great work and legacy of Maria Montessori, and in light of her birthday on August 31st, we would like to honor Dr. Montessori by telling her story. Born in a small town of Italy to parents, Renilde Stoppani and Allessandro, Maria forged her own educational path, even in childhood. Throughout her youth, she acquired a very ambitious taste for science and mathematics, which was extraordinary for a girl during the time. After attending a tech school, Maria Montessori decided to study medicine. Throughout an intricate and complicated series of events (including a letter of recommendation for college acceptance by the Catholic Pope himself), Maria went on to Medical School to become the very first female Doctor in Italy.

During Maria’s residency, she spent time working with children in a psychiatric hospital. She had not been working there long, when a nurse who was watching the children in the ward said to her: ‘Look, I can’t believe that they are picking crumbs up off the floor to eat! How horrible.’ Maria said to the nurse: ‘They aren’t eating the crumbs, they are studying them.’ In a bare, sterile psychiatric hospital, where the walls were white and there was not a single toy or object for a child to engage with, Maria Montessori discovered her first realized observation: the necessity of environment.

Dr. Montessori was stirred by this, and a miraculous turn of events then followed. After some time, she redirected her research to completely service children. In time, Maria’s method became world-famous. She traveled to teach it, winning many hearts with her curriculum. In 1913, Maria published her first book on children “The Advanced Montessori Method”, selling 17,410 copies. She even attended the 1915 World Fair in San Francisco to share her research and teaching method. Maria continued to share her knowledge for many years in her own country, until her teachings were banned from Italy due to world conflicts with Fascism. She was forced to leave her home, but she continued her work in Amsterdam, and later in India, where Maria would stay for over 10 years. Even after World War II broke out, Maria stayed to complete her work of the early childhood years in her study of the “Absorbent Mind, “ and her extensive study of infancy and the development of the “Cosmic Curriculum.”

By 1946, over 1,000 people had been educated by Dr. Montessori. Maria continued to travel through Europe, Africa and Asia, lecturing until the age of 81. Maria Montessori has been nominated for two Nobel Peace Prizes for her contribution to education, but also for her overall effort to improve conditions for women and children around the world.

We owe so much to this extremely brave woman, who endured conflicts of career progression, family separation, gender bias and war to bring her teaching methods to light. Maria Montessori was a leader in every step she took, and her work produced amazing outcomes. Maria sought to educate children, but she also saw a magic in them. Within each child, she saw: the need, the power, the magic… to learn.

And so we, Montessori Community School, so inspired by Dr. Montessori send great wishes of peace, kindness and joy in her honor. May we each find a moment today to spread her message with a peaceful action to benefit our whole of mankind.

Creating a Place for Peace

Written by Montessori Admin on . Posted in Blog.

“Find a time and place of solitude.
Look into the distance and into the future.
Visualize the tomorrow you are going to build;
and begin to build that tomorrow, today.”
-Jonathan Lockwood Huie

ild means that each child is considered individually and opportunities to further develop special skills and talents is honored along with opportunity for extra, repetitive practice of more difficult tasks.

-Class meetings and agenda books allow children to bring up issues or concerns and decide, with adult guidance, how to overcome challenges as a group. It also allows a sacred place for celebrating one another’s accomplishments.

-Peace areas in each classroom provide a place for children to go when they need to find inner peace. Meditation, breathing and various other exercises are encouraged to help students look within.

-Outdoor education and care for living things (plants and animals throughout the school and in each classroom) give children the opportunity to practice care for and consideration of the needs of all living things and help them develop a love and advocacy for our earth and all it has to offer.

By honoring each individual and supporting children in becoming their most authentic, passionate, courageous and determined selves, we provide the world with a powerful force for change for the better.

May you all find inner peace and enjoy a most lovely day of celebrating the beauty and hope of mankind on this day set aside for celebrating Peace on earth.

What Every Child Needs!

Written by Montessori Admin on . Posted in Blog.

What is it that every child needs that parents don’t seem to have? (Life time passes to

Disney World and unlimited shoe budgets don’t count!) You can fill in your own blanks.

It is something that a Montessori school can help offer. Of course a good education

comes to mind but that is not even the greatest gift your Montessori school can offer.

What your child needs most is one of the attributes that makes a Montessori school so

special. Yes, it is a safe place emotionally; a challenging place intellectually; and a caring

place socially. It is designed for your child and populated with adults who care. These are

all good things but not the greatest thing your child receives. And your final answer is?

 

Time! Time is our most treasured commodity – we always seem to be running out of it.

We always seem to be talking about “making” time for things when in reality we need to

“take” time – making it a priority. And to make it even more challenging for us, it is not

just “time” but what you do with time that creates its value.

 

With time an acorn becomes an oak, a tadpole becomes a frog, a caterpillar becomes a

butterfly and a child becomes — What? We are prone to say “an adult” but even that is

not the ultimate destination of time. It is what you do with time!

 

If time were the only factor an acorn would become a bigger acorn, a tadpole a

bigger tadpole etc. but it is time and attention (what you do with time) that begins

this extraordinary transformation. Your child is already DNA’d with the marvelous

characteristics of who they are to become – right-handed, left-handed, artist, musician,

scientist, doctor or Indian chief. It takes time (and observation) for these unique character

qualities to blossom and become apparent. And that is what your school does – is to take

time to know your child, to take time to open the world of learning and to take time to

watch your child grow and learn and to be transformed.

 

If your child doesn’t have time to develop and there is no one there to observe and

encourage development then your child may miss the opportunity to create the person he

or she was designed to be. A Montessori school gives children time to discover – not only

the marvels outside of themselves but the marvels of their personality and passions within

themselves. Montessori offers a child a window on the world and time to take it all in. It

takes time to flourish.

 

There is no need to rush learning. The Montessori secret is that given enough time

children will learn everything they need. And given enough time they will joy in the

discoveries because they will not be pressed for time and they will go on to master what

they have learned.

 

So how do we deal with the pressure of time in regard to our children? Take a deep

breath! In fact, you may need to take many of them as you set your clocks back

figuratively and literally. Figuratively, scale back your time expectations for your child.

Being the first to walk, the first to talk, the first to read or the first whatever has nothing

to do with the marathon of life. It takes time to build a solid foundation. The gift of time

doesn’t mean you lower your goals and expectations. It means you give them the gift

of time to be children; the gift of time to explore and discover; the gift of time to make

mistakes, to recover and to learn from those mistakes. Give them time to discover their

strengths and passions. Give them time to build the adult they will become.

 

Take another deep breath and set your clocks back literally. You have a choice – you can

do for your children (and make them dependent) or you can give them more time (more

time than it certainly would take you) to get dressed, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, feed

the dog, clean their room etc. Part of time is patience – or is that patience is a part of

time?

 

They want to do it for themselves. They want to become independent. Give them the

time to achieve the ability to be independent (self-governing, self-ruling) and to do that

you have to give them the gift of more time. The ability to do things for yourself, to

accomplish, and to finish the task is what builds real confidence and real self-esteem.

 

A Montessori school is successful because it is governed by the observation of the child’s

needs and not the pressure to achieve according to the clock or the calendar. When the

teacher does not seem to share your concern over your child’s progress it is not from a

lack of concern but out of experience and observation knowing that given the time your

child will blossom and learn all that is needed.

 

The great gift of childhood is the gift of time!

Edward Fidellow

www.crossmountainpress.com

Happy Birthday Maria Montessori!

Written by Montessori Admin on . Posted in Blog.

 

 

Maria Montessori – Her Life & Legacy

As we are so deeply indebted to the great work and legacy of Maria Montessori, and in light of her birthday on August 31st, we would like to honor Dr. Montessori by telling her story. Born in a small town of Italy to parents, Renilde Stoppani and Allessandro, Maria forged her own educational path, even in childhood. Throughout her youth, she acquired a very ambitious taste for science and mathematics, which was extraordinary for a girl during the time. After attending a tech school, Maria Montessori decided to study medicine. Throughout an intricate and complicated series of events (including a letter of recommendation for college acceptance by the Catholic Pope himself), Maria went on to Medical School to become the very first female Doctor in Italy.

During Maria’s residency, she spent time working with children in a psychiatric hospital. She had not been working there long, when a nurse who was watching the children in the ward said to her: ‘Look, I can’t believe that they are picking crumbs up off the floor to eat! How horrible.’ Maria said to the nurse: ‘They aren’t eating the crumbs, they are studying them.’ In a bare, sterile psychiatric hospital, where the walls were white and there was not a single toy or object for a child to engage with, Maria Montessori discovered her first realized observation: the necessity of environment.

Dr. Montessori was stirred by this, and a miraculous turn of events then followed. After some time, she redirected her research to completely service children. In time, Maria’s method became world-famous. She traveled to teach it, winning many hearts with her curriculum. In 1913, Maria published her first book on children “The Advanced Montessori Method”, selling 17,410 copies. She even attended the 1915 World Fair in San Francisco to share her research and teaching method. Maria continued to share her knowledge for many years in her own country, until her teachings were banned from Italy due to world conflicts with Fascism. She was forced to leave her home, but she continued her work in Amsterdam, and later in India, where Maria would stay for over 10 years. Even after World War II broke out, Maria stayed to complete her work of the early childhood years in her study of the “Absorbent Mind, “ and her extensive study of infancy and the development of the “Cosmic Curriculum.”

By 1946, over 1,000 people had been educated by Dr. Montessori. Maria continued to travel through Europe, Africa and Asia, lecturing until the age of 81. Maria Montessori has been nominated for two Nobel Peace Prizes for her contribution to education, but also for her overall effort to improve conditions for women and children around the world.

 

toddler preschool elementary middle school Montessori Philosophy Maria Montessori Montessori in the News

We owe so much to this extremely brave woman, who endured conflicts of career progression, family separation, gender bias and war to bring her teaching methods to light. Maria Montessori was a leader in every step she took, and her work produced amazing outcomes. Maria sought to educate children, but she also saw a magic in them. Within each child, she saw: the need, the power, the magic… to learn.