Teaching

Guiding Six Year Olds

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Chapter 1: The Six-Year-Old Confronted with the Cosmic Plan

As I jump back into Montessori Philosophy reading blog, I decided to start with To Educate the Human Potential. Six year olds are intrigued by nature and can use their imagination to learn lessons about earth and our existence. One thing that is difficult in this age of media and entertainment is so much exposure to stimulation where imagination is derailed towards other endeavors such as superheroes, villains, fantastical creatures, and fantasy through so much gaming and streaming. For young people it can be confusing to determine what is real. Think about how much more they would gain using their imagination to connect with our science, math, language, and sociology? Without the distraction of media influences they can absorb so much more of the actual world around them.

As a teacher it was much harder to connect with young people that lived in a fantasy world. You would actually have to meet them in their imagined world to connect with them and then try to get them interested in other endeavors beyond fantasy play. The pretend kitchen, with pretend faucets’, plastic food, pretend stoves, and useless fridges. In the outdoors these kitchens produce bark mulch concoctions that are inedible. What would they rather do? Bring them into a real kitchen. Have them help prepare real food and learn how to use a real kitchen safely with the reward of food to eat and share with others.

Chapter one starts by pointing out the difference in personality that occurs around six year olds that make them very receptive to cultural lessons. Montessori recommends sowing as many seeds of interest as possible. This way the seed is there waiting for germination later.
Another important matter for six year olds is the development of moral activity. During this time they are trying out their own judgement and trying to impose their judgements on others. “An inner change has taken place, but nature is quite logical in arousing understanding, but a claim to mental independence, a desire to distinguish good from evil by his own powers, and to resent limitation by arbitrary authority.”

Six year olds also need to participate in organized activity, mixing with others in a group. It is normal for groups to develop leaders that the others obey. It is natural for mankind to organize itself and these young people will be able to use their morality, sense of right and wrong, to be part of organized society later in life.

At this age it is also important to allow the child to learn by their own activity and allow them to follow their choices and has a need for exercising their own mind. In Montessori philosophy teachers are considered guides not dictating what it is they need to learn but giving them what they need to satisfy their curiosity. Montessori says they must have ABSOLUTE freedom of choice. This frees the teacher from syllabuses and time , but the teacher needs to be knowledgeable in every subject so the teacher can help the student in their endeavors. “We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form a whole unity. This idea helps the minds of the child to become satisfied, having found the universal center of himself with all things.”

In my experience, there are many Montessori schools that are not true to guiding students and instead impose assigned school work, worksheets, and homework. This is not in line with Montessori philosophy. I’ve had my share of sheets tracking which lessons a student has had and where they are at on their not so self led journey. In these environment I even feel a lack of freedom. If I am not free as a teacher, how can expect the students to feel they have real choices and are learning what they are wanting to learn. When I am at my best as a teacher, I am afloat watching and observing the actions of the children, thinking about what work they would want to do and looking to see how I might help draw their interest to new areas. My real work is in preparing the environment. The key to this preparation is observing the classroom.

Am I good?

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“Rewards and punishments, to speak frankly, are the desk of the soul, that is, a means of enslaving a child’s spirit, and better suited to provoke than to prevent deformities.” Maria Montessori

Students will ask for my judgement or approval regarding their art, appearance, and behavior. My goal is for students to develop the ability to look for themselves, making their own evaluation. So my response to their questioning is usually a return question such as:

What do you think?

Do you like the work you did?

Do you think you did good?

In regards to behavior, children are often hard on themselves. I may remind them of positive points to help them balance their own evaluation. If there is some thing in their behavior they see was disappointing I may say something to the effect of “We are all learning at school” and ask “What could you do next time?” A child seeing themselves as bad does not serve their progression. Why should they try if they always fail? They need to see that they can choose to learn new ways of acting in which they achieve the results they want for themselves. They need to experience the success of evaluating their own behavior, choosing a new behavior and feeling good about that choice. In regards to rewards, this is their internal reward from inside themselves, which surpasses any sticker or sweet treat.

Journey Back to the Classroom

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I spent the last ten years without the title: Montessori Teacher. Those that know me, know that it is rare to have an in depth conversation with me without the subject turning to Montessori Philosophy and the value it has had for me, not only when I was a teacher but in the way I desire to treat others.

My most recent job adventure was a sales position. I went to call on a couple of my friends who had started their own Montessori school. During the visit, I was perplexed by the comment regarding their disbelief that I was no longer teaching.

Then I asked myself, If it wasn’t about how much money you make, then what would I be doing?

Teaching.

Why?

Because I believe what Maria said,”Within the child lies the fate of future.”

About 12 years ago, a young first-grade student was writing in her daily journal and was obviously distressed and upset. She told me that she hated cancer. Cancer killed her dog and hurt other people in her family. I responded what do you want to do about it? This young person organized a school walk around the playground raising money fight cancer. Another student, in the same class, was upset that people didn’t have enough to eat and she organized a food drive for a local homeless shelter. I want to emphasize that they did it, these young people with their passion decided how to make difference. They were not shut down or even coddled, but guided at a young age to create change instead of standing idly by. With this beautiful philosophy, possibility stays open for these young people and they do not have to fall into status-quo because they experience ultimate freedom to choose and act.

I am now starting to see students I had over a decade ago evolve into young adults. Nothing gives me as much joy as watching as they blaze new paths, having had the background of Montessori education. They learn that they can try anything and that they can independently choose to make a difference in the world.

Simple facts and truths

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photo“This is our mission: to cast a ray of light and pass on.” (p. 111, para. 2)

Thoughts after read 7. The Exercises “How a Teacher Should Give a Lesson: Comparison with Older Systems”

The Montessori teacher provides simple lessons for the child. Every word in the lesson is thought out to provide factual information to the child with a limited amount of words. Too much information can be distracting and can take the focus off the purpose of the lesson. The teacher’s desire should be to spark interest and wonder in a child. If the lesson excites the child they will get the material out and work with it without being asked.

Maria describes situations in which a teacher will go on and on about their lesson to the child reaching beyond what they need to know. The child may become confused or get stuck in the story, never understanding the true meaning of the lesson. Maria gives the example of a traditional teacher teaching a child about the shape of the square. This teacher goes on about how many sides it has and the number of corners, making the square much more complicated than it has to be. In the Montessori Classroom this would be as simple as pointing at the square inset and tracing it with your fingers stating, “This is a square.” Maria points out that in this simple lesson the child is not even required to count to four. In this simple and precise manner, the child is not confused and understands the purpose of the lesson.

The teacher should be a rainbow to a child, gently casting light on lessons for the child to learn, opening them up to desire to reach their own understanding. Then the teacher fades back into the background while the child explores on their own. It is a beautiful dance in the classroom to watch, the teacher floating around the room casting light about her students encouraging them to sparkle from inside.

Montessori, M. (1972). The Exercises. In The discovery of the child (pp. 106-112) New York: Ballantine

Focused Movement in Practical Life Exercises

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“One single idea runs through every complex activity, and this single idea must be sought as the key to any general problem. There is also a secret key to the perfecting of the most varied types of movements. And the key is balance.”

Thoughts after reading: 5. Education in Movement (Part 2)

For the young child perfecting movement is important in developing control and mastery over their bodies. The implementation of practical life into the classroom allows the child to practice repetitive movements that help them conquer daily challenges in life and develop habits which can last them a lifetime. During my Early Childhood teacher training, I was amazed at my unrefined movements. I have always rushed through life, diving into the next thing, often bumping into coffee tables, spilling drinks, and walking heavy footed. Learning to slow down and pay attention to small movements to show the child was great practice for me. One of my favorite lessons is how to shut the door. I had never thought about this simple task beyond opening and shutting. The lessons shows the child how the doorknob works and how to turn the knob so the bolting mechanism go inside as the door is shutting and gently releases when the door is in place. The task is successful when the door closes without a sound.

Other activities practiced in practical life could be buttoning, zipping, latching, pouring, using locks and keys, opening containers, walking around obstacles, carrying objects, shoe tying, blowing noses, washing hands, washing a desk, polishing shoes, and much, much more. If I had been a Montessori child and practiced perfecting practical life skills, my adult life would be much easier. My clothes would last longer, I would experience less injuries, I would move about quieter and I would not have to redo tasks. Taking the Montessori training did help me slow down and appreciate each movement that is related to a task and appreciate the child’s efforts to perfect their own movements.

Montessori, M. (1972). Education in Movement. In The discovery of the child (pp. 88-90) New York: Ballantine

Allowing the child to follow his passion

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“Everyone has a special inclination or special secret, hidden vocation. It may be modest but it is certainly useful. An award can divert such a calling and turn one’s head to the loss of his true vocation.” (p.16, para.1)

Thoughts after reading 1. On the Application of Science to the School

Punishments and Rewards can be abused to make a child conform to rules.   Teachers and parents should not make demands on children as if they have unlimited authority. Instead we should guide the child, helping him find his own way to pursue his own innate talents and gifts. The problem with awards and punishments is they are externally driven. As adults, we may seek endless external rewards making decisions based on the external rewards that may be achieved. We may take a job that is less satisfying yet has a promising future even though our passions lay somewhere else. Wouldn’t we be happier if we were driven by the vocations that we were designed for?

In a Montessori setting, teachers encourage the child to find his passion and support them on their unique educational journey. Although they have to study required subjects there is the opportunity to go deeper into areas they are interested in and really develop their talents. The children learn to appreciate each other’s differences and recognize individual contributions to the community. Every child has something special to offer the world, as long as we do not pull them off their path.

Montessori, M. (1972). On the application of science to the school. In The discovery of the child (pp. 1-18). New York: Ballantine.

Embracing the child inside

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“If physical, mental, and nervous diseases that afflict adults can be traced back to childhood, it is in the life of the child that we notice the first symptoms.” (p.184, para. 1)

My father told to me that as an adult I am the same person that  I was a child. Each day I try to acknowledge this pure part of myself that is free of judgment or expectations.

Life experiences are unavoidable and impact the child, creating obstacles in their natural development. In therapy, the counselor often helps the patient reconnect with their “inner child.” Maria reminds us that as children, many of our issues developed from experiences we endured. Ripples of consequences from events of our youth influence our adult mind today.

As a teacher and a parent we must strive to do our best to cause positive ripples in children’s’ lives. Embracing the child in myself, helps me relate to children because I am making an effort to see their perspective. Taking the time to relate to the plight of the child is worth the results. Showing understanding and partnering with them on their developmental journey is the best gift you can offer.

Montessori, M., & Costelloe, M. J. (1972). Introduction, Childhood: A Social -Problem. The secret of childhood (pp. 183-184). New York: Ballantine Books. (Original work published 1966)