future

“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” Maria Montessori

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white-flowerAs a Montessorian, when I see a child or newborn baby I see possibility.  All hope for the future lays in the child.  Maria saw children as the way for peace in the world.  If we do not help children learn to see themselves as possibility and instead limit them to a narrow path avoid of self expression, we are also limiting the potential of the world.

Much is discussed regarding the state of education today; however, it is not the only issue at hand in determining the success of a child.  In true Montessori environments the teacher guides the child in such a way that the child can discover their own possibilities and their place as a world citizen who is up to much more than gaining a paycheck.  In the world of technology, many children can be seduced by imaginary worlds and all the while world around them is passing by and ultimately being destroyed.

As Montessorians we should be reaching out beyond the walls of schools to encourage youth around the world to not only participate in the world, but actively join together to create a world in which they truly want to be part of and contribute to with new ideas and visions beyond our comprehension.

Priority #1 is the Child

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“The greatest crime that society commits is that of wasting the money which it should use for children on things that will destroy them and society itself….” (p.214, para.1)

Thoughts after reading Part III. 30. The Rights of the Child

Maria demands that society set its priorities straight.  The child is the most important investment in the future of our world, yet often budgetary and funding choices within the home or government do not show this.  So many lives could be changed if more effort was placed on creating the proper environment for children to prosper in the home and at school.  Parents should be prepared for the great responsibility of child rearing, understanding their responsibility goes beyond just the physical health of their child.  The greatest thing a parent can do is love their child beyond their own self, placing their needs beyond their own.  This does not mean catering and being a slave to your child’s whim.  It means thinking about was is best for your child.  Do your research, seek to understand the child, become an observer and respond to their natural development that is unfolding before you.

I have now completed Maria Montessori’s Secret of Childhood.  I hope you have enjoyed this journey with me. I look forward to my next read:  The Discovery of the Child.

Montessori, M., & Costelloe, M. J. (1972). Introduction, Childhood: A Social -Problem. The secret of childhood (pp. 209-216). New York: Ballantine Books. (Original work published 1966)

 

Hope for the Future

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magical lighting (1 of 1)

“Within the child lies the fate of the future. Whoever wishes to confer some benefit on society must preserve him from deviations and observe his natural ways of acting. A child is mysterious and powerful and contains within himself the secret of human nature.” (p. 208, para.3)

Thoughts after reading Part III: 29. The Child as a Teacher
Children are the most important thing that we have to offer our future. It is in our best interest to allow children to develop and grow into “normal humans.” Normal to Maria, is perhaps different than what many of us think. Maria views the normal child as one who is “precociously intelligent, who has learned to overcome himself and to live in peace, and who prefers disciplined task to futile idleness.” (p. 148, para. 1)

This is also the true nature she believes to be inside all men, but can be hidden by deviations and struggles that disrupted the man’s normal development as a child. Often men create wondrous technologies and inventions that seek to make life better and the same technology is used for atrocities. What is meant for good is made into evil. Maria says that we need a higher form of civilization in order to have hope for our world and this can be achieved through the child. The child is our hope for a future in which society can triumph. We wish for children that become virtuous adults, looking beyond acquiring things, fulfilling their spirit through making the world a better place.

Montessori, M., & Costelloe, M. J. (1972). Introduction, Childhood: A Social -Problem. The secret of childhood (pp. 207-208). New York: Ballantine Books. (Original work published 1966)