Montessori in community?! Once I run workshops and ask what individuals find out about Montessori, the most well-liked reply is “giving kids independence.” Sure, independence is a crucial side of Montessori. We create a school or home surroundings the place the kid is so succesful from such a younger age, they study to do issues for themselves, have the satisfaction of mastering an exercise that’s giving them simply the best problem, they’re studying expertise the way to take care of themselves, others and their surroundings, they usually study to contribute to their household or class.
Some individuals then consider that Montessori kids is likely to be lonely, that they need to work alone, that they don’t get follow in working with others, and that they won’t have good social expertise.
This overlooks one thing even greater that’s occurring in a Montessori classroom or dwelling. We’re constructing Montessori communities.
An instance: what can we observe in my classroom that reveals Montessori community?
At Jacaranda Tree Montessori right here in Amsterdam, I run parent-child courses with 12 kids and 12 dad and mom /caregivers in every class. In a toddler class the kids vary from 14 months to as much as 4 years.
- With the youthful kids there may be undoubtedly a number of parallel play. The kids should not but taking part in collectively. However they’re typically observing the opposite kids. I’ll see them submit a coin within the field, then look over their shoulder to a sound behind them. They’re turning into conscious of others, they’re observing how older kids use the supplies, carry their exercise to a desk and return it to a shelf. They see one other little one push of their chair. They observe a child wiping the easel and hanging up the material on the hook when they’re completed.
- Round 2.5 years outdated, I see kids eager to work together with kids of the same age. Not on a regular basis, however once in a while throughout class. It’s a secure place to follow social expertise, asking a good friend to work collectively, studying to inform them after they need to be alone and many others. We mannequin these expertise with them if/when wanted.
- We put together snacks collectively for our group snack time. The kids unfold crackers and place them on a plate that we’ll share later at snack time. The kids peel and slice bananas that we put in a bowl to share with our buddies. They usually make orange juice that they pour in a jug for us to drink collectively at snack time.
At first they attempt to eat the cracker or banana immediately or put the spreader of their mouth to eat the unfold. We gently remind them, “It goes on the plate for our buddies” / “It goes on the cracker” and get a brand new spreader if wanted.
- There are various alternatives for them to follow engaged on an exercise, wanting as much as see what a good friend is doing, after which remembering what they had been engaged on. A talent that we’d like for all times. I get pleasure from taking part in video games with the kids when they should discover one thing within the classroom, for instance, to search out one thing yellow or to discover a dustpan that appears like the image. In these moments, they’re transferring by means of the classroom with one thing in thoughts that they’re searching for. They should bear in mind what they’re searching for even when distracted by different goings-ons within the classroom. They’re studying to work as a part of a community.
- They like to take care of the surroundings – the cleansing space is in fixed use with kids mopping up any spilled water, getting a hand mitt to wipe their palms or the desk, the spray bottle and squeegee in fixed use to wash the home windows, kids arranging flowers or watering our vegetation. They study to be light with vegetation and flowers. Older kids assist youthful ones after they spill one thing on the ground. Generally they pour water on the ground simply to allow them to wipe it up (which I permit with restricted water). They’re studying to maintain their house and depart it prepared for the following particular person.
- Children are studying to take turns with the actions. Significantly at this age, kids admire with the ability to have as a lot time as they should follow an exercise they’ve chosen. There are only a few fights over toys as there’s a clear guideline and it’s a talent they will develop in school. As a substitute of being concerned when a child takes a toy from one other little one, it’s a possibility for them to study being in neighborhood.
First we are able to see how the opposite child reacts. Generally they work it out by themselves. Generally I see a child pull the exercise in direction of them or give one other sign they don’t need to be disturbed. Then I may also help them to precise that, “would you wish to say will probably be accessible quickly?”/“You’ll be able to say, It’s my flip. You’ll be able to have a flip once I’m all completed.” Generally it’s nonetheless arduous for the kid to attend their flip, so I attempt to translate for them, “You actually need to play with it proper now? And Jennifer is having their flip proper now? That may be arduous.” You’ll be able to see this article on sharing for extra.
- We mannequin respectful language from saying thanks or apologising if we get one thing incorrect to asking consent to maneuver a child’s physique. We mannequin respectful motion studying to stroll round somebody’s exercise to carrying a glass jug with two palms. They’re absorbing the way to take care of others.
There are such a lot of extra examples from a 2.5 yr outdated selecting up the beads {that a} mum or dad had dropped; to a child getting a tissue for one more little one who was crying after they fell over; to 2 kids working collectively to show the slide over on the Pikler triangle to the opposite facet; to figuring out the way to clear up issues like a 3.5 yr outdated getting an exercise for one more little one after they had been being interrupted by them.
As the child grows
At beginning, the kid’s neighborhood is their rapid household and any shut carers at dwelling or presumably day care. They love the predictability of households faces and factors of reference.
As they develop into toddlers, their community will get slightly greater to incorporate not solely their household however maybe buddies from playgroups or day care, and the prolonged household turns into extra attention-grabbing.
For the 3-6 yr outdated, their community grows to incorporate maybe preschool as effectively.
And for 6-12 yr olds, their school community and dealing in a bunch turns into a attribute of this age. They not work alone however in teams at giant tables or unfold out on the ground. In addition they transfer past the classroom eager to enterprise into the larger community to find larger info from the library or specialists or companies or park rangers.
The adolescent continues to develop their neighborhood, to follow turning into an grownup, to stay in a social group and to contribute to this community.It’s my hope that this helpful a part of a Montessori schooling – Montessori is neighborhood – turns into much less missed and turns into what Montessori is thought for. We’re interdependent beings. We want one another. We have to know the way to respect and take care of others. And this will occur in our properties and schools.
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