This was an interesting read and while I concur with you that no guide must operate out of fear, I also interpreted Montessori’s quote “This book of methods compiled by one person alone, must be followed by many others. It is my hope that starting from the individual study of the child educated with our method, other educators will set forth the results of their experiments. These are the pedagogical books which await us in the future.” a little differently.
I think she was very confident in her knowledge gained through intense study and observation and she wanted Montessori guides to follow what she wrote even if she was just one person. I think this quote means that the child has shown her something meaningful and accurate about his development only when put under the conditions of her method.
We should surely build on her method especially for the third plane and understand it’s essence as Ada Montessori pointed out and we should operate with hope instead of fear. Hope based on this essence of human development that we have understood by following her method.
In my 15 years of experience as a Montessori guide, I did study other pedagogues and their understanding of child development. Most drew the same conclusion as Montessori did about the needs of children while they are developing but noone could practically implement a lab where those needs could be met and the outcomes of the true man could be revealed.
I feel that we all need the work of study and observation and just one of them (only study or only observation) will not reveal facts.
I also feel that when we don’t follow her direction/method in its essence or try to find out what more we should do or what less we should do, we end up reinventing her method and use up our energy for naught. I’ve been there in the first 10 years of my life as a Montessori educator and thats why I have this conviction. I’ve also not had the opportunity to have a Montessori education as a child and I can reflect and understand the loss very clearly.
This was an interesting read and while I concur with you that no guide must operate out of fear, I also interpreted Montessori’s quote “This book of methods compiled by one person alone, must be followed by many others. It is my hope that starting from the individual study of the child educated with our method, other educators will set forth the results of their experiments. These are the pedagogical books which await us in the future.” a little differently.
I think she was very confident in her knowledge gained through intense study and observation and she wanted Montessori guides to follow what she wrote even if she was just one person. I think this quote means that the child has shown her something meaningful and accurate about his development only when put under the conditions of her method.
We should surely build on her method especially for the third plane and understand it’s essence as Ada Montessori pointed out and we should operate with hope instead of fear. Hope based on this essence of human development that we have understood by following her method.
In my 15 years of experience as a Montessori guide, I did study other pedagogues and their understanding of child development. Most drew the same conclusion as Montessori did about the needs of children while they are developing but noone could practically implement a lab where those needs could be met and the outcomes of the true man could be revealed.
I feel that we all need the work of study and observation and just one of them (only study or only observation) will not reveal facts.
I also feel that when we don’t follow her direction/method in its essence or try to find out what more we should do or what less we should do, we end up reinventing her method and use up our energy for naught. I’ve been there in the first 10 years of my life as a Montessori educator and thats why I have this conviction. I’ve also not had the opportunity to have a Montessori education as a child and I can reflect and understand the loss very clearly.