“My provocation to Montessori educators and leaders (and myself) is this: How can we enhance our environments to not only foster positive development but also empower young people to lead us into a sustainable future? What does this look like in the context of our current state of chaos and systems collapse?”
I think we have enhanced the method and diluted it and like you say tried to make everyone happy. For a sustainable future, we need to have the courage to have faith in Montessori’s scientific observation in prepated environments, use limited resources, have limited adults (especially for 0-6) and let children show us the way as they did for Montessori. The focus of education must be development according to the personality of the child and bring to the awareness of a social interdependence. As we try to enhance, we end up forgetting the main focus is the child and not the enhancement.
“My provocation to Montessori educators and leaders (and myself) is this: How can we enhance our environments to not only foster positive development but also empower young people to lead us into a sustainable future? What does this look like in the context of our current state of chaos and systems collapse?”
I think we have enhanced the method and diluted it and like you say tried to make everyone happy. For a sustainable future, we need to have the courage to have faith in Montessori’s scientific observation in prepated environments, use limited resources, have limited adults (especially for 0-6) and let children show us the way as they did for Montessori. The focus of education must be development according to the personality of the child and bring to the awareness of a social interdependence. As we try to enhance, we end up forgetting the main focus is the child and not the enhancement.
Thanks for your comments Anjum- I couldn't agree more that we need to let the child lead the way and have the courage to let that happen!