Montessori Radmoor

“The liberty of the child ought to have as its limits the collective interest of the community in which he moves; its form is expressed in what we call manners and good behavior. It is our duty then to protect the child from doing anything which may offend or hurt others, and to check the behavior which is unbecoming or impolite.” – Dr. Maria Montessori, Discovery of the Child.

Freedom is one of the cornerstones of the Montessori environment. The child in the environment has many freedoms that correspond to his natural instincts for learning and development. The environment provides the child the freedom to engage in spontaneous activities of his choosing, enabling him to develop his personality. The freedom extends to where, when and for how long a child chooses to engage in a particular activity. The child is also afforded the freedom to move around the classroom, socialize with whomever they choose and even take some time away from activity to rest, reflect or regroup.

However, these freedoms are only purposeful in tandem with a set of guidelines or limits. True freedom is the ability to choose that which is right and good. It is the limits and guidelines that allow us to use these freedoms for the good of the community. When the limits and freedoms work together for the child, they become his inner voice or self-discipline. While freedoms allow us to express ourselves, it is our self-discipline that ensures that we exercise our freedoms keeping in mind the rights of others.

So how does all of this apply to our Montessori community? We have a set of guidelines that allow the children to explore their freedom in a secure and independent way. When children have no limits, they can become insecure, worried or fearful. While some may retreat, others may demand limits through their behavior.

“To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control is to betray the idea of freedom.” Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Our community guidelines are simple and consistent: Respect for people, Respect for work and Respect for the environment and material. Respect for people allows the child to interact with the other members of the community, as long as they are equal participants. It also ensures that no one is hurt. The limit here is the manner in which they speak to or engage with another person. Respect for the work allows the children the freedom to choose their activity and how long they work with it. The limit here is that they must have had a lesson on it, so that the choice is based on knowledge and so that they get the most information from working with the material. The freedom to work where and when they choose is also limited by the space in the environment and the work period. Respect for the material and the environment allows the child to explore the material they have been presented and get the most information out of it. The limit is that once presented, we hold the child to the presentation and positive exploration. Most of the material also has its own built in guidelines, allowing the child to explore independently and self-correct without adult intervention.

“Let us leave the life free to develop within the limits of the good, and let us observe this inner life developing. This is the whole of our mission.” Maria Montessori, Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook

Sincerely,

Archana

 

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