The Montessori Toddlers

Summary

Maria Montessori based her educational approach on a profound understanding of the spiritual nature of the child, on the spiritual preparation of the teacher, and the teacher-child relationship. However, she did not elaborate on the nature of teacher teams or the spiritual aspect of teamwork. Though most Montessori early childhood classrooms have two or more teachers who teach together as a team, very little research has been conducted on how these teams work together or on how spirituality influences their work. Moreover, love for the child undergirded everything that they did. In Montessori classrooms, children make creative choices in their learning, while the classroom and the highly trained teacher offer age-appropriate activities to guide the process. Children work in groups and individually to discover and explore the knowledge of the world and to develop their maximum potential. Every material in a Montessori classroom supports an aspect of child development, creating a match between the child’s natural interests and the available activities. Children can learn through their own experience and at their own pace. They can respond at any moment to the natural curiosities that exist in all humans and build a solid foundation for life-long learning. As Montessori stated: "If we ponder the influence that education can have on the attainment of world peace, it becomes clear that we must make the child and his education our primary concern."

©2020 Mike Parson (P)2020 Mike Parson