Freedom in a Montessori Environment.
The word ‘freedom’ and education feels like two contradicting topics of discussion. When asked a random group of people about what this word ‘Freedom’ brings to your mind, they said running wild, ignoring traditions, values, doing whatever one feels like with no boundaries of time or space. This definitely would not be encouraged in a classroom situation. Yet in an authentic Montessori classroom all around the world one would find a different reality, where freedom and learning coexist.
This phenomena was discovered by Dr. Montessori when she first observed 50 neglected children in the slums of Rome in 1907. This wasn’t a well carved plan for the future education system it was a natural response to what the children showed her, which paved the way to Montessori’s revolutionary approach to education, one that continues to inspire and empower children around the world today. Dr. Maria Montessori created an environment that fostered children’s innate desire to explore and self construct themselves through that work. It was almost magical to see the wild and uncivilised children transform into confident and disciplined learners who almost self taught themselves into this process. The only conditions provided were “ Freedom of movement”, “ Freedom of choice” and “Freedom of time”, to work with the material that she carefully designed. The outcome was magical!
The Foundation of all Montessori classrooms starts with the concept of ‘Freedom’, however it is not about a lack of rules but a carefully structured environment where children are given clear limits. The goal is to nurture self-discipline, responsibility and a love for learning by respecting the child’s natural desire to learn.
When you walk into a Montessori environment you will find children undisturbed by your presence continue to work at their desired task, moving about freely, moving heavy furniture, carrying material all by themselves, washing, chopping vegetables, folding napkins, sweeping the dust or wiping the water spillage, concentrating on the piece of material in placing it with the exact movements shown to them, they are like little workers in a factory set up where everyone knows their role and work just flows without any interruption or instruction from anybody. They are tracing the Sand Paper Letters or counting the Number Rods all by themselves as if they are on a mission!
The intrinsic motivation that we see in children very young is a natural human tendency that gets dampened over years of suppression. These are the various forms of obstacles that one one has to overcome to retain the natural instinct to learn and explore. Either one overcomes these obstacles or succumbs to them depends on the personality. The single most important outcome of all the work in a Montessori classroom is ‘Concentration’. When a child is able to concentrate on any activity that was chosen is when you see the magic unfold within themselves. This leads to the path of self learning and self discovery.
Still later in the second plane of development (6-12yrs), independence exists on a higher level of coexistence. The children now exhibit natural tendencies to work in groups collaborating on a large scale to accomplish a desired task. They could be solving a mathematically challenging problem, or wondering about the differences between a shark and a whale, or learning about the different types of petal arrangements in flowers, or even sketching out a plan for an exhibit of their work! These are the basis of spiritual, moral, social and cultural independence.
“It is a hard task” says a teacher in a Montessori environment, “ but if you persist, it yields the most satisfying result. One that lasts a life time.” The changes that occur in a Montessori environment are transformative for life. It touches the soul of the child.
Kavitha GunasekharanFounder - Aakam Montessori Learning Centre and Director - IMTC-Elementary-Chennai
Why is work so important to humans?
"Human beings must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.” ~ Albert Einstein.
“The secret of happy life is congenial work. Work is purposeful activity. Man is the foremost worker in creation. Man’s work has changed the face of the earth.” Dr. Maria Montessori - ‘What you should know about your child’ pg: 107.
When we hear the term ‘Normalisation’ in the Montessori context we understand that it is do with children in the Casa or the Primary environment ( 3 to 6yr olds), where we observe the children choose work out of their free will, are able to show that deep level of focus in the work and that work gives them a sense of satisfaction that they feel a calmness in them after that. This could be the scale with which the adult measures one’s own approach in the environment. “ Am I doing the right thing? Have I presented the right material at the right time, in the right way?” These are some questions that are constantly lingering in the adult’s mind. But the sight of the child’s working by choosing the material and focussing on the work without being disturbed by any external factors proves to the adult of their success.
It is observed that the children emerge restful after working for long durations. On the contrary they show fatigue and restlessness if interrupted in their work or if engaged in unsuitable work. When proper conditions are provided the children grow up to be peaceful and in harmony with the surroundings.
When the child is older ( 6to 12 yrs of age) the same child now shows a difference in the way they work. Here work is loud and big. The choice of work is driven by the group the child belongs to. Everything has to be fair. There is logical reasoning before arriving at conclusions therefore everything is questioned. In this lies the secret of his developing a mind that is building the structure of the universe. There is synchrony in the group towards the goal. The imagination is at it’s peak through which the mind finds solutions to all problems. Now this is what I would call ‘Normalization’ in the second plane when the child shows all these traits while working.
Later at the adolescent age one wonders what this whole social setting is all about. Here work generally with it’s wide social connotations of productiveness and earning power makes sense. The various culture, religions, castes, socio-economic structures, physical and mental boundaries that it creates, the child now wonders what’s my role in this and where do I fit in all this? Looking for validation, the whole question of what to do for one’s existence begins all over again.
It’s an imperative, we must work to be happy. “ This conception of work implies a general principle that holds the work itself to be of greater importance than the kind of work. All work is noble, the only ignoble thing is to live without working,” - Dr. Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence pg: 120.
Kavitha GunasekharanFounder - Aakam Montessori Learning Centre and Director - IMTC-Elementary-Chennai