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Inspired by Montessori
February 21, 2011
Assumptions are dangerous things to make, and like all dangerous things to make — bombs, for instance, or strawberry shortcake — if you make even the tiniest mistake you can find yourself in terrible trouble.
-Lemony Snicket, The Austere Academy
When I was just entering the world of early childhood education at Lesley College with Gwen Morgan as my mentor, I remember being tremendously inspired reading The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori. I went on to read several other of her books and collected, on 3" x 5" note cards (no computers in those days, kids), a great many quotes from these books. Looking back at them three decades later, I find her wisdom just as apt today. I am going to share some of my favorites below, but before I do so I would like to invite you to share books that inspired you (and other books you think have shaped our field) in our Exchange Insta Poll for the week. We are collecting your insights on our field to help enrich the 200th issue of Exchange, hitting the streets in July.

"If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind?"

"We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being."

"Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed."

"The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'

"If an educational act is to be efficacious, it will be only that one which tends to help toward the complete unfolding of life. To be thus helpful, it is necessary rigorously to avoid the arrest of spontaneous movements and the imposition of arbitrary tasks."

"We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses."

"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry."





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Comments (4)

Displaying All 4 Comments
Sandra Burwell · February 22, 2011
MacDonald Montessori School
St. Paul, MN, United States


Reminded me of my Montessori training back in 1985! and typing Montessori quotes on to cards just like that. When I became aware of the Reggio philosophy, I re-read some of the Montessori books and discovered many places where the philosophies re-inforce each other. Blending the two philosophies seems to be authentic and balanced.

Nancy Bush · February 21, 2011
St Louis, MO, United States


My favorite quote from Dr. Mari Montessori is this: "A child is a discoverer. He is an amorphous splendid being in search of his own proper form." Let's include girls, too. : )

Gwen Morgan · February 21, 2011
Wheelock College
Lincoln, MA , United States


The quotes that Roger has saved from a pre-computer age certainly sum up some of the major insights of what our field has learned about development-al science. Note that these are things we knew a long time ago. But even today, not every young child can count on getting a classroom teacher who knows these things. We are all called on to be leaders in
sharing what we have long known, as Roger and Bonnie have done.

Gwen Morgan · February 21, 2011
Wheelock College
Lincoln, MA , United States


Great of Roger to share the points that struck him as important as he entered the field. Certainly he has gone on to apply these insights to a life of leadership. Everybody take note: these are the things we already knew and could document, along time ago,before computers!But they are not yet applied in all classroomsall these years later. We are all called upon to stand up for what we know, as Roger and Bonnie have.



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