Friday, October 10, 2008
The Spirituality of the Teacher Aline Wolf
This is an excellent explanation of what "the spirituality of the teacher" in Montessori means with practical suggestions for developing it.
Peace Education Paper
Hi everyone! I am not trying to make any points here......I just won't be available from now until classtime on Wednesday due to holidays. Here's my paper, I look forward to any comments or suggestions!
Peace Education in My
3-6 Montessori Classroom
by Tricia Wymore
“If education recognizes the intrinsic value of the child's personality and provides an environment suited to spiritual growth, we have the revelation of an entirely new child, whose astonishing characteristics can eventually contribute to the betterment of the world”1
Maria Montessori's educational work is known throughout the world primarily through her interesting academic materials that can easily be examined and manipulated. But it is much harder to understand her theories about the spiritual nature of the child. And while these very theories are fundamental to her work with children, they are the most difficult for teachers, administrators, and parents to discuss. Several reasons can explain this difficulty. In her book, Nurturing the Spirit, Aline Wolf points out that administrators don't often write or talk about the spiritual work in their schools because a “child's spirit cannot be demonstrated to parents in the same way that the moveable alphabet or golden beads can be used as illustrations of hands-on academic activities” (p. 3). Wolf also notes that parents are quick to inquire about the sounds their child is learning or the math materials being learned. Very rarely will a parent inquire about the spiritual growth of their child. And a final reason reason Wolf cites, is that many Montessori schools in America are non-sectarian and the teachers are very careful to avoid activities that might be regarded as religious in nature (p. 4).
Until relatively recently, I had little understanding of peace education and had not specifically included it in my classroom. In this discussion, I will attempt to outline a three-step peace curriculum for myself and my classroom to introduce during the remainder of this year. I have been influenced heavily by the works of Aline Wolf, including the work cited above.
In my school I am the administrator, the teacher, and also a parent of one of the students. And while these are three very important hats to wear, each with their own responsibilities, I am also very fortunate. I can create and implement all of the policies and methods I wish to use. In addition, my school is not secular. We are a Jewish orthodox girls school, with a very definite religious curriculum. As a teacher, I do not have to worry about any activity being regarded as religious. In fact, I have a bit of the opposite problem. My community can be weary of outside influences and anything that might be “too secular”. A big part of my job as the administrator, is to assure parents that Montessori methodology does not conflict with our religious practices or beliefs. Interestingly, what many parents regard as religious activities for their young children, have very little to do with nurturing a deep spirituality as Aline Wolf outlines in her work. As I begin to create a peace education curriculum for my classroom, I will first focus on nurturing the spirituality in myself and the children and defining that work for parents.
In The Secret of Childhood, Montessori tells us, “One who would become a teacher according to our system must examine himself and rid his heart of pride and anger. He must learn how to humble himself and be clothed with charity” (p. 187). The first step in creating my school's peace education curriculum, will be the careful and systematic review of my own character traits. I have already started this work with a psychologist in a group setting for parents. Last summer I joined a “parenting workshop” that turned into a weekly group therapy session! We delve into the most difficult topics of raising and teaching children and uncover our own issues and hidden hurts that have not been healed from our own childhood. Several times during this class, I have come to understand certain reactions I've had in the classroom based on unresolved emotions from my own childhood. I have started to become aware of my own character defects and taken concrete steps to heal them. Since participating in this weekly group, I have become a stronger and more centered teacher (and parent!). The next step I wish to take, is to participate in at least one other activity to specifically nourish my soul. Most likely it will be a yoga class that I am trying to arrange at the school so other parents and staff can attend as well.
The second step in my peace curriculum is to carefully examine the physical classroom, both inside and outside, and make any needed adjustments. Aline Wolf believes that the first step toward peace is to create an environment that cultivates stillness. “It is almost impossible for one's spirit to thrive in the constant din and hubbub of daily life. Some special places and special times must be set aside for quiet – for one to be open to one's inner voice”2 Wolf outlines various activities and spaces in the classroom. One suggestion I will implement is a “quiet corner” where one child can go to sit and contemplate. There is already a table in the classroom that looks out onto the yard, and with some creative furniture arranging, I will be able to make it more of a secluded spot. Our classroom is on the second floor and looks right out into old maple trees that are just beginning to have their leaves change color. In the morning, the classroom is already awash in autumn colors. This spot will be just perfect for watching, thinking, and being. Another suggestion for an activity is a rock garden. We have a small one already on the shelf. But I am going to make it a bit larger, and introduce it it more fully in it's cultural context. Outside, we have a wonderful children's garden. In the spring, we will plant climbing flowers around a trellis that surrounds a bench. This will create a natural private space in the garden for quiet contemplation. We already have several spots on our playground where one or two children can go for quiet walks and exploration. Our garden is visited everyday and the chicken coop is another place where the girls will sit down to quietly observe the chickens.
The third step of my initial peace curriculum efforts will be to introduce the “peace flower” conflict resolution technique. With this technique, two children who are having a disagreement, use a flower (real or silk) to help them discuss the issue. (Prior to introducing this technique the children and I have focused on saying things that begin with “I”, like “I don't like it when.....) The child holding the flower speaks and hands the flower to the other child when she is finished. The second child now has a chance to speak. The children continue in this matter until the matter is resolved. At the conclusion, both children agree to make “shalom” and place the flower back in the vase. Initially, I will be involved with the mediation to help the children get the hang of it. Eventually however, my hope is that the children will be able to use this on their own, or have a third child act as their mediator. I have already used this technique once, with amazing results. While I have always talked things through and helped the children come up with alternate solutions for the future, it never felt satisfactory to anyone. I see now that it was mostly me doing the talking and the children never had an opportunity to use their own words and express their own feelings to each other. When I used the flower technique with two girls who were involved in a physical dispute recently, we all came away feeling empowered! The girls made shalom, and immediately went back to the area on the playground that they had been using before. This time, they used a strategy that they had come up with to avoid the misunderstanding they had before. The next day, one of the girls' mothers reported that her daughter told her of the “fight” and reported that they played nicely afterwards. That was a first for this particular girl, and she felt the difference deeply!
My initial steps toward including peace education into my curriculum this year are: recognizing and healing my own character weaknesses as well as nurturing my own spirituality through an activity like yoga, building places and times for stillness in our classroom, and helping the girls to negotiate conflicts with the use of the “flower technique”. It is my hope that as we integrate these changes, we will be ready for a new level of peace education next year.
-Trish
Peace Education in My
3-6 Montessori Classroom
by Tricia Wymore
“If education recognizes the intrinsic value of the child's personality and provides an environment suited to spiritual growth, we have the revelation of an entirely new child, whose astonishing characteristics can eventually contribute to the betterment of the world”1
Maria Montessori's educational work is known throughout the world primarily through her interesting academic materials that can easily be examined and manipulated. But it is much harder to understand her theories about the spiritual nature of the child. And while these very theories are fundamental to her work with children, they are the most difficult for teachers, administrators, and parents to discuss. Several reasons can explain this difficulty. In her book, Nurturing the Spirit, Aline Wolf points out that administrators don't often write or talk about the spiritual work in their schools because a “child's spirit cannot be demonstrated to parents in the same way that the moveable alphabet or golden beads can be used as illustrations of hands-on academic activities” (p. 3). Wolf also notes that parents are quick to inquire about the sounds their child is learning or the math materials being learned. Very rarely will a parent inquire about the spiritual growth of their child. And a final reason reason Wolf cites, is that many Montessori schools in America are non-sectarian and the teachers are very careful to avoid activities that might be regarded as religious in nature (p. 4).
Until relatively recently, I had little understanding of peace education and had not specifically included it in my classroom. In this discussion, I will attempt to outline a three-step peace curriculum for myself and my classroom to introduce during the remainder of this year. I have been influenced heavily by the works of Aline Wolf, including the work cited above.
In my school I am the administrator, the teacher, and also a parent of one of the students. And while these are three very important hats to wear, each with their own responsibilities, I am also very fortunate. I can create and implement all of the policies and methods I wish to use. In addition, my school is not secular. We are a Jewish orthodox girls school, with a very definite religious curriculum. As a teacher, I do not have to worry about any activity being regarded as religious. In fact, I have a bit of the opposite problem. My community can be weary of outside influences and anything that might be “too secular”. A big part of my job as the administrator, is to assure parents that Montessori methodology does not conflict with our religious practices or beliefs. Interestingly, what many parents regard as religious activities for their young children, have very little to do with nurturing a deep spirituality as Aline Wolf outlines in her work. As I begin to create a peace education curriculum for my classroom, I will first focus on nurturing the spirituality in myself and the children and defining that work for parents.
In The Secret of Childhood, Montessori tells us, “One who would become a teacher according to our system must examine himself and rid his heart of pride and anger. He must learn how to humble himself and be clothed with charity” (p. 187). The first step in creating my school's peace education curriculum, will be the careful and systematic review of my own character traits. I have already started this work with a psychologist in a group setting for parents. Last summer I joined a “parenting workshop” that turned into a weekly group therapy session! We delve into the most difficult topics of raising and teaching children and uncover our own issues and hidden hurts that have not been healed from our own childhood. Several times during this class, I have come to understand certain reactions I've had in the classroom based on unresolved emotions from my own childhood. I have started to become aware of my own character defects and taken concrete steps to heal them. Since participating in this weekly group, I have become a stronger and more centered teacher (and parent!). The next step I wish to take, is to participate in at least one other activity to specifically nourish my soul. Most likely it will be a yoga class that I am trying to arrange at the school so other parents and staff can attend as well.
The second step in my peace curriculum is to carefully examine the physical classroom, both inside and outside, and make any needed adjustments. Aline Wolf believes that the first step toward peace is to create an environment that cultivates stillness. “It is almost impossible for one's spirit to thrive in the constant din and hubbub of daily life. Some special places and special times must be set aside for quiet – for one to be open to one's inner voice”2 Wolf outlines various activities and spaces in the classroom. One suggestion I will implement is a “quiet corner” where one child can go to sit and contemplate. There is already a table in the classroom that looks out onto the yard, and with some creative furniture arranging, I will be able to make it more of a secluded spot. Our classroom is on the second floor and looks right out into old maple trees that are just beginning to have their leaves change color. In the morning, the classroom is already awash in autumn colors. This spot will be just perfect for watching, thinking, and being. Another suggestion for an activity is a rock garden. We have a small one already on the shelf. But I am going to make it a bit larger, and introduce it it more fully in it's cultural context. Outside, we have a wonderful children's garden. In the spring, we will plant climbing flowers around a trellis that surrounds a bench. This will create a natural private space in the garden for quiet contemplation. We already have several spots on our playground where one or two children can go for quiet walks and exploration. Our garden is visited everyday and the chicken coop is another place where the girls will sit down to quietly observe the chickens.
The third step of my initial peace curriculum efforts will be to introduce the “peace flower” conflict resolution technique. With this technique, two children who are having a disagreement, use a flower (real or silk) to help them discuss the issue. (Prior to introducing this technique the children and I have focused on saying things that begin with “I”, like “I don't like it when.....) The child holding the flower speaks and hands the flower to the other child when she is finished. The second child now has a chance to speak. The children continue in this matter until the matter is resolved. At the conclusion, both children agree to make “shalom” and place the flower back in the vase. Initially, I will be involved with the mediation to help the children get the hang of it. Eventually however, my hope is that the children will be able to use this on their own, or have a third child act as their mediator. I have already used this technique once, with amazing results. While I have always talked things through and helped the children come up with alternate solutions for the future, it never felt satisfactory to anyone. I see now that it was mostly me doing the talking and the children never had an opportunity to use their own words and express their own feelings to each other. When I used the flower technique with two girls who were involved in a physical dispute recently, we all came away feeling empowered! The girls made shalom, and immediately went back to the area on the playground that they had been using before. This time, they used a strategy that they had come up with to avoid the misunderstanding they had before. The next day, one of the girls' mothers reported that her daughter told her of the “fight” and reported that they played nicely afterwards. That was a first for this particular girl, and she felt the difference deeply!
My initial steps toward including peace education into my curriculum this year are: recognizing and healing my own character weaknesses as well as nurturing my own spirituality through an activity like yoga, building places and times for stillness in our classroom, and helping the girls to negotiate conflicts with the use of the “flower technique”. It is my hope that as we integrate these changes, we will be ready for a new level of peace education next year.
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