Sunday, November 21, 2010

Montessori No, No: When Helping Hurts

"The teacher's skill in not interfering comes with practice, like everything else, but it never comes easily. It means rising to spiritual heights. True spirituality realizes that even to help can be a source of pride."
- The Absorbent Mind, Dell Publishing, 1984, p. 274

As a Montessori teacher/parent, what advice can you give regarding
"not interfering" with the learning process?


If you are new to Montessori or even if it has been part of your family's life, think about the quote above and let me know what you think. Does it, or has it had relevance in your homeschooling endeavors?

1 comment:

  1. This idea of not interfering, of allowing a child to come to their own conclusion, through their own research or study, is complicated. As parents (esp. new parents) we all hope to reach new ground in this area ... but find we all (collectively - new and old) hit ground zero together as some point.

    It's emotionally complicated for parents to deal with because it challenges our sense of 'being in charge'. As adults we feel the need to be in charge, to control our destiny. It makes us feel more comfortable with the possible outcomes, and it makes us believe that those who are viewing us as parents will have greater respect for us.

    We (as parents and educators) need to find a balance between holding our children tight and sparing them from the world, and preparing them and helping them walk through the tough times.

    Good post ... makes us think!

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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