Thanks to everyone who came for this Morning Chat last week! It was wonderful to have such a warm and open discussion. The Chat in Term 2 will be about Self-Discipline and Intrinsic Motivation and we look forward to seeing you there!
The obedience that Maria Montessori talks about is intelligent and thoughtful and is a result of the development of a child’s will. Making decisions, choices and real actions in the classroom and in their lives is how a child’s will develops. This happens gradually over a period of time and usually in three steps:-
The child repeats and concentrates on a selected activity to achieve mastery
The child chooses self-discipline and takes responsibility for their own actions
The child begins to be able to intelligently comply with another’s will. This is the heart of Montessori education: cooperation with others in an effort to forward civilisation in a unified and peaceful fashion. This is also the essence of what it means to be a disciplined human being with a fully developed will.
Practical examples and real situations are discussed in this article by Molly O’Shaughnessy click here to view
The book “The Whole-Brain Child” by Siegel and Bryson is easy reading about current understanding of brain maturation and integration, helping us to understand even more about our children and ourselves!