Today, I am preparing to leave to attend the American Montessori Society (AMS) Conference in San Francisco. The agenda for the conference has many sessions focused on the place of Montessori educators in the educational reform conversation. I am often heard to say, “when people describe the classroom of the future, they are describing a Montessori education.” Even more importantly, Montessori educators can point time and again to adults who were educated in Montessori Schools who represent the outcomes of innovation, creativity and collaboration that educational reformers are seeking.
Last spring, Wall Street Journal published an article titled "The Montessori Mafia," in which author Peter Sims shared the concept that Montessori education has for years produced the outcomes that educational reformers seek to produce.
Sims, stated that: "The Montessori educational approach might be the surest route to joining the creative elite, which are so overrepresented by the school’s alumni that one might suspect a Montessori Mafia: Google’s founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, videogame pioneer Will Wright, and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, not to mention Julia Child and rapper Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs."
AMS expands upon this concept, presenting a list of "Montessori People" - famous and non-famous, Montessori parents, alumni, students and teachers - who have been touched by Montessori education.
These "Montessori People" include writer and world-renowned humanitarian Maya Angelou (a Montessori mom), a world traveler/nurse, a neuroscientist, authors, a high-school student, computer programmers, teachers, a corporate executive and many more. Check out the full list to learn more.
What do these "Montessori People," a diverse group from all walks of life, have in common? They're creative thinkers, confident individuals, critical thinkers and people who always ask "Why?" and "How can we do this differently?"
Do you know any amazing Montessorians who are missing from this list? I look forward to hearing from you!
Showing posts with label American Montessori Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Montessori Society. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, February 14, 2011
A Connected Childhood
"A 'connected childhood' is the most reliable key to success and happiness," observes Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., in Work & Family Life (January 2011). Hallowell was a recent speaker at the American Montessori Society’s Heads of School Retreat.
The parental or familial practice of balancing unconditional love with realistic expectations is instrumental in developing connectedness in childhood. The following is a list of particularly relevant excerpts from Hallowell’s recent article.
Unconditional Love
The starting point in creating a connected childhood is unconditional love from parents or another important adult who is active in a child's life. But loving children unconditionally doesn't mean you don't have expectations for them. High expectations are fine — just not unrealistically high. When parents' love always has to be earned (when they imply "I'd love you even more if you got all A's"), children feel that they can never please their parents, no matter what.
Realistic Expectations
Have high but realistic expectations. It's easy to get caught up in the great riptide that sucks kids out of childhood and into an achievement fast-lane as early as nursery school. Be assured that by providing connectedness, above all, you're giving your child the best "leg up" on the competition. The connected child will achieve at the level he or she is supposed to and will enjoy doing so.
Balance
As with everything else, balance is key. Being a loving, connected parent doesn't mean giving kids too much, too soon and always coming to their rescue. We should remind ourselves that children don't need a lot of fancy toys or clothes. What they do need is your time, interest, love, guidance, and ability to say no.
For more insight on this topic, I highly recommend Edward Hallowell’s book,
The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness.
The parental or familial practice of balancing unconditional love with realistic expectations is instrumental in developing connectedness in childhood. The following is a list of particularly relevant excerpts from Hallowell’s recent article.
Unconditional Love
The starting point in creating a connected childhood is unconditional love from parents or another important adult who is active in a child's life. But loving children unconditionally doesn't mean you don't have expectations for them. High expectations are fine — just not unrealistically high. When parents' love always has to be earned (when they imply "I'd love you even more if you got all A's"), children feel that they can never please their parents, no matter what.
Realistic Expectations
Have high but realistic expectations. It's easy to get caught up in the great riptide that sucks kids out of childhood and into an achievement fast-lane as early as nursery school. Be assured that by providing connectedness, above all, you're giving your child the best "leg up" on the competition. The connected child will achieve at the level he or she is supposed to and will enjoy doing so.
Balance
As with everything else, balance is key. Being a loving, connected parent doesn't mean giving kids too much, too soon and always coming to their rescue. We should remind ourselves that children don't need a lot of fancy toys or clothes. What they do need is your time, interest, love, guidance, and ability to say no.
For more insight on this topic, I highly recommend Edward Hallowell’s book,
The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness.
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