“He is directed by a mysterious power, great and wonderful, that he incarnates little by little. In this way he becomes a man .” ~ Dr Maria Montessori
Book Club, Sun. Feb 12th, 1-3pm — “Nurture Shock” by Po Bronson
Valentine’s Day Tea, Tues. Feb 14th, 7:30-8:30am — join your child’s classroom on the playground and come inside in small groups to enjoy a delicious snack (this is an alternative to individual valentine sharing)
SCHOOL CLOSED, HOLIDAY, MON. FEB. 20th
Parent Yard Work Day, Sat. Feb 25th, 8am-noon — trim trees, move sand, build/prepare garden bed, etc.
What could a theft, foundation work and Montessori have to do with each other?
My car was stolen in the first week of the new year. At a time when we are all usually saying “Happy New Year” to each other I was smacking my forehead in shock that my car was gone. It was mightily disappointing and quite stunning to walk out to the driveway to find that it had been taken. Happily the car was recovered a week later with no damage, and no loss of possessions – except my wide-brimmed hat. Everyone has been very kind and sympathetic. Many friends have commented that I must be feeling violated or angry. In fact, what I felt was sadness. I thought, too, about how easy it is to presume what someone else is feeling based on one’s own response.
In response to “you must be feeling violated” I had to stop and think, “do I?” The police were polite, responsive, and supportive as were the people at the insurance company. While reporting a theft was not something I wanted to do, I was so grateful for the sympathy and humor while speaking with authorities and agents that I couldn’t help thinking how nice it was to know they were there.
It’s true that I felt deflated; disappointed that someone could actually take my car, but the kindness and concern everyone showed was uplifting in a way I hope I’ll always remember.
In response to the many expressions of sympathy and inquiries about what our plans were and what we were feeling, I kept hearing myself say, “well, all we can do is to move forward.”
This event, and those kinds of thoughts, together with an upcoming Montessori refresher course entitled Montessori: Engaging the Human Personality kept blending in my thoughts.
Just around this one event there was a range of responses that bespoke a range of personalities. I was happy to have engaged with the best aspects of the human personality even as the least pleasant aspect – a willingness to steal, triggered the encounters.
Another upcoming event is the work on the foundation of our almost 100-year-old house. And again, perhaps because I see Montessori everywhere, my thoughts turned to the construction of foundations and then the work of supporting what comes next – (moving forward and building on what came before). Just as the house is supported on pillars, so the 3 year old is supported by the experiences of his infancy.
In The Absorbent Mind, Dr Montessori said, “By the age of three the children have completely laid down the foundations of their personality as human beings.” She goes on to say, ” … and we must never forget that man begins his mental growth at birth, and pursues it with the greatest intensity during the first three years of life.”
The period from 0-3 is the time of the ‘psychic embryo.’ The child is developing a basic trust in the environment during his first 2 months, and then a trust in himself by about the age of one when he starts to walk.
From an article by Dr Silvana Q. Montanaro, my trainer in Rome, comes this:
“Active movement in the first months of life provides the overall mind-body experience from which self-confidence is derived, and with this very valuable instrument, it is possible to face all the challenges of life.”
The foundation from which he launches himself into the complexities of life must be strong enough for him to bounce off of, and to land on, as the years progress. I will always remember the advice that I was quick to dismiss at the time my daughter was a teen. It was from a mother of an older person. She said, “If the foundation is strong, she’ll come back to it.” And, to my amazement and delight, she did! (just as it must have amazed and delighted my mother when I did)
In the context of the Children’s House classroom, all those individual and varied personalities come together as community. There, differences are celebrated and supported.
In the context of our town, the supportive, sympathetic, and humorous personalities with which we engaged during the week the car was missing reminded us of the range and strength of the human personality.
From car theft to foundation repair to the Montessori classroom … it’s all connected.
Perhaps there will be more on the topic of engaging the human personality after the February refresher course! Stay tuned … or ask a question for me to answer. Feel free to get in touch at mimaustin@gmail.com
For more information on Gio Bellonci who writes this portion of our newsletter,
follow her blog Montessori In Motion
