Montessori for entrepreneurs

Hmmm. Interesting. The international head of Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) is considering developing "a fully-fledged Montessori course for business Montessori." I'd rephrase that to simply: Montessori for entrepreneurs.

Lynn Lawrence, based in Amsterdam, thinks they may have too much on the boil already, but discussions around the idea have already led "to some interesting background reading and some insights into the way Montessori principles have already found their way into the business world." For example:

• Ambiga Dhiraj, the head of talent management at Mu Sigma, a decision science and analytics service firm, wrote for the Harvard Business Review on their business modelling its employee development on Montessori schools.  ... He suggested that “an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological development” were basic tenets from the Montessori classroom equally applicable to the workforce. ... The ultimate payoff for the business was that it translated into better service for clients and “keeping the right people for the right reasons”. The latter is a particular advantage in a world where the best talent can be hard to find and even harder to keep.
• Justin Wasserman, a Managing Director with Kotter International, (the strategy execution firm founded by world renowned Harvard Business School professor, Dr. John Kotter) considered the “corporate kindergarten” and “how a Montessori mindset can transform your business”.  He reflected on the uniqueness of Montessori classrooms, the benefits of mixed-ages, self-directed learning, children gravitating to what interests them and teachers as “coaches and facilitators rather than puppet-masters or dictators.” ... Wasserman noted that most in corporate America grew up “confined by the rigid structures of our conventional education system” and tend to wait for directives on high to determine their actions.  He contrasts that with Montessori children full of new ideas, confident that failure is acceptable and that mistakes are best seen as learning opportunities.  He argues that businesses need to create a “corporate kindergarten culture where Montessori mindsets are cultivated and rewarded.”

In his comments about the “conventional education system,” Lawrence notes that this makes "very much the same case as Angeline Lillard in her marvellous and fiercely argued piece “Why the time is right for an education revolution.” She concludes: 

Bringing the principles of Montessori education into the workplace is one way of building a new and more productive approach to business but it seems to me that it would be so much better for society if the work began in school.  The thought of a continuum where Montessori is embedded in every part of an individual’s education from pre-school, throughout their career and into the support they receive as elders is an attractive proposition. ...

Commentators as diverse as Joe Rogan and Ezra Klein question the ability of existing mainstream education to satisfy the needs of a modern, knowledge economy.  The gap is seen in research from the UK suggesting that hiring managers rank problem-solving (63%), communications (63%) and creativity (53%) as three highly sought after skills.  In the US similar research suggests employers are looking for practical problem solving, team working, and global mindset but that new graduates do not feel they have received these skills in their education. ...

Montessori education can undoubtedly provide the grounding that will help people excel in their careers and make significant contributions to business success.  This was an underlying theme of the BBC article, “Montessori. The world’s most influential school?” and has been amplified by FasterCapital, a global venture builder and online incubator for innovative start-ups.  It is also central to Andrew McAfee’s book The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Resultswhich he discusses in the Harvard Business Review. ...

There are powerful lessons for leaders in the way that Montessori principles can develop teams that are both happy and high performing.  Generational changes have increasingly meant that command and control structures considered the height of good management in past decades are being soundly rejected by younger people.  Self-managing and self-motivated groups that embrace diversity, aspiration and novelty are part of a Montessori culture.

Our advocacy is always for education and leadership that enables every human to create themselves and become fulfilled, which does not necessarily mean they will choose to work in an organisation or pursue a career.  However, we also believe that workplaces which introduce Montessori ideals that nurture and cherish the potential of each and every individual will excel.   

The hidden power within children: "an intense motivation to perceive reality"

Children working with Montessori's binomial cube (left) and trinomial cube

"The powers working within children—this was Maria Montessori’s discovery. She discovered a hidden power in children of an intense motivation to perceive reality. 

    "This power begins in infancy with basic sense perception; an infant exerting effort to see things clearly. Then it becomes a toddler’s extraordinary effort to coordinate his movements to perform basic tasks. . . . Later, this power becomes a three-year old revisiting the trinomial cube over and over again across a span of many weeks to achieve mastery. . . . 

    "Throughout these examples we see a strong motivation to perceive, which is a power residing in the soul of every child. And the Montessori materials are inventions which tap into this motivation and unleash this power.“

~ Mike Gustafson from his post 'The Rocket Ship of the Human Spirit.' Hat tip Carrie-Ann Biondi who notes Gustafson’s emboldened point "reminds me of the beautiful opening line of Aristotle’s Metaphysics (Joe Sachs’s trans.): “All humans by nature stretch themselves out toward understanding."

"What kind of mind must the child have in order to accomplish this?"

"For millennia, people have been observing children learn to walk, talk, and build an independent life for themselves.
    "Adults have always assumed that it was their work, their efforts, and their control that produced these changes in the child.
    "Not Maria Montessori.
    "She took the approach of a scientist and observed the child with fresh eyes.
    "She cast aside any preconceived notions about what the child could or couldn't do, what capabilities he did or didn't have, and just looked
    "And what did she see?
    "She saw that, contrary to the uncontroversial opinion of the entire world, the child is his own motor.
    "The child creates himself. Every developed capacity, every understanding in the mind, every connection made, it was the child who built it.
    "What kind of mind must the child have in order to accomplish this?
    "It must be a mind different in kind not just in degree from the mind of the adult.
    "It must have powers and modes of functioning completely unalike those of the adult.
    "Read about these unique powers and modes of functioning in my piece this week on Montessorium..."

~ Samantha Blaisdell, introducing her post on 'The Child's Self-Created Mind'

She's the Patron Saint of Geeks

Dr. Maria Montessori, pedagogical pioneer and "patron saint of geeks"

 

"The patron saint of geeks is probably Maria Montessori, who about 100 years ago got obsessed with the problem of how you educate young children best, and came up with the Montessori educational method, which is this radical departure from the industrial scale model of schools that was dominant then, and sadly still dominant now. Think about Maria Montessori when you think about a geek."

~ MIT Sloan School of Management principal research scientist Andrew McAfee, author of the book The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results. He defines geeks as “obsessive mavericks,” people who become obsessed with hard problems and are willing to pursue unconventional solutions – to avoid the dysfunctions that have traditionally plagued companies as they expand. In his interview with the Harvard Business Review, from which the quote above comes, he sets Maria Montessori alongside many technology disruptors and management icons in this regard.
Hat tip to Lynn Lawrence, who cites in support Angeline Lillard's recent and brilliantly argued conclusion that "It is time for a paradigm shift in education, on a par with the Copernican revolution."

"The 'power of concentration shown by little children from three to four years old has no counterpart save in the annals of genius"

"Montessori believed than children were born for gran lavoro -- 'immense work.' She wrote that the 'power of concentration shown by little children from three to four years old has no counterpart save in the annals of genius.'
    "The purpose of education [she said] is to provide them with an environment in which they were free to work without interference from adults. This is far more satisfying for children than 'play devoid of meaning.' When they are tired, it was [often] because they had worked too little rather than too much. One of her principles is that 'mental work does not exhaust; it gives nourishment, it is food for our spirit'."

~ Bee Wilson, reviewing Christina de Stefano's 2022 book The Child is the Teacher: A Life of Maria Montessori [tenses changed]

 

Reading communicates

"There is a connection between the written language and the spoken language. The written language puts the child into communication with the thoughts expressed by other people without any sound - a communication from soul to soul, secrets told without even a whisper, a personal communication of thoughts which nobody else can hear. In this respect reading has a high spiritual value."

~ Maria Montessori, from her 'new' book Creative Development in the Child: The Montessori Approach

"I am disappointed that you do not recognise that Montessori has the antidote to racism and it has always had it..." [updated]

"To say that a person is inherently racist because of the group he belongs to (i.e. skin colour) is determinism — the view that a person has no free will, and therefore has no choice in how he thinks or acts. Determinism is the antithesis of Montessori’s view of human nature: 'Free choice is one of the highest of all mental processes.' 'A child chooses what helps him to construct himself.' (Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind) Social justice does not belong in Montessori.
    "I am disappointed that you do not recognise that Montessori has the antidote to racism and it has always had it — free will and individualism. Instead, you have turned Montessori into a tool for politics. Montessori is not politics, it is an educational approach for every individual child. It is universal for every child. Social justice, the idea that people are determined by their group or other circumstances, rather than their individual minds, will destroy Montessori."

~ Montessorian Charlotte Cushman, from her letter quoted in 'Montessori Teacher Fights 'Social Justice''

 UPDATE: Regular commenter Mark T has sent me a letter to the editor, published in the local Montessori Voices a few years ago, in which he addressed something very similar ...

Dear Editor

I was dismayed to read an article from Pam S---- in your previous issue that attempted to equate a Montessori class-room with the socialist welfare state.

That wasn't just because I disagreed strongly with the politics, but because it expressed a political view that is the antithesis of the value I see in a Montessori education. Examples include:

1. Montessori encourages self-reliance and self-responsibility. By contrast the welfare state encourages dependency and reliance on someone else to provide for you.
2. Montessori activities are self-correcting, encouraging children to learn from practical consequences. By contract the welfare state attempts to isolate people from the practical consequences of their actions. The welfare state version of the 'pink tower' would be a teacher rushing in every time a child gets the blocks out of sequence and holding the tower so it doesn't fall over - and then when we find the child learns nothing by this approach, concluding that more teacher interference is the answer.
3. Montessori protects the value each individual gets from completing their activity without interference from others. It is your activity and you take ownership of it. Contrast that with the welfare state where a large portion of what you create and earn is forcibly taken away from you in taxation.
4. Montessori generally allows children to go about their own individual activity when they want, and to engage in group activity when they want. The group activity is therefore spontaneous and genuine - not forced. This is in complete contrast to the welfare state where we are forced to support others whether they are deserving or not.

If we are going to talk politics there is a lot I could say on this topic - including the fact that welfare levels have not decreased since 1991 as Pam implies, and 5% of households now pay 47% of net tax in New Zealand. I could also explain how if this trend continues it will soon become unsustainable, as it already has in Greece.

But rather than go on about that, I suggest that your publication should leave politics out of it. We send our children to Montessori schools because we value the educational philosophy and the results it produces on our children. Anything published in Montessori Voices should focus on what we have in common, rather than dividing us with someone’s obvious political agenda.

Regards,
Mark T------
Christchurch 8024

 

"...from the very beginning of life we mould the child to undergo tyranny, to obey a dictator"

"How can we speak of Democracy or Freedom when from the very beginning of life we mould the child to undergo tyranny, to obey a dictator? How can we expect democracy when we have reared slaves? Real freedom begins at the beginning of life, not at the adult stage. These people who have been diminished in their powers, made short-sighted, devitalised by mental fatigue, whose bodies have become distorted, whose wills have been broken by elders who say: 'Your will must disappear and mine prevail!' – how can we expect them, when school-life is finished, to accept and use the rights of freedom?"
          ~ Maria Montessori, Education for a New World

[Hat tip Louise Lamontagne]

Heroes everywhere

"Let us in education always call the attention of children to the hosts of men and women who are hidden from the light of fame, so kindling a love of humanity; not the vague and anaemic sentiment preached today as brotherhood, nor the political sentiment that the working classes should be redeemed and uplifted. What is most wanted is no patronising charity for humanity, but a reverent consciousness of its dignity and worth." 

        ~ Maria Montessori, from To Educate the Human Potential

[Hat tip Carrie-Ann Biondi] 

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""The secret of good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination." #QotD

"The secret of good teaching is to regard the child's intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorise, but so to touchhis imagination as to enthuse him to his very core."
          ~ Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate The Human Potential

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'Montessori Parent Coronavirus Survival Guide'

Parents eager to make the most of their children's stay at home will love this FREE new guide, put together by Trillium Montessori:  'Montessori Parent Coronavirus Survival Guide.'

With some essential information about the developmental needs of your child, a few simple tweaks to your home and schedule, and a dash of confidence, you can get through an extended school closure and come out the other side stronger and happier than ever!
    This book will show you how.
Spoiler: You don't have to replicate school at home in order to give your child a rich Montessori educational experience!

The book is for parents of children of all ages, available as a FREE Kindle download at Amazon. >>>>> CLICK HERE.

Schools around the world have closed their doors and as a parent of a child who attends a Montessori school or a homeschooling parent who is interested in incorporating fundamental Montessori principles into their practice, the Coronavirus Survival Guide delivers a pathway for your family to not only survive, but to thrive while practicing social distancing.
    10 contributing writers with over 200 years of collective experience as trained Montessori educators, parents, and school leaders, deliver a path of wisdom to optimally support you and your children from birth through adolescence, thriving during extended school closures.

After reading 'Montessori Parent Coronavirus Survival Guide' you’ll know how to:

• Talk to your children about the coronavirus pandemic

• Balance your needs as an adult with the needs of your children

• Manage sibling conflicts

• Meet the needs of children of differing ages with a clear, consistent approach geared to their development and interests

• Feel confident your expectations of and for your child are developmentally appropriate

• Establish and maintain new routines without stress

• Create age- and interest-appropriate spaces in your family home without having to buy a thing! 

• Offer a variety of easy-to-implement activities for every age

• Talk with your child to reduce their resistance and gain their cooperation 

Most importantly, you will have the tools and inspiration to build and maintain your connection with your child during this unprecedented time in their lives.

Enjoy!

[Hat tip Laura Flores Shaw]

PS: Let us know in the comments what you're planning with your children...
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"A scientist is one who, in the pursuit of this knowledge, has felt so passionate a love for the mysteries of nature that he forgets himself." #QotD

"We may define a scientist as one who during the course of an experiment has perceived something that leads to a further investigation of the profound truths of life, and has lifted the veil which hid its fascinating secrets, and who, in the pursuit of this knowledge, has felt so passionate a love for the mysteries of nature that he forgets himself."
        ~ Dr Maria Montessori, from The Discovery of the Child (Clio, 1988) p. 6

"'The greatest sign of success for a teacher' said Maria Montessori, 'is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.' ' Modern schools don’t work to get students to this point. They strive instead to indoctrinate." #QotD

"If you want to know what’s wrong with education ... — arguably the root of all our problems — then look no further than [the contrasting educational philosophy of] Maria Montessori.
    "Montessori was one of the greatest educators of all time.
    "In recent decades particularly, most schools have done the precise opposite of what Montessori very wisely thought and taught. That’s why we’re in such trouble.
    "Consider one of her greatest quotes:

“'The greatest sign of success for a teacher… is to be able to say, '‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.''

    "[Modern] schools don’t work to get students to this point. They strive to indoctrinate."
          ~ Dr Michael Hurd, from his post 'Maria Montessori: She Got Education Right'

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"The mainstream Catholic Church regarded all of this as blasphemy. Children were to be understood as dangerous bundles of instincts needing to be tamed by discipline, authority and the threat (often the daily reality) of violence." #QotD

"On the one hand, some Catholic religious orders like the Ursulines and the Dominicans, as well as some non-Catholic groups like the Quakers, were highly receptive to [Maria] Montessori’s ideas that children are independent creatures with imaginations of their own that can be developed in a structured but nurturing environment.
    "On the other, the mainstream Catholic Church, speaking through Fr Timothy Corcoran, (the historian Brian Titley calls him the church’s 'watchdog' on educational matters and thus 'the most influential figure in shaping the education system which emerged in the new Irish State'), regarded all of this as blasphemy. Children were to be understood as dangerous bundles of instincts needing to be tamed by discipline, authority and the threat (often the daily reality) of violence."
          ~ Fintan O'Toole, from his article 'Ireland’s education system was rigid and violent'

[Hat tip Maria Montessori Education Foundation]
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#QotD: "The things the child sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul. He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see and his ears hear."

"The child has a different relation to his environment from ours. Adults admire their environment. They can remember it and think about it, but the child absorbs it. The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul. He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see and his ears hear."
~ Maria Montessori, from her book The Absorbent Mind.

[UPDATE] Bonus QotD: “It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it.”

“It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it.” 

          ~ Dr Maria Montessori, from her 1949 book The Absorbent Mind 1948 book From Childhood to Adolescence (p. 20 of the Clio Edition)

[Hat tip the Maria Montessori Education Foundation (NZ)]
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QotD: "Children who spend time outdoors are calmer, happier, healthier, and more creative; have longer attention spans, and do better in school."

"Children who spend time outdoors are calmer, happier, healthier, and more creative; have longer attention spans, and do better in school.
    "Dr. Montessori understood the importance of taking children outside. Yes, bringing pieces of nature into the classroom has value, but taking children outside helps them form a meaningful relationship with those objects in their natural environment. When the child is outside, all of her senses are stimulated. Surrounded by the big outdoors, children can explore by touching, seeing, hearing, and when safe, even tasting. This awakens the senses and calls the child to come explore, creating a sense of awe and wonder that will be important throughout her life." 
~ North American Montessori Centre Teacher Training Blog

[Hat tip Le Port Montessori Schools; pic from the Global Montessori School]
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Projects, Day 5: Montessori school

So I told you the other day I’d give you some idea of some of the things I’ve been working on recently that have kept me away from blogging.

This is a new three-classroom Montessori school in a central Auckland suburb, behind two existing houses used as admin and accommodation ...

Quote of the Day: On helping the child

 

“We must help the child to act for himself, will for himself, think for himself;
this is the art of those who aspire to serve the spirit.” ~ Maria Montessori.

[Hat tip Maria Montessori Education Foundation (MMEF|NZ) ]

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New Auckland Montessori secondary school announced!

 

It’s a morning for announcements here at NOT PC.

Plans are well underway for a new independent Montessori in East Auckland, at a Panmure campus – to open in February 2017.

Director Steven Arnold invites all interested parents, and of course every interested student, to an Open Meeting next Wednesday evening to hear all!.

    WHAT: Open Meeting for new Montessori Secondary School
    WHEN: October 17, 7pm
    WHERE: Panmure District School Hall, 87 Mt Wellington Highway

Get along. If you have school-age children, what do you have to lose?