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Immediate Environment - Maria Montessori, 1925 An environment that is incorrect presents a great difficulty to the child. The harmony is lacking for him which we have created in the environment for ourselves. This lack of harmony is no doubt a great obstacle to the development of the child and we have no spoken of it so far. Almost nothing is prepared in the the child's environment to enable him to exercise himself -- it is the adult who carries out all that is necessary in the way of exercise. The fact that the child has nothing prepared for him and it is the adult who works for him might seem to us at first sight as a kind of compensation to the child, but on the contrary it is a double obstacle because the child himself needs the exercise and in consequence must doubly fatigue himself by (1) seeking out in the environment the things which have not been prepared for him, and (2) the other fatigue which is imposed upon him is this opposition to the adult who is trying to act instead of him. ​ If we can improve the condition of life, this improvement is a much more important fact than the mere making of a school. This is a conception which regards not only the school but the whole existence of the child, the family is also interested in this, because the child in finding this harmony between himself and his environment can exercise himself and in doing so develop himself. It must be proportionate to the child but I do not mean that it need all be of the same shape. There is no reason why furniture should be exactly alike. Why should all tables be square, or rectangular, or round? There is no reason at all why they should all be the same shape. They can be of all different shapes and sizes so long as they are proportionate to the child's strength. The same applies to the chairs, they need not all be exactly the same ugly shape, one could have pretty little arm chairs, little stools, little benches, and chairs of various shapes. ​ There should be nothing out of his reach. It is of course absolutely different from the view which states that everything should be hung so high up that it is out of the reach of the child so that only the teacher can reach it. In putting up clothes-pegs we must put them at such a height that the child himself can hang up or take down his own clothes. The same observation applies to the hanging of the pictures at such a height that the child can look at them, just as in our own rooms we hang our pictures at the right height for looking at them. As you know in our own homes we may have wall decorations above the level of the eye but pictures will always be hung at a more comfortable and lower level. We are not always accustomed in our own houses to look at paintings on the ceilings and yet for children we are accustomed to hanging the pictures so high that they cannot look at them without stretching their necks. They should be hung so low that the child can with his own hands take them down from the wall. ​ The windows must not merely be arranged for motives of health such as ventilation and light, but for the child's spiritual needs, so that he can look out of them when he wants to. We ourselves would not like to live in a house where the windows are so high up that we cannot look out, we should call that house a prison. You may say that there would be a danger of the child's falling out of the window -- always with this preoccupation with the child's body. This is quite a reasonable preoccupation for the child's safety, but at the same time is it likely for the child to throw himself out of the window if he has sufficiently interesting things to do within the room? These windows should preferably look out onto a garden or verandah, because when the children are faced with certain difficulties in their lives they may be able to get out of doors and feel free. Characteristic of a smaller classroom would be little windows at which the child of three might sit with a chair when he wished to --windows with little curtains of various colors that the child might be able to draw back or open himself. We might have a schoolroom of a rectangular shape in which cozy corners could be enclosed, so that the room takes on an octagonal shape. In these cozy corners special things could be arranged to satisfy the children's needs, for instance when a child wishes to isolate himself, which he often wants to do, he could go into one of these cozy corners. In one corner there could be a little tap with running water at which he can get water to fill the vases for flowers.

An Appreciation of Montessori Forward by Buckminster Fuller, from Education for Human Development, Mario Montessori All children are born geniuses. And 9,999 out of every 10,000 are swiftly, inadvertently, 'de-geniused' by grown-ups. This happens because humans are born naked, helpless, and -- though superbly equipped cerebrally -- utterly lacking in experience, therefore utterly ignorant. Their delicate sensing equipment is, as yet, untried. Born with built-in hunger, thirst, curiosity, the procreatvive urge, they can only learn what humanity has learned by trial and error -- by billions upon billions of errors. Yet humanity is also endowed with self-deceiving pride. All those witnessing the errors of others proclaim that they (the witnesses) could have prevented the errors had they only been consulted. "People should not make mistakes" they mistakenly say. Motivated entirely by love, but also by fear for the futures of the children they love, parents act as though they know all the answers and curtail the spontaneous exploratory acts of their children, lest the children make "mistakes'. But genius does its own thinking; it has confidence in its own exploratory findings, in its own intuitions, in the knowledge gained from its own mistakes. Nature has her own gestation rates for evolutionary development. The actions of parents represent the checks and balances of nature's gestation control. Humanity can evolve healthily only at a given rate. Maria Montessori was fortunately permitted to maintain, sustain, and cultivate her innate genius. Her genius invoked her awareness of the genius inherent in all children. Her intuition and initiative inspired her to discover ways of safeguarding this genius while allaying fears of parents. But the way was not always easy. Hers was the difficult frontiering task of genius.

Extras Links to Montessori Resources Contact info@moteaco.org if you'd like to be on this list. Montessori quotes (unsourced) I made this list as a new teacher, jotting down quotes that caught my eye from day to day. Montessori quotes (attributed) I made this list later when a colleague reminded me that attributed quotes are a bit more useful. Montessori Mouse A set of cartoons I made based on classroom events and parent stories. Moteaco & The Internet Archive A look back at various Moteaco projects over the years. Influences Who Are Not Maria I was reading all over the place while I was teaching - these were some of my influences. My Thanks People who encouraged me to teach and supported me along the way.

Library This is a free library, available through the generous efforts of authors, publishers, and - perhaps most importantly - volunteer typists. Excerpted ABC-Clio titles are provided by arrangement with the publisher and Robert Neville, Editorial Director, ABC-Clio, Ltd. The Montessori Method , by Maria Montessori. Presented in its entirety. The Absorbent Mind , by Maria Montessori. Introduction, Translator's Note, Chapters 1 & 2 Basic Ideas of Montessori's Educational Theory , by Maria Montessori. Compiled by Paul Oswald and Günter Schulz-Benesch. Forward to the English edition, Chapters 1 & 2 The California Lectures of Maria Montessori, 1915 , by Maria Montessori. Edited by Robert G. Buckenmeyer. Introduction, Lecture, Article, Original synopsis, Additional articles The Child In The Family , by Maria Montessori. Translated by Nancy Rockmore Cirillo. "The Blank Page" and "The Newborn Child" From Childhood to Adolescence , by Maria Montessori. Chapters 1 & 2 The Discovery of the Child , by Maria Montessori. Chapters 1 & 2 Education for a New World , by Maria Montessori. Introduction, "Discovery & Development" The Formation of Man , by Maria Montessori. Part One: Prejudices and Nebulae What You Should Know About Your Child . Based on the lectures of Maria Montessori. Preface, Forward, Note, Chapters 1 & 2 To Educate the Human Potential , by Maria Montessori. Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2 Volunteer Typists: Jen McGraw - The Absorbent Mind, What You Should Know Connie Black - Basic Ideas of Montessori's Educational Theory Anna Colgan - The Child In The Family, Education for a New World, Formation of Man Julie Winnette - The Discovery of the Child Siobhan Henshilwood - To Educate the Human Potential Germaine Koomen - From Childhood to Adolescence

Thanks Sue Weisman Sue and I worked together on the children's unit at Westwood Lodge, a psychiatric hospital in Westwood, MA. She was also working at Woodside Montessori School , where they were looking for a teacher to pilot a new elementary program. Sue suggested I apply for the job, and enrolled her own children after we opened the classroom. ​ Ravi Kaur Khalsa Ravi was the owner, director, and a 3-6 teacher at Woodside. Her faith in my potential and financial support for my training enabled me to become a Montessori teacher. ​ Gary Davidson Gary is the founder/director at Seacoast Center for Education , a Montessori teacher training organization. His patience, experience, and wry insights helped guide and support me as a teacher. ​ Charles Terranova Another Seacoast instructor with a long and successful Montessori career, Charles' vast experience, and infectious joy inspired and encouraged me along the way. ​ Rob Keys Rob still teaches at Seacoast, and over the years turned into a true friend. We eventually taught together at the Cornerstone School in Stratham, NH, some of the best memories of my life.

About MOTEACO The Montessori Teachers Collective was born over coffee. ​ One of the best things about Montessori teaching is the camaraderie. I loved spending time with other teachers and felt stronger in the classroom afterward, but conferences and seminars were few and far between - time was the thing that was the hardest to find! In the mid-90s I began to wonder if the Internet might help to fill the gaps between get-togethers. It wouldn't be the same as coffee & kid stories in the lobby of the conference hotel at 1:00 am, but it'd be better than nothing. ​ My fascination with HTML and increasing numbers of Montessori folks online proved to be fertile ground. The first iteration of the page, then called the Montessori Teachers Collaborative , was uploaded to AOL's Hometown service on December 8, 1997, as part of my elementary training final project. A slight name change accompanied a large format change in March 1998, and the somewhat more aptly titled Montessori Teachers Collective started to grow. ​ Other projects sprouted up along the way... a Montessori teachers discussion forum (MTF), a discussion forum for Montessori parents (MPF), free one-page websites (The Homepage Project ) for Montessori schools who couldn't afford a web presence of their own, and Montessori Schools Online , a 'webring' of connected Montessori school home pages from around the world. At one time MTC also featured an exhaustive list of every Montessori school and materials vendor, hundreds of sourced quotes, classified ads, Montessori postcards you could send by email, live chat with whoever happened to be at the site, and two applications written for the Palm Pilot : an animated quotes generator and a classroom management application. ​ September 1999 saw another redesign and a move to new server space - I was all-in on the technology thing and MOTEACO was now officially larger than the sum of its parts. ​ Feature articles in local papers, The Public School Montessorian , and Montessori Life Magazine brought increasing numbers of people to the site. At times there were even more visitors from Africa, South America, Asia, and Australia than the United States, Canada, and Europe, combined. Most importantly, though, lots of small, single-classroom schools with a handful of students, a passionate teacher, and incomplete sets of second-hand materials could afford to do more, as everything on the site was free to use and share. ​ You're reading the latest version of MOTEACO . We were on and off again in the mid-late 2010s, though our Facebook Page kept chugging along. A volunteer hosted a copy of the site's content during that time, and COVID finally provided me the time to get things running again in December 2020. My name's Don Jennings . Welcome to the Montessori Teachers Collective !

Albums+ It's important to note that these materials represent a starting point. Creating your own notes, charts, and illustrated lessons is an important part of teacher training. They're a good first resource, though, and we're grateful to those who've shared them. Curriculum Scope & Sequence: 3-12 years The Great Lessons God Who Has No Hands The Coming of Life The Coming of Humans The Story of Writing The Story of Numerals DOC DOC DOC DOC DOC PDF PDF PDF PDF PDF Timelines Timeline of Life Timeline of Writing 6-9 Elementary Albums Math History Geometry Biology Language

Two Questions Answered - Maria Montessori, 1924 Q: If the children in a Montessori school work individually rather than collectively, how will they be able to prepare themselves for social life? ​ A: Social life does not consist of a group of individuals remaining close together, side by side, nor in their advancing en masse under the command of a captain like a regiment on the march, nor like an ordinary class of school children. The social life of man is founded upon work, harmoniously organized and upon social virtues -- and these are the attitudes which develop to an exceptional degree amongst our children. Constancy in their work, patience when having to wait, the power of adapting themselves to the innumerable circumstances which present themselves in their daily contact with each other, reciprocal helpfulness and so on, are all exercises which represent a real and practical social life and which we see, for the first time, being organized amongst the children in a school. In fact, whereas schools used to be equipped only so as to accommodate children, seated passively side by side, who were expected to receive from the teacher (we might almost say in a parasitic manner), our schools, on the contrary, have an equipment which is adapted to all those forms of work which are necessary in an active and independent little community. The individual work in which the child is able to isolate himself and to concentrate, serves to protect his individuality and the nearer man gets to perfection, the better he is able to associate harmoniously with others. A strong social movement cannot exist without prepared individuals, just as the members of an orchestra cannot play together harmoniously unless each individual has been thoroughly trained by repeated exercise when alone. Q: In Montessori schools the work is chosen by the pupil himself who seeks the most interesting occupation and, therefore, the one which is most agreeable to him. How can such a preparation fit him to take his place in social life where duty imposes tasks not always pleasant, in fact often quite contrary to the personal taste? A: He who struggles, overcoming difficulties though his task may not be a pleasant one, or, in other words, he who sacrifices himself must, above all, be strong. This question, therefore, presupposes a condition which is of fundamental importance: 'sine qua non' -- to be strong. The spontaneous exercises which the little children do in our schools, choosing the work which they like and remaining absorbed in it for a long time, in an atmosphere of calm, fortify them, and in this way they are, although indirectly, preparing themselves for the unpleasant eventualities of their future social life. In the same way, the child who is nourished during the first year of his life on milk alone is thus preparing to be able to eat different kinds of food later on. If infants nourishment has been such to permit a healthy and robust physical development, then the grown man will be strong enough to digest heavy food, but not if he has been fed on heavy and unsuitable food as a child. ​ He who has acquired perfect equilibrium of his body can bend to the right and to the left, and take difficult steps without falling. The acquisition of equilibrium, therefore, is a necessary preparation for difficult movements. The same is true with regard to the psychic life. The child who does spontaneous exercises which lead to a healthy mental equilibrium will be able to adapt himself without losing his own individuality. Is it through illness and disease that we prepare ourselves to be strong? Did heroes prepare themselves gradually for acts of heroism from childhood on? No -- their life is one great incognito as regards the future. That which must be prepared through the present is strength, equilibrium, and health. Those children who have gained inner strength in their work, and by exercising themselves, as men will be better able than we to adapt themselves to an effort which they do not find pleasant.

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Timeline of Life A smaller, hand-drawn representation of the traditional chart. Scroll to view entire image. Click image to magnify. Full-size image is 36 inches by 8 inches. Right-click to download & save. Click to view & download as a PDF .

Timeline of Writing A smaller, hand-drawn original representation of this timeline. Scroll to view entire image. Click image to magnify. Full-size image is 38 inches by 8 inches. Right-click to download & save. Click to view & download as a PDF .

Lectures How It All Happened - Maria Montessori, 1942 [PDF ] Two Questions Answered - Maria Montessori, 1924 [PDF ] Immediate Environment - Maria Montessori, 1925 [PDF ] Porter Lecture - Maria Montessori, 1946 [PDF ] Closing Address - Maria Montessori, Copenhagen Montessori Congress, 1937 [PDF ] Education & Peace - Maria Montessori, Date Unknown [PDF ] Closing Address - Maria Montessori, India First Course, 1940 [PDF ] NAZIONE UNICA - Maria Montessori, excerpts (Copenhagen 1937, San Remo 1949) [PDF ] The Psychology of Mathematics - Maria Montessori, Cambridge Education Society, 1935 [PDF ] The Child's Place in Society - Maria Montessori, 24th Conference of Educational Associations, 1936 [PDF ] The Second Plane of Education - Maria Montessori, London, 1939 [PDF ] One Can Never Hear It Too Often - Maria Montessori, London 1927 & India 1940 [PDF ] NEW An Everliving Message - Maria Montessori, India 1940 [PDF ] NEW General Considerations - Maria Montessori, 1934 [PDF ] NEW