Dr. Maria Montessori, celebrated educator worldwide, possessed not only a dream for peace on earth, but she also created a definitive plan for how to cultivate peace within the world beginning in her own classrooms. Her mission of educating the whole child and creating peace through her teachings is known today as the Montessori Method.

Dr. Montessori’s Goal for Educating the Whole Child Includes Peace Education:

During the 1930′s, war throughout Europe caused Montessori to engage in a passionate search for new human truths as she became profoundly concerned with the question of peace. She of course focused on the development of the child, stating, “The child is both the hope and promise for mankind.”  This became her goal in educating the whole child. Dr. Montessori traveled the world, educating children and teachers, and opening new schools to follow the Montessori method. She presented many speeches worldwide to promote peace, many of which are included her in book, Education and Peace. Finally, Montessori was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949 and 1950, eloquently stating, ”Preventing conflicts is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of education. We must work to convince the world of the need for a universal, collective effort to build the foundation for peace.”

New Brain Research Shows the Need for Children to Feel Safe for Learning to Occur:

With new information today regarding brain research and how children need to feel safe in order for learning to occur, Dr. Montessori’s mission to create peace in the classroom is even more poignant today. The teacher in the Montessori classroom strives to create a safe, productive learning environment by teaching students the skills and tools for cooperation, thus, creating a compassionate classroom where learning thrives.

Dr. Montessori’s Philosophy to “Follow the Child” is Respectful to Children and Eliminates Competition, Facilitating a Peaceful Classroom Environment:

One of the most beautiful components of Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy is that teachers “follow the child” to his or her own potential. This means that teachers present individual lessons to children based on her own intellectual capabilities. Respect is given to the child to work at her own pace and the child is never compared to other students, nor in competition with other students. Students are safe to work within their individual work plans and with respect to their unique temperament and learning style.

Freedom with Responsibility Encourages the Development of Children’s Love of Learning:

Because the children may choose their own work based on the lessons that they have been presented, the children are engaged, enthused, and purposeful in their work. The Montessori classroom is built upon the notion of freedom with responsibility. The children develop a sense of ownership in their work, their lessons, and become active participants in their education. The frustration, fear, and disinterest that might develop in other traditional educational settings, that could potentially lead to bullying behaviors, should not present in the Montessori classroom.

Furthermore, because the child in the Montessori classroom is free to move with purpose to acquire materials needed to perform a lesson or activity, the child develops self-discipline, self-control, and self-respect. The child becomes independent and confident in the environment. Because the child is allowed to take care of himself or herself, the child feels respected and safe in the classroom and, thus, desires to continue to cultivate that within the classroom and school community.

The Benefit of Multi-Age Classrooms in Encouraging Peace:

Observing that children learn best in environments likened to family and home, Montessori designed her classrooms to include children of three sequential ages. Her extensive studies of children and how they learn led her to divide children into four planes of development and sensitive periods of learning. The children are grouped together in multi-age classrooms to meet the needs of the child. In the Montessori classroom, the younger children feel encouraged and capable of achieving mastery of work when they see older students completing the lesson. These groupings benefit older students as well because older children will feel capable, confident, and competent serving as mentors and role models to the younger children. Ideally, the children spend three years in the same Montessori classroom with the same teacher who nurtures and educates the child with a continuum of development.

Practical Life Develops Self-Esteem and Empowers Children to Solve Their Own Problems:

Montessori also believed that children should be empowered to become independent, stating, “The essence of independence is learning to take of oneself.” Practical life activities, such as scooping, pouring, sweeping, sewing, gardening, and conflict resolution, encourage independence, responsibility, confidence, and competence. The children feel valuable, capable, and empowered. Such feelings cultivate a compassionate, secure child who feels no need to bully or degrade others.

Multi-Cultural Cosmic Curriculum Encourages Students to Be Respectful of all Human Beings:

With multi-cultural curriculum and classrooms, children learn to be respectful of all human beings from all corners of our Earth. Students learn the names of each continent’s countries, capitals, flags, and landforms, as well as examining customs and cultures of people throughout our globe. Montessori believed that children who know about the Earth and its inhabitants would be the peacekeepers of our world. With knowledge and understanding for other cultures, children develop feelings of compassion and cooperation as human beings.  Thus, the Montessori method is perhaps even more relevant is today’s global village.

Lessons in Conflict Resolution are Prevalent in the Montessori Classroom for Creating Peace:

Finally, peace may prevail in the Montessori classroom because the children are instructed in conflict resolution with the peace rose, the peace table, and a multitude of lessons regarding how to speak with one another to share feelings and needs when a problem occurs. Maria Montessori was committed to creating peace in our world through the education of our children and developed lessons specifically for children to learn how to solve their own problems peacefully.

Closing:

Dr. Maria Montessori remains today, perhaps one of the greatest educators and advocates for children. Her teachings, methods, and philosophy are still relevant, perhaps even more so today, with the problems children are confronted with at the dawn of the 21st century. Parents and educators who seek specific guidance and inspiration on creating peace in the home, classroom, community, and Earth benefit from the writings and teachings of Dr. Montessori regarding her philosophy for working with children. The science and brilliance of her method is the key to unlocking the door of the child with relationship based learning and peace education.

*Footnote: 101 People for Peace Fund, sponsored by the American Montessori Society, will help promote a global culture of peace through education. To make a donation, please visit www.amshq.org