Let the Child Be the Guide

The Montessori Method which has a lot going for it but certainly silences creativity & self-express if this movie is an accurate representation, but that may have been just due to the teachers in this case. When the little boy pulled the tiny bike out of the box & started fantasizing & playing with it, the teacher cut him off with a comment about the seriousness of study & in another situation, a woman teacher directed a child to not feel something. Feelings are barometers of our internal conditions & are critical to maintain trust, authenticity, & clear communication, the keys to a functional social environment, whether family, class, work team, or any group or organization with a common goal.

These (the mentioned fantasy, play, & expression of emotions), in addition to the incessant competition & restrictions on curiosity or interacting with one's peers, are the primary damaging aspects of typical traditional schooling. I was very favorably impressed by the amount of responsibility the children seem to develop in being self-directed & also how common it was for one child to help or to teach another.