Montessori Myth #1:
"Children in a Montessori school can do whatever they want, therefore they are undisciplined and chaotic."
When I tell people what I do, 90% of the time they ask me how I can be so patient as to work with children who must be absolutely out of control if we let them do whatever they want. This is the most common misconception that people have about Montessori. In fact it cannot be further from the truth.
The basis of the Montessori method is indeed the child's freedom of choice. This kind of freedom is nevertheless relative since the child chooses his activities within an environment where absolutely nothing is left to chance. The environment and its range of activities are thoughtfully planned out and constructed in order to guide the child on a journey of learning through self-discovery.
In a Montessori class the child faces three "levels" of freedom of choice:
- he has the freedom to choose which pedagogical material he will be working with,
- the freedom to choose who he will work with, if the nature of the work requires a team effort (this is more typical in Elementary), and
- the freedom to work on the chosen activity for as long as he feels the need to.
And all of this, with minimal intervention from the adult. "How is that possible?!" I hear you say. Well, the secret is that all this freedom would never work within a disorganized setting - there is nothing more organized than a Montessori environment.
In fact, when, in Montessori jargon, we talk about freedom of choice, we do not mean "a deliberate abstention from direction", which is the popular definition of a laissez-faire philosophy. Freedom has nothing to do with an irresponsible laissez-faire. Freedom is something that needs to be acquired.
Letting a child do whatever he wants is not the same as setting him free. Freedom is rather a positive construction that takes place when and if there are clearly defined rules in an extremely predictable and organized setting. This means that children are given the freedom to work with any material and for as long as they want, as long as they are using the material in the constructive manner shown by the adult, and not just "in any way they want".
The educator's job in such an environment is to guide the child in his development, which includes the development of his ability to choose freely without damaging the environment and without negatively affecting his peers' rights. From this comes the idea of respect. Respect of others and their rights is what creates a community of peace, which is our most important and ultimate goal as Montessorians.
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| Freedom of choice |
In a Montessori class the child faces three "levels" of freedom of choice:
- he has the freedom to choose which pedagogical material he will be working with,
- the freedom to choose who he will work with, if the nature of the work requires a team effort (this is more typical in Elementary), and
- the freedom to work on the chosen activity for as long as he feels the need to.
And all of this, with minimal intervention from the adult. "How is that possible?!" I hear you say. Well, the secret is that all this freedom would never work within a disorganized setting - there is nothing more organized than a Montessori environment.
In fact, when, in Montessori jargon, we talk about freedom of choice, we do not mean "a deliberate abstention from direction", which is the popular definition of a laissez-faire philosophy. Freedom has nothing to do with an irresponsible laissez-faire. Freedom is something that needs to be acquired.
Letting a child do whatever he wants is not the same as setting him free. Freedom is rather a positive construction that takes place when and if there are clearly defined rules in an extremely predictable and organized setting. This means that children are given the freedom to work with any material and for as long as they want, as long as they are using the material in the constructive manner shown by the adult, and not just "in any way they want".
The educator's job in such an environment is to guide the child in his development, which includes the development of his ability to choose freely without damaging the environment and without negatively affecting his peers' rights. From this comes the idea of respect. Respect of others and their rights is what creates a community of peace, which is our most important and ultimate goal as Montessorians.
"What is the greatest sign of success for a teacher? It is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.' "
- Maria Montessori
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