Freedom and the Montessori Classroom

“To give a child liberty is not to abandon him to himself."

Montessori classrooms often receive two types of criticism. The first is that our students have too much freedom – “they do whatever they like!” – and the second is that they are not free at all: “all these poor children do is work!” Well, both can be true, our students often want to work. But we do have a very specific notion of freedom.

To us, freedom doesn’t mean chaos or doing whatever we please, anytime (what Dr. Montessori called “being a slave to one’s own impulses”). Rather, it means being able to set a goal and reach it, whether that goal is “I will learn Spanish and live in Madrid”, or “I will work with the pink tower material next.”

To be free to reach our goals, we need the capacity to weigh our options, the ability to make a choice and go through with it. In other words, freedom requires knowledge of our environment, the necessary skills, and the self-control to follow through. It is in the child’s nature to work hard to gain all three. As educators, we just need to give the opportunity.

Our toddlers have the freedom to wash laundry, because they can do it without flooding the classroom; our four-year olds have the freedom to practice hammering nails or using sharp knives because follow safety precautions. Our Elementary students have the freedom to put together their weekly work plans because they accept that they have to include necessary tasks as well as their favourites. As we grow in knowledge, skills and self-control, our freedom naturally grows too: gradually but inexorably.

“To let the child do as he likes, when he has not yet developed any powers of control, is to betray the idea of freedom.”

We don’t want our students to be quiet during their classroom work because they are not free to raise their voice. We want them to have the knowledge, the understanding, and the self-control to choose to speak in a low voice so as to be polite and not disturb their friends. We want children to learn that freedom isn’t the absence of rules and boundaries – there is no such thing, we are always tied by laws and rules. But freedom means willingly following rules that we accept and appreciate, and having the space to live a happy and productive life within them.

By Michaela Tučková / Toddler Teacher

Want to learn more? Read our next article:

THE BENEFITS OF CURSIVE HANDWRITING

Gallery
Comments

Další články

Communicating with the Toddler Child

As teachers, we are often asked what special tips or tricks we use to get children to cooperate. Most often parents ask questions like “How can I get my child more interested in dressing and eating by themselves?”or “How can we make the mornings run more smoothly?” It can feel challenging when our patience is tested, but we must remember that children are learning to develop their own will and sense of obedience which is a natural process lasting until around six years of age.

Tidy Up! An Activity Your Toddler Will Love

Looking at our Toddler classrooms, even a casual observer will notice that half of the children’s time seems to be spent cleaning. They’re busy sweeping, wiping, mopping, scrubbing and brushing; even almost antiquated activities, such as washing laundry by hand or polishing wood and metal objects, have their place.

Food preparation

Food Preparation activities are very popular in a Montessori classroom. Not only do children enjoy eating food they’ve prepared themselves, but they learn skills throughout the process.

Helping your Toddler on their Path of Development

Parents today are constantly surrounded by images and ideas of what their children should or shouldn’t have and it can be overwhelming trying to decide what is best for their child’s development. Every parent wants to make good decisions when it comes to the items you choose to bring into your home, but how do we know which ones are more or less beneficial than others?

Holiday Baking With Your Toddler

It's beginning to look a lot like winter - with first frosts and early dark, but also bright twinkling lights and seasonal decorations wherever you look. Is it any wonder that we populate the long, cold nights of December with candle light, evergreens and the smells of a myriad festive treats? So many delicious flavours belong firmly at the close of the year - hot chocolate and sweet tea, spiced pies, delicate cookies and savoury roasts, all keeping us cozy and warm as well as full.