Montessori = creativity unleashed | Judi Bauerlein | TEDxLivermore
Summary
TLDRThe speaker celebrates the transformative power of Montessori education, highlighting its emphasis on sensorial experiences and the prepared environment to foster creativity and independence. Through personal anecdotes and examples, including the experiences of notable Montessori alumni like Julia Child and Will Wright, the talk illustrates how this educational approach nurtures a deep connection with nature and the cosmos, encouraging a lifelong love for learning and exploration.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The script celebrates the transformative power of 'flittering light' moments that spark internal awareness and creativity.
- 👩⚕️ Maria Montessori's journey as the first female physician in Italy and her serendipitous involvement with children led to profound insights into education.
- 👶 Montessori's observations at an institution for children, then derogatorily termed 'idiot children', highlighted the critical need for sensorial experiences in learning.
- 🏡 The Montessori method emphasizes a 'prepared environment' that is inviting, safe, and conducive to fostering a child's independence and inner teacher.
- 🔑 Freedom of choice and the ability to engage deeply with materials until satisfaction are key principles that Montessori believed in to encourage creativity.
- 🧠 The script illustrates how sensorial materials in a Montessori classroom engage children's minds and bodies, leading to moments of 'flow' and deep concentration.
- 🌱 The importance of nature and cosmic education in the Montessori curriculum is underscored, with the belief that a connection to the natural world is essential for a child's development.
- 🌌 Cosmic education, starting from a young age, aims to feed children's curiosity about the universe and life, planting seeds in their creative imagination.
- 🎓 Montessori alumni often carry the values and experiences from their education into adulthood, demonstrating the long-term impact of the method.
- 🌍 The script concludes by suggesting that the principles of Montessori education, which value attention and respect, can be applied universally to enrich our world.
Q & A
Who is Maria Montessori and what is her significance in the field of education?
-Maria Montessori was the first female physician in Italy, graduating in 1896. She became involved with young children and developed a strong educational system based on the importance of sensorial experiences and the manipulation of objects by hand.
What is the significance of the 'flittering light' mentioned in the script?
-The 'flittering light' refers to spontaneous moments of illumination or insight that can lead to significant changes or discoveries, both in the context of individual learning and in Montessori's own educational philosophy.
How did Maria Montessori's experience with 'idiot children' influence her educational philosophy?
-Maria Montessori's observation of children in an institution, who were treated poorly and misunderstood, led to her realization of the critical need for sensorial experiences. This experience was pivotal in shaping her educational philosophy, emphasizing the importance of hands-on learning.
What is the role of the prepared environment in Montessori education?
-The prepared environment in Montessori education is designed to be nurturing, safe, and conducive to learning. It is carefully arranged to honor the individual's work and to allow the 'inner teacher' within the child to be heard, fostering independence.
What are the two principles of Montessori education that most effectively encourage the 'inner teacher'?
-The two principles are freedom of choice and the freedom to stay with the material until one is satisfied, which allow children to explore and learn at their own pace, enhancing their creativity and understanding.
How does the interaction with sensorial material in Montessori classrooms contribute to creativity?
-Interaction with sensorial material engages the child's complete concentration, leading to deep enjoyment and creativity. It allows for immersive experiences that can lead to 'flow', a state described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book 'Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience'.
What are the specific requirements for sensorial materials in Montessori education?
-Sensorial materials in Montessori education must be sturdy, well-constructed, mathematically accurate, and pleasing to the senses to be worthy of the self-construction work they will facilitate for the individual.
How do Montessori graduates carry their sensorial experiences into adulthood?
-Montessori graduates often carry a love for working with their hands and a willingness to try new things into adulthood, as exemplified by figures like Julia Child and Will Wright, who attribute their success to their Montessori education.
Why is the connection to nature important in Montessori education?
-The connection to nature is important because it fosters a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for the environment. Montessori education includes nature in its curriculum and environment to counteract 'nature deficit disorder' and promote healthy child development.
What is Cosmic Education and how does it fit into Montessori's approach?
-Cosmic Education is an approach that begins at age six, aiming to feed children's curiosity about the universe and life's mysteries. It involves teaching about the wonders of the universe and using great stories to plant seeds in the child's fertile, creative imagination.
How does the Montessori method encourage creativity and attentiveness?
-The Montessori method encourages creativity by providing an environment that values attention to creativity, tool handling, and respecting others' space and thoughts. This attentiveness imbues work and learning with worth, allowing creativity to flow freely.
Outlines
🌟 Illuminating Moments and Montessori's Impact
The speaker begins by emphasizing the transformative power of moments when light touches internal awareness, stirring something within us that can create wonders. They recount their experiences with students and personal growth, highlighting Maria Montessori's journey as Italy's first female physician and her serendipitous involvement with children. Montessori's observations at an institution for children, where she noticed their need for sensorial experiences, led to powerful awakenings about the critical need for hands-on manipulation. This realization became a cornerstone of her educational system, which is known for fostering creativity and inventiveness, as illustrated by a Wall Street Journal article and the experiences of a Montessori colleague.
🌱 The Prepared Environment and Inner Teacher
The speaker discusses the importance of the prepared environment in Montessori education, which is designed to nurture the inner teacher within the child, allowing for independence and self-discovery. Montessori believed in the child's inner teacher and the importance of freedom of choice and the freedom to engage with materials until satisfaction is achieved. An example is shared of a 7-year-old student who, through her work with the multiplication board, made a spontaneous connection with a sensorial material, demonstrating the power of exploration and concentration. The speaker also touches on the characteristics of Montessori sensorial materials and how they contribute to the self-construction of the individual, with anecdotes from Montessori graduates like Julia Child and Will Wright, who attribute their success to their Montessori education.
🌿 Embracing Nature and Cosmic Education
The speaker highlights the significance of a connection with nature in child development, referencing Richard Louv's concept of 'nature deficit disorder' and its negative impacts. Montessori education integrates nature into its curriculum and environment, fostering a deep relationship with the natural world. The speaker shares insights from Montessori graduates like Gabrielle Garcia Marquez and a Venezuelan architect, who credit their affinity for nature and creativity to their Montessori education. The concept of Cosmic Education is introduced, which aims to feed children's curiosity about the universe and life's secrets through exploration and storytelling, beginning at a young age.
🌐 Attention to Creativity and Honoring Individuality
The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of attention to creativity and the honoring of individuality in Montessori schools. They share comments from Jim Borman, a parent and political cartoonist, who observes the value placed on creativity, tool handling, and respect for personal space and thoughts in Montessori education. The speaker suggests that these principles can be applied beyond Montessori schools, enriching the world by surrounding us with the 'flittering light' of creativity and individual attention.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Flittering Light
💡Montessori Journey
💡Sensorial Experiences
💡Prepared Environment
💡Freedom of Choice
💡Inner Teacher
💡Cosmic Education
💡Nature Deficit Disorder
💡Flow
💡Attention
Highlights
The importance of spontaneous moments of illumination in creating wonders.
Maria Montessori's journey as the first female physician in Italy and her serendipitous involvement with children.
Montessori's realization of the critical need for sensorial experiences in children's development.
The foundational principle of Montessori education: giving to the hand before the mind.
The Wall Street Journal article questioning the creativity fostered by Montessori education.
The prepared environment in Montessori classrooms that promotes independence and inner growth.
Freedom of choice and the freedom to stay with material until satisfaction as key principles in Montessori education.
An example of a child's 'flittering light' moment with the multiplication board and bead cabinet.
The deep concentration and creativity experienced by children through sensorial material interaction.
The requirement for Montessori sensorial materials to be sturdy, accurate, and pleasing to the senses.
Montessori graduates carrying sensorial experiences into adulthood, exemplified by Julia Child and Will Wright.
The significance of a warm and trusting relationship with nature in Montessori education.
The inclusion of nature and cosmic education in the Montessori curriculum from age six.
The concept of 'nature deficit disorder' and its impact on child development.
The role of cosmic education in feeding children's curiosity about the universe.
The importance of attentiveness in fostering creativity and honoring individuality in Montessori schools.
The application of Montessori principles beyond the classroom, including adult Montessori and for the elderly.
Transcripts
[Applause]
welcome Sun come and spread your
flittering light flittering light those
spontaneous moments when a spark of
light touches an internal
awareness it illuminates and moves on
but something in us has
stirred and that stirring can create
wonders I was blessed to have experience
magical moments with my students and
within myself for I was changed when I
took my Monas
Journey Maria montori
herself had many moments of
Illumination and they did create
wonders two years after she graduated as
the first female
physician in Italy in
1896 she was through a series of
serendipitous events she became involved
with young children thank
goodness one day she was asked to visit
an institution for children and at that
time they were called idiot children and
they were treated as
such she was wandering through the halls
with this caregiver guide and she
noticed children picking up pieces of
bread from the
floor and they were feeling them and
they were touching
it the guide disgustingly
said these children just ate and yet
they want more Dr monoy said they don't
want to eat eat the bread they need to
touch it they need to manipulate it they
need sensorial
experiences from this one and from many
similar
experiences came powerful
Awakenings that a critical essential
need for the for each human is to be
able to manipulate with their hands to
use their hands Dr monoy said give
nothing to the mind until you first give
it to the
hand her passion about sensorial
experiences and her belief in their
importance eventually formed a strong
basis of her educational
system now sometimes these flittering
lights are more like a flood light as
you will see in this Wall Street Journal
article the author later goes on to to
say what is it about the monory
education that does Foster such
creativity is there something that we
can learn from is there something about
that monoy environment that does create
such
inventiveness a mono colleague of mine
said well yes of course we encourage
creativity but most importantly we don't
stifle it
so take a brief Journey with me as we
look at some of those elements that do
uncover and Foster creativity through
the whole age span of the mono education
which includes infant toddlers all the
way through
adolesence a structural developmental
Cornerstone of mono education is the
prepared
environment imagine you entering a
classroom that is bright it's beautiful
it's
harmonious you are greeted with genuine
warmth you feel
safe the materials are arranged
beautifully on the shelves plants and
sometimes an animal or two or more are
an integral part of the
classroom everything is lovingly and
carefully
prepared to honor the work of the
individual Sean Diddy comes rap singer
and
actor attended a public monoy
school and he expressed beautifully what
can happen in the prepared
environment he said I felt like I was
nurtured into being someone
special Dr monor talks extensively and
passionately about the role of the
prepared
environment so that the voice of the
inner child the inner teacher within the
child may be heard and Independence may
be gained she wrote it is as if nature
safeguarded each child from the
influence of adult
reasoning in order to give priority to
that inner teacher who animates
him there are many many principles in
the monoy
education but two of them which most
effectively encourage and animate that
inner teacher are freedom of
choice and freedom to stay with the
material until one is
satisfied I'm going to share an example
of a a student in my class 7 years old
she had chosen to work with the
multiplication
board and was busy working with it doing
the six time
Stables all of a sudden she looked up
and it was like that flittering light
just soared into her she rushed over to
the bead cabinet took the corresponding
six chain laid it right next to the
multiplication board and essentially she
yells out she said they're the same
thing it's the same how wonderful that
she had the time to explore those
connections
herself inter students interaction with
sensorial
material engages their complete
concentration of both mind and
body there are times they become so
immersed in their work that they do lose
all sense of time they experience deep
in enjoyment and creativity and it
reminds me very much of what chick sens
me high describes as flow in his book
flow the psychology of human
creativity and as you can imagine Dr
mono had very many specific requirements
for this kinesthetic sensorial
material they had to be sturdy they had
to be well
constructed mathematically accurate and
pleasing to the
senses
why because they must be worthy of the
work that they will do for the self-c
construction of the
individual monaster graduates have many
of them have carried the sensorial
experience into adulthood these young
children love taking the sensorial
materials and exploring different
patterns with them and combining
materials to make incredible structures
they're young Engineers who are building
these incredible things and it's all
because they have the time and the
choice to do so and now I want to go
back to these monaster
graduates who have carried sensorial
experiences with
them Julia Child
said my montoo experience taught me to
love working with my hands to try new
things and to have a very friendly
relationship with
eror and
moving and moving from the kitchen into
the computer
room Will Wright creator of Sim City
said you learn really complex things in
Monas things like the Pythagorean
theorem by working with material called
the trinomial
CU he said it's all about learning
things on your own rather than having
teachers explaining stuff to you all the
time Sim City he says comes right out of
monor we're going to take a trip and the
flipping light is going to now go to two
particular passions of
mine the interaction with the natural
world world and Cosmic education the
wonders of the
universe very perceptive people have
said how incredibly important it is that
we have a warm and trusting relationship
with
nature and how sad it is when that sense
of wonder is
lost why is this so
important consider
in his influential
book last child in the woods Richard
love coined a term called nature deficit
disorder which describes what is
happening with many of our young
children and the conditions as a result
such as
obesity add depression among
others he then points to research that
shows that a healthy happy connection to
our natural
world directly corresponds to healthy
child
development Dr monoi said how sad the
soul of
man especially that of a child who is
not put in contact with
nature she was determined to do
something about this about this sad
situation
in her educational program Nature is
totally in it's it's included in every
single thing it's included in the
curriculum in the
environment in the nature walks in
camping in fact with the secondary
students spend a long time tending the
ground tending the land
and this student a secondary monory
student has created and is now building
a straw Bell
house because there are many creators
creative artists that talk about this
incredible connection to
Nature Gabrielle Garcia
Marquez Nobel Prize winner said I do not
believe there's a method better than
montor for sens izing children to the
beauties of Nature and for awakening
their
curiosity about the secrets of
life and this vienes
architect
said my Mur School taught me to have an
affinity for vivid
colors and to love
nature and now we're going to the outer
reaches of the
cosmos and Cosmic education
which essentially begins at age six Dr
monoy observed as we all know the
children of that age want to know the
how and the why of
everything and if that is what they need
to feed their Brilliant Minds it is our
job to give it to
them our task is to enthuse them to
their inmost Court by planting a as many
seeds as possible in that fertile
creative
imagination and that is what we
do the curriculum the
environment
everything also includes looking at the
wonders of the universe and through
great stories such
as the story of the universe and the
timeline of
Life perhaps perhaps our
Reflections can come to a
conclusion the flittering white will be
captured as we look at comments from Jim
Borman he is a political cartoonist and
a parent he has two children in a monory
school and when he observes the monory
school he said it's all about a kind of
attention
attention that is given to
creativity attention that is given
to handling tools attention given to
honoring another person's
space honoring another person's thoughts
honoring another person and honoring
oneself it seems to me he says that mono
schools and the methods are all about
this kind of
attention the value of being attentive
and when you teach from this
attitude the work and the learning are
imbued with
worth and that is a Clear Channel
through which creativity can easily
flow perhaps some of you have never had
any direct contact with the monory
school
but the principles that have been
discussed today that I have talked about
can be practiced at any time in any
place adult monor is monory for adults
is hard talk about the
elderly so that the fing light will
surround us
all and will enich our world thank you
[Applause]
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