Saturday, February 23, 2013

FAILURE


No parent or teacher wants to admit they have failed. Rather, we blame society—the government, the President, Congress—they have failed to represent our needs, to spend our taxes wisely. There is always someone else causing the problem, causing the failure, causing the misbehavior, the violence and abnormality in the classrooms. Let’s get rid of guns so these abnormal humans can’t shoot our loved ones, some suggest. Others realize that the problem is us and give up.

Cultural changes are happening but not everyone is on the band wagon. Many have missed the train. We are not a small town, one state, or one nation society anymore. We have gone global. Technology and media have brought the world to our living room, the universe to our back porch. It has happened so quickly—can we not expect some craziness?

How can we catch up with human reality? How can we be present to a life that is the same for all people yet experienced and acted out differently by citizens in countries around the world? We are not happy with others who don’t behave like us. We think if we only had control, we would find peace.

Maria Montessori knew that worldwide peace is possible because she understood the work of the child who knows peace when they are born. Their work in becoming an adult is to manifest this peace. It is their gift to the world, to the universe.

I have chapters in my book, Montessori—Living the Good Life, which explain Maria Montessori’s method and lessons on social training. Cultural change is happening all over the world, especially in Montessori schools. As a retired Montessori teacher, I’ve taken on a mission to spread the good news by writing about Maria’s way. If you are interested in a complimentary copy of my book, please email me at: connieripleylujan@gmail.com

Sunday, February 17, 2013

SOCIAL TRAINING


Maria Montessori, a doctor of medicine, a psychologist, anthropologist, biologist, and philosopher, began her work as an educator of children with behavior she considered abnormal and deficient in social training, In other words, they were naughty, disrespectful kids.

If not in our own community, the media brings us news of violence in our schools, of abnormal persons deficient in social training, behaving abnormally with disordered use of guns and respect for the lives of others, as well as their own. Many consider them to be evil. Certainly, their behavior is evil.

I’m not sure how to say this effectively, but I’m thinking that if more time, talent, and funds were spent, in our homes and schools, on social training and activities to recognize and correct disordered, disrespectful, and abnormal behavior, then maybe society would discover and correct the roots of their violent behavior before a child leaves elementary school.

This cultural change will require dedicated training and education of our teaching force at home and school along with major changes in policy and curriculum. My book, Montessori—Living the Good Life, emphasizes the importance of beginning this change at birth to six years.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

INTELLIGENCE & COURAGE

(Blogging -time out) I was out of the country for a month and unable to post with the Google in Mexico.

Ted and I were on vacation at a gated resort in Mazatlan, Mexico. We have been going there for several years. As our bus brought us in from the airport, we passed a truck with several soldiers standing alert in the back with their rifles in hand. Their faces were covered with black masks which, we discovered later, were worn to disguise their identity from the drug lords who would kill family members of known soldiers. They were stationed there for our protection, we were told.

As parents, we are soldiers standing guard to protect our children, both physically and spiritually, body and soul. Like the teachers in the Connecticut school, we stand ready to give our life for their lives because we know their life, potentially, holds a greater value, a value beyond our dreams.

What are the rifles we stand guard with? As parents we are armed with courage and intelligence to face the reality of our experiences. We know not all children grow-up normal as all parents and teachers hope for. Should we expect adults to find a reasonable control of weapons that can take lives? What have we done about automobiles that also take lives? Do we have the courage and intelligence to find restrictions in the use of guns?

Lessons are given, at home or in school, for a young person to know how to drive before they can get a driver’s license. Why not require the same for gun use or ownership? Maria Montessori, if she lived today, would perhaps have materials prepared to introduce a youth to the purpose of guns so that by the age of sixteen, a young person would know why, when, where and how to use a gun just as a five or six year old has learned to cross the street safely. Dr. Montessori developed a method with self-educating materials to encourage a child’s development of normal behavior. For more information about her method and materials, please read my book, Montessori—Living the Good Life. www.montessoritheory.com