A famous quote of Maria Montessori: “The child becomes a person
through work,” leads me to question
what she would see as work for our
children of today. Would there be any praise at all for the work of playing the video games? I read
recently about a study involving laparoscopic surgeons who use video cameras to
do their work. Research found that the
ones who had played the games had improved surgical skills.
Would she recognize and approve of the intense devotion and time
spent on sports that occupy our young people, as work toward their development? Would she appreciate time spent
on studies at school and sometimes difficult homework assignments that often
interfere with the social work of
maintaining friendships? . . . and the work
of learning and developing musical skills?
Yes. I believe Maria would affirm all these activities as
important work toward the child’s
becoming a person as long as he is given an encouraging environment to
independently, in collaboration with his family, make his choices. "No adult
can bear a child’s burden or grow up in his stead,” Maria reminds us. The
important words here are: independently in collaboration with his
family.
This is the paradox—that the child is allowed to make choices of
work according to his own rhythm yet encouraged to grow to appreciate the
adults’ matured rhythm of life’s work. This is collaboration.
(comment below or email connie@montessoritheory.com)
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