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.
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