"If we are to teach real
peace in this world... we shall have to begin with the children."
—Mahatma Gandhi
Montessori education
has often been referred to as "peace education" and Maria Montessori
herself was at the forefront of global peace advocacy and education, recognized
during her time and throughout history as a spokesperson of the power of peace.
In fact, she was thrice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
A wise believer in the power of the
child, Montessori advocated for the creation of “… an environment that will
promote the development of peaceful individuals.”
[i] Montessori environments are thus characterized
by a special emphasis on living in harmony and respecting the rights of others.
Anyone who has visited a Montessori
classroom has discovered the magical way that peace and harmony prevail in a
classroom bustling with dozens of little hearts and minds of varying ages and
at various stages of development. And for those who have pondered how this is
possible, Montessori lends her insight: when work and concentration on
activities appropriate for the child's stage of development are protected, the
potential for optimum development is seen in ways previously not thought
possible. Montessori herself referred to this development process in children
as “normalization through work”
[ii] –
a process marked by “a love of work or activity, concentration, self-discipline
and joy in accomplishment.”
[iii]
These characteristics are not
imposed by anyone or anything—they are derived by the child through his own
efforts when the environment is conducive to and fosters such an experience. The
result is joyful learning and a certain inner peace at its heart, filled with
self-actualization that comes from the child’s own self-discipline and accomplishments.
September 21 is the International Day of Peace. Today we celebrated
Peace at The Westmont Montessori School by talking about why and how we
practice peace and kindness and by singing songs together that remind us about
how we all live together in harmony. Many children shared what peace means to
them: “friendship”, “being kind to others”, “sharing”, and “a dove”.
At Westmont, we practice peace
everyday through modeling peaceful behavior and through lessons that expound on
the fact that all living creatures are important and interconnected. Today we
celebrate the peace that burns brightly within each child and the peace that
prevails in our community. How did you
celebrate peace today?
[ii] E. M. Standing, Maria Montessori:
Her Life and Work, p. 173
