Building Relationships in a Montessori Classroom
"A strong social movement cannot exist without prepared individuals, just as the members of an orchestra cannot play together harmoniously unless each individual has been thoroughly trained by repeated exercise when alone."
~ Dr. Montessori from "Two Questions Answered", AMI Communications #1
Human beings are social creatures and tend to live with others, seek companionship, and live in some kind of community however large or small. Our communities are built on relationships and those relationships are characterized by interactions and interdependence. Survival itself depends upon these relationships and this community. We rely upon each other. The classroom is no different.
The first six years of life is when the individual is formed. It is not a social time, but a time when our development focuses on the individual. Dr. Montessori observed that even as individuals the social being is being developed and it manifests itself around age three. This is when we observe a spontaneous interest in an expanded social community. Dr. Montessori identified the time of 3 - 6 as the psychic embryo - the time of the formation of character and society.
Part of the child's "job" in this stage of development is to adapt to social relationships. Each child is born into a society and is expected to find a role in that culture; adaptation includes active cooperation of the members and mutual identification of the members of the community.
We prepare and support the child in this development by preparing the environment (the classroom) to be a fully functioning community. By having a mixed-aged classroom and a large number of children, we can provide a sufficient variety of community. We also intentionally only offer one of each material, only one child can use the material at a time which builds patience and respect for others. We have three rules of the environment: Free Choice. Uninterrupted Working Cycle, and Individualized Work. Within this the children are given the Liberty of Movement, to Interact with Others, and to Help.
We, as human beings, crave connection and relationship, we require it in some form. Dr. Montessori saw the importance of this and built the preparation and support into the pedagogy. Yet another brilliant aspect of the Montessori Pedagogy.
