What is Community?
We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected to form one whole unity.
~ Dr. Maria Montessori
The word "community" keeps popping up in my conversations. It has come up in conversations with parents here at Wild Fern, with my husband, friends, and even with the children in the classroom. It has been floating in the air and making its importance known to me in all kinds of ways.
But what IS it? What does "community" REALLY mean?
We often think of it as a group of like-minded people living with or near each other. Or a feeling of fellowship as a result of sharing common attitudes, beliefs, or interests. It is that. But I think it is also more than that. Those definitions feel very passive to me. Like a community happens if we are lucky to be in the right place at the right time. It is more than that. It is taking an active part, it is listening and responding, it is reacting to needs, it is asking for help, it is being independent in a space that you KNOW to be safe because you are being supported by folx ready to lift you when you stumble (and we all stumble sometimes).
Dr. Montessori understood this active role and built it into the classroom in a natural and humanistic way. She knew we are all connected; we are all walking on this path together. We are part of a unity. And she set up the classroom, or as we Montessorians say, prepared the environment, not only to allow it to happen but to allow the children to discover this active role safely and naturally.
By offering a space that is prepared just for the children at their specific time of development, Dr. Montessori set the foundation of community building. Add to that all the beautiful lessons of Practical Life (Care of the Self, Care of the Environment, Grace & Courtesy, and Movement); she strengthened that foundation giving the opportunity to practice life in the real world. Then blend in the mixed age group, and yet another opportunity to build community arises. By offering the younger children the opportunity to observe and interact with the older children, they see where they are headed in their own path. The older children have the opportunity to model behavior and skills, which leads beautifully to lending a helping hand to a friend in need. Building on that even further with the wise and seasoned adults in the classroom and their grand/broad vision of the child's development, we develop a wonderful recipe for community.
No one in the classroom is expected to do it all. Everyone takes responsibility for the needs of the self, the environment (space), and others. We practice together (and some days, it is a practice for the adults as well) being stewards of our world. We do this by taking accountability, listening to others' needs, helping when we can, and doing what we are capable of. The Montessori environment is a unique one, yet so universal. It is a way of living we can take into our own homes, our own neighborhoods, our own community.
Thank you for being a part of the Wild Fern Community
