Page 7 - TMS Observations Magazine ~ 2018 (Flip Book)
P. 7

Teaching Peace in  contact and a warm, kind greeting. Some  teaching of  Peacekeeping,  our students
      the Classroom                        mornings a child might share news. Per-  also learn peaceful resolutions to con-
                                           haps her grandma is visiting, or it’s her  flicts. Our Peace Table is a gentle, collab-
                  Maria Montessori, borrow-  birthday. In that case, loving attention or  orative means of teaching the ability to
                  ing from  William Word-  an extended greeting feels right. Some-  discuss concerns and reach calm conclu-
                  sworth, often referenced  times the conversation may continue  sions.
         “the child as the father of  with a caring peer. As the children begin      When I observe two or more students
      the man.” In  Education and Peace, she  to choose and settle into their work, it’s  who need guidance I invite them to join
      says, “Adults must above all be educated  common for somebody to ask for guid-  me for a conversation in a quiet space. We
      to acknowledge this fact so they may  ance about a prior lesson, in which case a  gather the Peace Table, the peace booklet
      change their behavior toward the genera-  teacher offers help.             and our peace camel. Once comfortably
      tions that come after them.” Going on,   I have found that when a child resists  seated, and holding the small wooden
      she encourages us to see that we have  picking up when his work is finished,  camel, I begin by reading from the book-
      the opportunity not only to teach an aca-  or when he insists that a mess is not his,  let. I explain that we will listen to each
      demic curriculum, but a moral and social  rather than insisting on compliance, the  person speak, without interrupting, as
      one as well. In fact, she urges us to hold  gentle phrase, “I can help,” instantly re-  each child explains his or her perspective
      this opportunity as an obligation. Con-  laxes the child, who is grateful for the  about what happened. From there, each
      sidering “culture” as a modern-day syn-  help with a task that, for whatever reason,  child agrees they heard the other speak
      onym for education (or knowledge) she  previously seemed overwhelming. Hav-  and offers what they could have done dif-
      says, “from another point of view, school  ing modeled this for some time, I now see  ferently. Then they share what they could
      would seem to be the place where man  students scurrying to help others when a  do differently in the future. There is no
      develops through acquiring culture. But  handful of pencils drop, the money box  awkward, forced apology, and in my ex-
      culture is a means not an end. Properly  falls, or somebody trips on the fraction  perience, the children are so relieved to
      understood, this fact makes the work of  pieces.                           be heard that spontaneous hugs are often
      teachers, professors and parents much    These virtues, and others, are for-  shared.
      easier and completely changes our ideas  mally taught during our class “rings” (or   Our process does not try to prove
      about education.”                    meetings). The children are invited to  “right” or “wrong;” it does not dispute
         An education at a Montessori school  share their definitions of a particular vir-  perspective or even dig for facts. Instead
      includes a curriculum of our time and  tue. Building on their definition, I offer  it respects each person’s truth and what
      place. A child learns to multiply, to  thoughts about its meaning. We love to  each can do differently next time. It is
      grammatically analyze a sentence, and  read stories such as “George and Martha,”  kind, respectful, and sincere. Over the
      the characteristics of solids, liquids and  or those from William J. Bennett’s  The  course of a year, I give lessons to the older
      gases. But following Dr. Montessori’s vi-  Book of Virtues. The children and I share  students, training them to become Peace
      sion about the importance of children as  examples of when we have seen the vir-  Table Mediators, empowering them to
      our society’s future leaders, it is our com-  tue in action, and then we agree to look  mediate, and preparing them to become
      mitment and promise as teachers to lead  for examples throughout the day. That af-  leaders of the future.
      classrooms in which the vision of Peace is  ternoon and the next days, we share our   Considering culture as a means to an
      modeled and taught.                  observations at subsequent class rings. In  end, we guide our children along their
         Believing in each child’s ability and  setting our intention to find examples of  path, modeling and teaching the charac-
      desire to live peacefully, each day we  kindness, care, love or helpfulness,  teristics we hope and believe will point
      strive to model the characteristics of a  we teach ourselves and our children to  them toward a successful, happy life. At
      Peacekeeper: love, kindness, care and  seek and observe behaviors we aspire to  The Montessori School, we have defined
      helpfulness. Teaching these virtues in  emulate. Simply put, it’s “looking on the  those characteristics as  love, kindness,
      the classroom is done both informally  bright side.” Once we can observe these  helpfulness and care, which we inten-
      and through thoughtful, prepared les-  characteristics, we hope it becomes all the  tionally teach both informally and formal-
      sons.                                more natural to practice them and make  ly alongside our academic curriculum.
         Every morning our students are wel-  them our habit.                                       —Carla Samardzija
      comed with a firm handshake, direct eye   In addition to informal and formal         Lower Elementary Lead Teacher

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