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The Montessori Adult

Student’s Name

Institution

Course

Instructor

Due Date
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The Montessori Adult (The Preparation of the Adult)

Introduction

An interrogation of the Montessori philosophy lays bare the critical role of the adult.

Noteworthy, the adult’s role cannot be executed optimally without them preparing for the

same. Therefore, adults have to prepare adequately in readiness for an interaction with

children. In fact, the first chapter of the Montessori pedagogy is about the preparation of the

adult (Joosten, A.M., 1971, p. 1). Only a well-prepared adult is considered capable of

enriching the lives of young children and preparing them to live independently. The

Montessori philosophy adheres to the school of thinking that a teacher must be more than just

a good communicator of information to children. It helps directors and directresses to be

aware of their own limits and preconceived notions regarding children. The guide, according

to Maria Montessori, should be a servant to the child. As a result, we must remove our

personal viewpoints from the equation and approach the procedure with an impartial and

unbiased mindset.

Transformation of the Adult

Spiritual Preparation

Spiritual preparedness refers to a nonjudgmental and integral aspect of human life. It's

about a sense of belonging and togetherness, as well as a sense of meaning and purpose.

Although spiritual experience cannot be taught, it can be unearthed, evolved, discovered, and

reclaimed. To put it another way, spiritual preparedness boils down to having a set of

operating principles. We are not in charge, according to Dr. Montessori's findings, but nature

is. As a result, this fundamental idea must guide all of our efforts. Nature defines, to some

extent, not just the developing human being, but also our relationship to the natural world as a

whole and our link to the universe. Further interaction with the Montessori pedagogy reveals

that any kind of assistance that directors and directresses accord the child must be compatible
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with the basic nature of the universe. In fact, Dr. Montessori summarizes this idea in her

declaration that it is the child that leads the way.

As previously indicated, the child instructs us (Montessori, M.T., 2014, p. 101). There

is no documentation on how to affect this method, for example. Whatever the case may be,

instruction must come from pure observation and our own experiences. The Montessori

philosophy emphasizes the importance of community over specific schools or surroundings

in this task. As a result, team building is critical to our job. A true community is formed when

its members share a common relationship with the center that takes precedence over all other

relationships. As a result, we learn to accept similarities and differences, to respect what

others have to give, to show sympathy for those in need, and to joke, laugh, and have fun. By

embodying the above, we begin to have an idea of what it takes to become proper directors

and directresses.

It is vital that, in order to become Montessori guides, we first let go of whatever

preconceived views or prejudices we may have, and then open our minds and hearts to see

the child in a new light (Montessori, M.T., 2014, p. 102). We seek for the child in order to

assist him or her. According to the Montessori philosophy, all adults, not just teachers and

parents, are accountable for children, and this is true since all adults have a direct or indirect

influence on children. Our actions can unwittingly lead to the suppression of moral growth if

we don't understand children and their processes.

Intellectual Preparation

Intellectual preparation of the adult is largely intertwined with the intellectual needs

of the child between the ages of zero and six. The adult, having understood what the child of

the first plane will require, works to align himself or herself to the same. Noteworthy, the

Montessori guide on adult’s intellectual preparedness offers that it must focus on attitude and

role of the adult (Montessori, M.T., 2010), p. 1. As already mentioned above, upon
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understanding the need of the child, the directors and directresses should seek the knowledge

and mental preparation with which to help and nurture the potentialities of the child. “Before

we can give help, we must understand: We must follow the path from childhood to

adulthood. If we can understand, we can help and this help must be the plan of our education;

to help man to develop not his defects, but his greatness” (Montessori, M.T., 2010, p. 172).

Technical Preparation

Dr. Montessori also felt that teachers must be technically prepared. To better address

the needs of their children, Montessori teachers must have a deep understanding of the stages

of child development. It's also crucial to comprehend how to employ Montessori material and

the students for whom they're best suited. Montessori stated that understanding the

importance of pedagogy was a part of Montessori teachers' technical training: the three-

period lesson, the use of controls of error, using minimal words during lessons, sustaining

student's attention, and trying to establish solid ground guidelines with effective deployment.

Facing Difficulties/Problems in Implementing the Method

One of the most significant obstacles to the method's application is anger. Anger

breeds more anger. As a result, the complex feeling of rage is going to jeopardize our ability

to react effectively with events whenever they happen. Anger can be expressed and received

in a variety of ways. Emotional or physical aggression are examples of these. Being

judgmental, righteous, or too gentle can all be signs of anger.

Various factors which can legitimately make us furious or spark our wrath exist.

Cases of misbehavior by a student in the class come to mind. Whatever the case may be, the

way we respond to the rage will either put the child on the defensive or assist us in meeting

both the needs of the child and ours. "If you are patient in one instant of rage, you will avoid

one hundred days of sadness," says a Chinese proverb. As a result, we must always be aware
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of the consequences of our anger, as well as the necessity to maintain our composure and

handle such situations as effectively as possible (Montessori, M.T., 2009, p. 93-97).

Another element that could impede the implementation of Montessori pedagogy is

pride. We must have faith in the child's ability to disclose himself in order to interact with

and handle children effectively. "Faith is an outwardly evident manifestation of an interior

and spiritual grace," according to The Book of Common Prayer.  "An ordinary teacher cannot

be changed into a Montessori teacher, but must be made anew, having cleansed herself of

pedagogical biases," writes Dr. Maria Montessori in her book Education for a New World.

“The Montessori teacher must visualize a child who is not yet there, materially speaking, and

have faith in the child who will show himself through work as the first step. The various

varieties of deviating children do not undermine this teacher's faith, as she sees a different

type of child in the spiritual realm and expects this self to emerge when drawn to work that

interests her. She watches for evidence of attentiveness from the children”, offers Dr.

Montessori.

As a result, we must have faith in children's inherent good. However, the Montessori

philosophy recognizes that it is easier stated than done. Children come to us with a variety of

problems. Unfortunately, we sometimes pass judgment on someone based on that. Adults

should be appreciative of their problems as a result of their knowledge and awareness of

these deviations (Montessori, M.T., 2014, p. 118), but this is not always the case. As a result,

some adults mistakenly regard these anomalies as flaws, a situation that contradicts the

Montessori adult concept.

Develop Appropriate Characteristics - Your Own Personal Goals

Therefore, we recognize that we can unwittingly aid or inhibit the implementation of

Montessori pedagogy process. Adults, like toddlers, frequently stray from the path. The way

we occasionally say things we don't mean and wind up harming others is an example of this.
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It does not, however, make us nasty, insensitive, or hurtful individuals. It's just a stray step,

and we'll always find our way back to the right road, just as when we were kids. The

Montessori philosophy emphasizes that our purpose is to serve without prejudice, which

necessitates deliberate effort. To properly assist children, one must not do for them but rather

allow them to do for themselves, which necessitates humility (Montessori, M.T., 2009, p. 93-

97). True humility is the ability to remain teachable no matter how much we already know.

As a result, we may sometimes accept things that we do not comprehend. At the end of the

day, we should embody a liberal and positive mentality towards the children’s potentials. In

so doing, we should be intrinsically motivated to thrive in our calling to be directors and

directresses.

We require patience the most when we believe we have exhausted it. When working

with children, it needs bravery to keep an open heart even when the heart feels unable, at

moments of doubt and despair (Montessori, M.T., 2014, p. 115). As a result, it is incumbent

on us to have the ability for connectedness - to be able to weave a complex web of

relationships among ourselves, children, parents, and the broader community. These

connections are formed by our hearts, not by systems or tactics. It's important noting that

children show a lot of empathy. Many researches show that when a parent continually fails to

exhibit empathy for a child's spectrum of feelings, such as joy, the desire to cuddle, and so

on, the youngster begins to avoid expressing or even feeling those emotions. As a result, the

significance of educating youngsters that emotions are important is emphasized. Overall, we

should aim to be warm and empathetic in our daily interactions with the child.
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References

Joosten, A.M. (1971). The spiritual preparation of the adult.

Montessori, M.T. (2009). What a Montessori teacher needs to be. Education for a new world

(9th ed., pp. 93-97). Kalakshetra Press.

Montessori, M.T. (2010). The teacher’s preparation and Love and its source -- the child. In

C.A.

Montessori, M.T. (2014). The new teacher and The adult and the child. In N.R. Cirillo

(Trans.), The

child in the family (6th ed., pp.101-120). Kalakshetra Press.