Christian Montessori Fellowship

Going Deep Instead of Wide

There are so many parts to Montessori education that are so fascinating we often can miss the forest because of the trees. The first tree that arrests our attention is the multitude of materials. In fact, it is the materials that people often misconstrue as being “Montessori education.” Yes, the materials are a big part of Montessori but they are not even the heart of it. (The heart of Montessori will be a topic for another day.) But we need to get the relationship of the materials to the learning in right perspective. One of the major underpinnings of Montessori philosophy is the foundational place of the “environment” in learning. The environment, itself, is a teaching tool. Traditional classrooms decorate the walls. A Montessori classroom fills shelves with materials for hands on, independent learning. But here is the challenge.

If hands on is good – then more hands on must be better! By that matrix we are going wide instead of deep. Significant (and efficient) learning (what happens in Montessori) occurs when the learning occupies no more or no less energy or time than is required to master the material. Children are neither bored nor frustrated; bored because they have to wait on others, or frustrated by being made to move on until they have mastered the material. Learning is accompanied by great joy.

We sabotage part of this process when we add layers of presentations to our shelves. We have been in multiple classrooms where we find “extra” lessons. We have seen matching cards for the pink tower and broad stair. We have seen matching cards (and design cards) for the knobless cylinders. “Interesting” variations but in some sense an abuse of the material. Pink towers have a specific purpose. By adding these variations (which do not enhance the educational function of the Pink Tower) we cause the student to go wide instead of deep. Of course the student is going to explore every variation you put on the shelf. If you have twenty puzzles – they will do all twenty puzzles. You see this particularly in the variations of Alphabet puzzles – which they do as puzzles rather than meaningful acquisition of the alphabet.

The same is seen even in practical life – too many sorting exercises (all of them cute.) And because they are there the child is impelled to do all the variations – going wide instead of deep. How about carrot peeling which is followed by cucumber, potato and banana peeling. Window cleaning is followed by sun glass cleaning – all going wide instead of deep.

Once the child masters a concept – then the next concept – which is more advanced, needs to be presented. If you continue to present (and that is what full shelves do) multiple variations, the child’s learning will continue to go wide instead of deep. The blessing of Montessori is that the child’s own drive will compel him or her to go deeper into the learning if they are not distracted by all the pretty and interesting variations. However, you should note that there are times when some children will need extra variations and these are brought out for them. Some children – some time.

A major significance of practical life is the preparation for large and small motor coordination. A significance of sensorial is the use of the senses to enter into the intellectual realm. These two avenues combined begin to give the child access to writing and reading and the mathematical world which are two major keys to self-education. We don’t advocate (and we don’t need to) the rush to writing and reading and math (which parents are clamoring for) but at the same time we hinder children’s ability to move deep by providing too wide a scope of repetitive exercises in the classroom.

Our challenge is to remove the fluff (as cute as it might be) and to allow the child’s own drive for accomplishment and discovery to propel them to go deep – when they are ready. They love a challenge – and if you have twenty puzzles the challenge is to do them all – when what they really need is the challenge of going deep.

Dr. Montessori believed that she was given the inspiration for this method in order to advance the kingdom of God. We face the personal challenge of understanding that our vocation (and calling) as Montessori teachers is not solely (or even primarily) about education. When we define Montessori education as a “spiritual journey lived out in an educational setting” we can begin to see the immensity and life changing importance in what we do. Most of us would shun the title of “missionary” because we feel we haven’t gone anywhere – except to work. Yet – you’ve gone out into the world – to change it, to make it a better place, to bless children and their families. Even if you don’t carry an official title, you are carrying a God-ordained commission. (And look on the bright side – you are being paid like a missionary!) And you are doing God’s work. The transformation that happens to your children under your daily care is a mark of the eternal value of your calling.

The purpose of the Christian Montessori Fellowship (CMF):
• Network those Montessorians and Montessori schools who share this goal of introducing children to Jesus.
• Provide encouragement and excellence in teaching.
• Create a Christian Montessori training program in order to take the Gospel around the world.

The first two goals have been addressed and now the third goal is coming on line – literally. The training program is going on line so schools all over the world can access the ability to train new Christian Montessori teachers. While we are actively involved teaching and training here the next phase of activity for CMF is being launched world wide.

With your help!

We look to establish a Christian Montessori training center on each continent within the next two years.

And within five years to establish a Christian Montessori training center in each country that wants one.

There are not many who will share the passion for this mission – except for people like you who love God and love Montessori. Your support, your prayers, your encouragement and your membership in CMF will help “Advance the Kingdom of God.”

For the last nine years we have made our newsletters available without cost – and will continue to do so. But your membership is not just about what you receive but what you are able to give back. There is a whole world out there that needs to hear about Jesus and a world that wants to educate their children. We have this gift in our hands – help us give it to the children of the world.

Individual memberships are $35 and school memberships are $150. Each comes with an array of benefits. Please visit www.crossmountainpress.com and join today. Help us reach the children of the world.

Just because I’m bored …

…doesn’t mean the child is. Our tendency as adults is to be efficient – get it done and move on. We move quickly, absorb quickly and bore quickly. On the other hand our children absorb slowly – enjoying the experience a whole lot more. Children live in the present and are not compelled to think about “later” and all the things that need to be done (as we adults have to.) Their orientation is to what is in front of them and they unconsciously seek to get every bit of flavor from the experience. We tend to move them on too quickly before they have absorbed all of the value from the exercise.

Teachers tend to create more frustration than boredom in their students. Frustration because we move them on before “they” are finished. As adults we move from activity to activity to forestall boredom. We have to realize that our children do not have that mindset but one of wanting to explore every facet of the challenge in front of them. And then once they have mastered it, they want to repeat it to enjoy the process again and the comfort of success.

Children get bored when they are not engaged. But once engaged their minds have a greater capacity of sustaining activity that may be wearying to us. Their activity offers them untold joys, feelings and accomplishments. To the child it is not the finishing of the task that gives satisfaction – it is the task itself. As adults, when we finish cleaning the house, we don’t start all over again (unless we have OCD – obsessive compulsive disorder.) But for the child the activity is the reason for the activity – not just the accomplishment.

So, as a teacher, how do you know when a child is deeply engaged in an activity versus stalling in a comfort zone and not challenging themselves to move further? That is something else I wish I knew before I started. My answer will not give you a simple formula – you will have to observe and know your children. The personality of the child gives you some clues. Is the child a perfectionist? Is the child timid? Is the child afraid of making mistakes (perfectionist parents?)? Is the child lazy? Does the child need a better diet, more rest, vitamins? All of these can be factors. The good news is that most children will move along at the appropriate time – if you stay out of the way.

One way to stay out of the way is to make sure your environment is going “deep instead of wide.” The topic for the next “What I wish I knew.”

28th Annual Christian Montessori conference San Antonio, Texas August 5th – 7th, 2010

“Advancing the Kingdom of God”

Conference registration $350
Registration for CMF Members $325
Early Registration (May 31st) $300

Registration includes all materials, lunch each day and Saturday closing dinner.
Crocket Hotel (provides breakfast) www.crockethotel.com Room cost per night double beds $105.08 (includes taxes.)

Register for the conference at www.crossmountainpress.com

The same wisdom that God revealed to Dr. Montessori is available to each of us. The conference is more than about education – it is about nurturing the whole child (and the whole teacher too!) We look forward to seeing you in August.

We are familiar with the twenty third psalm and the comforting words of “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me”. Most of us, because of our faith, don’t really fear death. Also, we don’t fear death because it is a far away concept. Teenagers feel immortal and most of us don’t feel much older than we did then. We also work with young children and the specter of death is unfamiliar. Their parents are young and most of our colleagues are young. Young is a relative concept. To sixty year olds, everybody is young; to twenty year olds the rest of us are old (and some are older than dirt!)

Our challenge is not with the shadow of death but the shadow of life – the shadow of all of those things that block out the sun (or is that Son?). We are challenged by our vision of reality or rather the way things are supposed to be (no shadows). We look around us and see hurting people – some hurting physically, some emotionally and mentally and many now hurting financially – and it casts a shadow. When we are young we think there should be only sunshine – no clouds, no rain to mar our picnics and pursuits. The absolutely blue sky that extends from horizon to horizon gives way to shadows. Sometimes the clouds are high and far away and don’t cast large shadows. At other times they populate the sky like large sailing ships. And when all you can see are clouds – there is no sun (at least on our side of the clouds.) And there aren’t even any shadows because the whole world has gone gray. Sometimes that cloud covering is dark and threatening. And it sends cold rains that dampen not only our bodies but our spirits. And when the clouds descend all the way to earth we get lost in the fog. Lost! And that great dazzle of winter that frosts the earth and transforms all of life into a wonderland also comes from those same clouds.

Without the shadow of the clouds we might never appreciate the warmth of the sun. Without the clouds we might take every sunny day (and blessing) for granted. It is not death we fear but the shadows of life – pain, disappointment, betrayal, loss. And yet we need to remember the words of the psalmist – “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” It takes courage to live in both sunshine and shadow.

Ultimately, we have to be reminded that the most memorable and brilliant sunsets are framed and possible because of the clouds of life – often the very ones that have caused the shadows of our day but now portray the glory of God’s magnificent sunset and the masterpiece that He makes of our lives. “I will not fear the shadow of life!”

Putting things away

Putting things away is even more important than getting them out. Life is a different kind of three period lesson all of its own. Anticipation, Discovery, Reality. You see it in the classroom and you experience it in life. (In the classroom) First, you have the anticipation of a new lesson. Then you have the joy of discovery of what the lesson offers. Finally, you have the reality of having to put it away. Reality is always changing because it has different parts to it. One reality in the classroom is that I don’t want to put it away because I am still enjoying working with it. A second reality of the classroom is that I may be tired from the exertion – both physical and mental – and I don’t want to put it away. A third reality is that I may have wrung out every bit of flavor from the exercise (like old gum) and now I’m bored with it and would rather not finish but move on to other more exciting things.

Helping our children put things away with the same attention to care and detail is a life lesson. Many of us start projects and make progress – but it is in finishing that we often fall short. In the classroom, it is getting the last drop of water dried from practical life; it is making sure all of the golden beads are in their own special place. It is the care with which we finish the task that ultimately determines if the task has been done successfully.

The next time you give a presentation make sure the constructive triangles (or anything else) go back in the box as carefully as they were retrieved. It is a life lesson of reality that success goes to who finishes – not who starts.

The Martha, Mary, Lazarus family presents a glimpse of what a Montessori school can be. Three times in scripture we are invited to their home. Jesus must have found it a wonderful place because He often returned to it for refreshment and fellowship. Scripture lays out a picture of a family relationship where Jesus is also included. This gives us a unique model of what families, churches and Montessori schools should be like.

Our first introduction to the family (Luke 10:38) shows us Lazarus fellowshipping, Mary listening and learning and Martha busy serving. A great picture of what our relationship to the Lord should be like. But the story gives us a discordant note which surfaces when Martha goes to Jesus and complains that Mary isn’t carrying her fair share of the work load. I’ve always read this story as a rebuke to Martha and the Marthas of the world but I see it differently now. I can see Jesus with a smile on His face, shaking his head and saying “Martha, Martha.” It is not a rebuke! It is an eternal moment in time when Jesus is sharing with Martha about who her sister is (and who Martha is.) “Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.” What seems like sibling rivalry – “It’s not fair!” – can also be understood as fulfilling the role and personality that each of us have been given. Martha wanted Mary to be just like her but Mary was impelled to follow the nature that God gave her to sit at Jesus’ feet to learn and worship. The practical question (which is always Martha’s, according to her nature) is who would have prepared the food if Martha had followed what Mary was doing?

The next time we hear about the family (John 11:1) Lazarus is at the point of death – and dies. Jesus then comes and it is Martha who goes out to meet Him. It is Martha who knows that God will give Jesus anything He asks for. It is Martha who speaks the resurrection hope. It is Martha who affirms that Jesus is the Christ. There is nothing deficient in Martha’s theology or relationship to Jesus. (It was Martha who opened her home to Him.) Yet, when Jesus commands the stone to be rolled away from the grave, it is the ever practical Martha (true to her nature) that says, “But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

The next time we see the family (John 12:1) a dinner is being given in Jesus’ honor. Martha is serving, Lazarus fellowshipping and Mary worshipping – each in a role that God created for them. It is a picture of what a Christian Montessori school should be where “follow the child” is really a reflection of following the God given personality of each child. Serving, fellowshipping and worshipping are part of the harmony in each of us and yet recognizing the distinct call in each other allows us to live in that harmony in the family, in church and in school.

Your membership in the fellowship is critical to help the advancement of Christian Montessori. Visit www.crossmountainpress.com to give your support to this minsitry. Your membership includes an index of all the articles in the Cobbler for the last seven years, a directory of Christian Montessori schools and discounts on conferences and seminars. Please pray about your support of this vital effort to bring Christian Montessori education to more children around the world.

It is Ok for the student to do nothing (but not forever.)

Thinking looks a lot like doing nothing! Talking and doing often preclude thinking. To think clearly (and see clearly) you often have to stop the action – and that looks like doing nothing.

“Look before you leap!” is certainly an old proverb that could be addressed to the impulsiveness of children. But giving children the ability (which is opportunity, permission and training) to look before they act is a significant Montessori operation.

Traditional education is focused on action and production. Montessori education adds a major refinement to this approach – contemplation and reflection. So much of our own educational experience has been to do what is asked without any thought about the significance (or even an understanding) of the project or product produced. Why do so many students hate history? Is it the regurgitation of facts and factoids without any meaningful application of understanding?

The absorbent mind is an ongoing phenomenon. The absorbent mind in many ways is like a camera lens recording what is present. Some things are in sharp focus, others less focused – yet recorded. The ‘depth of field” in photography changes, not what is present, but what is noticed. Dr. Montessori records numerous instances of children noting minute details in situations or pictures that escaped the adult attention. Dr. Montessori states that normalization can only begin when the child’s attention and being are captured by some object or activity.

Oft times doing “nothing” is a preparation for engagement. Is doing “nothing” worse than doing mindless activities that preclude meaningful intellectual engagement?

There are many reasons for a child doing “nothing.” And you can’t always determine the root cause. And you certainly can’t determine it if you do not observe and know the child. Some children are shy; others are insecure. Some insecurities are inborn, others have been conditioned by perfectionist or critical adults. Some children are perfectionists, not wanting to do anything until they can do it perfectly. Others aren’t sure what is wanted even when you show it to them. Some are more contemplative than others. Some want to think it through. Others are observers rather than actors. And then some are lazy.

A Montessori classroom becomes a safe and varied environment to enter the learning pool. And like the real swimming pools of life each of our children has their own style. Some enter the pool by jumping straight off the diving board. (Look before you leap? You’re kidding!) Some jump in from the side. Others get their feet wet and slowly immerse themselves while others just sit on the pools side until the allure of the water overcomes their inhibitions.

In the pool and the classroom (and in life) when the allure becomes irresistible you’ll find action. May learning become that irresistible force for our children.

November 1st begins the publication of the audio and video archives of the Christian Montessori Fellowship.
Over 25 years of conference tapes. (200+)
Two years of video seminars. (20+)
Montessori parenting tapes. (30+)
Christian Conference tapes (36+) (Montessori applied to non-Montessori settings.)
Montessori philosophy (20+)

An annual subscription to the library will allow for unlimited access for your staff.

The library will provide resource material for parent meetings, for staff meetings and for staff training.

The library will provide management help for the director and administrative staff.

What makes this library a significant resource (and investment) for your school?
No where else can you find the depth and breadth of knowledge of Montessori (with a Christian base) archived and accessible for you from seasoned Christian teachers. The continued transformation of your school is built on the continued growth, development and transformation of your staff. The library gives you the tools to continue to create excellence.

Introductory pre-release offer $79 per month or an annual fee of $790

An endorsement from someone who just bought a training package.

“I just watched “What’s Christian About Montessori” and I am inspired! It is excellent! Yes, I already knew these things but you have helped to order and focus these principles in my mind. I feel so privileged and called to have a role to play in the furthering of
God’s Kingdom. What a gift Montessori is to the world. I have the tools to transform the world for the Kingdom! Wow! Thank you. That lecture alone was worth the $200. Every Montessori teacher should hear this at the start of every year of school. If they’re not Christian yet, they will want to be.” Myra Arnold

Attached is an inventory of lessons to be available.
The library will begin with 20 to 30 tapes. Each month 10 to 15 tapes will be added. Each year additional materials will be added to the library from conferences and seminars.

To order go to www.crossmountainpress.com