Spontaneous Activity in EducationMontessori, Maria
Science
Spontaneous Activity in Education
Montessori, Maria
Montessori method of education
There was a considerable clamor among the students; some were talking,
some laughing. In the center of the room stood a pedometer. The
behavior of the two children was almost identical. They were sitting
apart quietly, working at the lacing frames which they had gone
spontaneously to fetch from a neighboring room; they did not look up
at the noise, nor join in the laughter. Their attitude was that of
persons at work and anxious not to lose any time. When invited by a
single gesture to come and be measured, they obeyed in a wonderful
manner, leaving off work at once, and moving with smiles, as if
fascinated; they evidently felt pleasure in obeying, and an internal
delight which came from the consciousness of being able to work, and
of being ready to leave something that they liked doing, at a summons
to something of a higher order. They arranged themselves very
carefully on the pedometer to be measured; when any modification was
necessary in the position of the body, it sufficed to murmur a word in
their ears and the almost imperceptible movement required was made
with the utmost exactitude; they could control their voluntary
movements and direct them; they were able to translate the words they
heard into actions: _this enabled them_ to obey, and this constituted
for them a fascinating internal conquest. When the measuring was over,
nothing was said; they waited expectantly for a moment, then gave an
intelligent glance and a smile, which was, as it were, their greeting;
they had understood, and they returned voluntarily to their corner to
take up their frames and resume their work. Presently they were wanted
again, and the same actions were repeated.
When we think that children of their age (about four and a half), when
left to themselves, will roam about, upsetting objects almost
unconsciously, and requiring either some one to submit to their
caprices, or to call them roughly to order, we shall recognize the
internal perfection achieved in these two little ones, who have
arrived at that stage of development in which work has become a
_habit_, and obedience a fascinating acquisition.
The anthropometric measurements had shown that one of the children,
_O_, was normal in measurement (weight, stature, length of torso) and
the other, _A_, below the normal measurements.
Here are some notes made by the teacher on the conduct of these two
children when they were in the state of disorder, or undisciplined:
_O_: violent, turbulent, spiteful to his companions, never applies to
anything, but looks on at what the others are doing and then
interrupts them; or listens to the individual lessons given by the
teacher with a scornful and cynical expression. The father of the
child says that at home he is violent, overbearing, and intractable.
_A_: is quiet. But he has almost a mania for spying on his companions,
and pointing out to the teacher every little action that might be
considered wrong or incorrect.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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