"The educator must not imagine that he can prepare himself for his office merely by study, by becoming a man of culture. He must before all else cultivate in himself certain aptitudes of a moral order” (The Secret of Childhood, p107). Regarding the first virtue that must be practiced, the virtue of faith, an early Montessorian, in agreement with Dr. Montessori said, "It is not enough to see in order to believe; we must believe in order to see. It is faith which leads to sight, not sight which produces faith. When the blind man in the gospel uttered the anxious cry: "Make me to see," he asked for "faith," because he knew that it is possible to have eyes and not see” (The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume One, p191).” In like manner, the child who is visible to the eye may bring discouragement unless the adult learns to keep a vision of what this same child can become. "[He] must keep [his] imagination alive...for the Montessori teacher is constantly looking for a child who is not yet there” (The Absorbent Mind, p276). He must learn to look for the child not yet present, the child who will reveal himself through the formation of a connection with the environment by the means of purposeful work.
Within the adult there is a great work which much take place, a work of recognizing in particular our own anger and pride, attitudes which often drive our behavior. When we see these manifesting in our hearts we are called to stop, examine, reflect, and seek to eliminate that which is blocking us from listening for the promptings of the Holy Spirit and truly guiding the child. These obstacles must not just be removed but they must be replaced with alternative attitudes, those of patience and humility, which will bring us freedom in our lives and in our work. “[The teacher] must acquire a moral alertness which has not been demanded by any other method, a mingling of calm, patience, love and humility. Virtues and not words form her main qualification” (The Discovery of the Child, 161).
One step in this spiritual formation is to recall the first two of the “32 Points of Reflection” which state:
1. The child, particularly the religious life of the child, is central to the interest and commitment of the catechist of the Good Shepherd.
What is our attitude before the child? Are we observing and studying their vital needs? Are we living this religious experience with them? Dr. Montessori states, “The real training of the teacher who is to help life is something far more than a learning of ideas. It includes the training of character; it is a preparation of the spirit” (The Absorbent Mind, 131).
Patience:
From growth in humility arises patience. This quality can be defined as the "virtue inclining the will to sustain suffering (both physical and mental) without depression or spiritual sadness" (Fr. Thomas Dubay. "Lecture Notes on Religious Formation"). Patience is said to be the quality that is needed most just as it is exhausted! One translation of Luke 21:19 is, "in your patience you shall possess your souls." Included in this virtue is the foundational need to accept the fact that the child is fundamentally different than the adult. Therefore, the educator must take the responsibility to learn about the child - his rhythm, sense of timing, etc - or he will grow impatient and feel inconvenienced by the child. “He who is impatient cannot appraise things properly; he can only appreciate his own impulses and his own satisfactions. He reckons time solely by his own activity. That which satisfies him may be absolutely empty, valueless, nugatory; no matter, its value lies in the satisfaction it gives him; and if it gives him satisfaction, it cannot be said to be a waste of time. But what he cannot endure and what impresses him as a loss of time is a tension of the nerves, a moment of self-control, an interval of waiting without an immediate result” (Maria Montessori, The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume One, p109). Is there a particular area of the Atrium or aspect of facilitating this space that has allowed you to grow in patience? Take a few minutes this week to sit silently and observe, looking for something small which may one day grow into something great.
Within the adult there is a great work which much take place, a work of recognizing in particular our own anger and pride, attitudes which often drive our behavior. When we see these manifesting in our hearts we are called to stop, examine, reflect, and seek to eliminate that which is blocking us from listening for the promptings of the Holy Spirit and truly guiding the child. These obstacles must not just be removed but they must be replaced with alternative attitudes, those of patience and humility, which will bring us freedom in our lives and in our work. “[The teacher] must acquire a moral alertness which has not been demanded by any other method, a mingling of calm, patience, love and humility. Virtues and not words form her main qualification” (The Discovery of the Child, 161).
One step in this spiritual formation is to recall the first two of the “32 Points of Reflection” which state:
1. The child, particularly the religious life of the child, is central to the interest and commitment of the catechist of the Good Shepherd.
- The catechist observes and studies the vital needs of the child and the manifestations of those vital needs according to the developmental stage of the child.
- The catechists live with the child a shared religious experience according to the teaching of the gospel: “Except you become as little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 18:3).
- The catechist attends to the conditions which are necessary for this life to be experienced and to flourish.
What is our attitude before the child? Are we observing and studying their vital needs? Are we living this religious experience with them? Dr. Montessori states, “The real training of the teacher who is to help life is something far more than a learning of ideas. It includes the training of character; it is a preparation of the spirit” (The Absorbent Mind, 131).
Patience:
From growth in humility arises patience. This quality can be defined as the "virtue inclining the will to sustain suffering (both physical and mental) without depression or spiritual sadness" (Fr. Thomas Dubay. "Lecture Notes on Religious Formation"). Patience is said to be the quality that is needed most just as it is exhausted! One translation of Luke 21:19 is, "in your patience you shall possess your souls." Included in this virtue is the foundational need to accept the fact that the child is fundamentally different than the adult. Therefore, the educator must take the responsibility to learn about the child - his rhythm, sense of timing, etc - or he will grow impatient and feel inconvenienced by the child. “He who is impatient cannot appraise things properly; he can only appreciate his own impulses and his own satisfactions. He reckons time solely by his own activity. That which satisfies him may be absolutely empty, valueless, nugatory; no matter, its value lies in the satisfaction it gives him; and if it gives him satisfaction, it cannot be said to be a waste of time. But what he cannot endure and what impresses him as a loss of time is a tension of the nerves, a moment of self-control, an interval of waiting without an immediate result” (Maria Montessori, The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume One, p109). Is there a particular area of the Atrium or aspect of facilitating this space that has allowed you to grow in patience? Take a few minutes this week to sit silently and observe, looking for something small which may one day grow into something great.
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