Environment and surrounding

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“The fundamental help in development, especially with little children of three years of age, is not to interfere. Interference stops the activity and stops concentration.” —The Child, Society and the World (Unpublished Speeches and Writing) 
Go back in time. Think of your first day of school. Your parents are happy. You enter the school with a strange new feeling. As you arrive in the classroom, your anxiety increases. You don't know what you'll be doing in that room or how people will react. You understand that the person standing by the door looking at you is your teacher. She gives you a smile and asks you to find a spot and sit down. You know your parents won’t be there with you and that you're the only person dealing with this new experience. Just thinking about the first day of school brings back the anxiety you felt at that time. 


On November 6, 2016, I remembered my first day of school, not as a student but as an assistant teacher. I was nervous. Although I had toured the school, I was anxious because it was my first day of being a teacher. I had many questions in my mind, and I was concerned I would be judged for my performance every minute, every second.But as I entered the room, I saw a person standing by the sink. She gave me a smile and introduced herself. I also saw a few children working in a small group setting, not a traditional environment where the classroom is crammed with children. And, I saw an open environment where young children were free to roam within its boundaries. 


In this setting, the children weren’t being forced to work on certain materials. When they were done, they were able to put their work away and find something else to work on. I noticed these children had no anxiety and no fear. They were working patiently, focused on the materials. I still remember one particular child who was working with a knob cylinder for a good 15 minutes. He was so focused, he didn't notice anyone else in the classroom. 


There were beautiful indoor plants with large windows through which the sunlight streamed lighting up many of the materials. Observing this, children are reminded of nature and the universe. Picturing themselves as part of a larger picture helps them build self-esteem and reflect on themselves as an individual. As I walked around the room, I saw child-sized shelves, tables,and chairs and thought to myself, “ I have entered the toddler world.” It was new to me.


There were times when I thought it was so easy to teach young toddlers, but I was wrong. It is not an easy job. Teachers go above and beyond to meet children’s needs and understand their mindset. You don't know what small thing makes a big difference and what big thing makes a small difference to them. 
Montessori materials are made from natural products and are aesthetically pleasing to children. They provide hands-on experience and are correlated to one other. For instance, each piece of Montessori material has one control of error. If a math material is about sizing, the control of error will be the size only. 
Setting up the environment is a challenge. Every time I change the materials, I think of how the changes will impact the child. Each aspect of the curriculum is designed in a way that connects the child and the material where the material conveys a message to the child’s mind.


As Montessorians, we play major role in shaping children’s personalities by sitting back and observing them and preparing their next challenge. “How does a Montessorian deal with this challenging situation?” you may think. I thought that, too. Let me explain. Montessori is not about traumatizing children. It is about normalizing them. If a child is having a hard time, the Montessorian redirects the child and engages the child with a different material or work. It is easy to redirect the young mind. We might ask the child if they can help us set up snacks for their friends or to help us water the plants. There are many ways to redirect them. As children connect with the work, they are normalized.
When I reflect on myself, I sometimes feel I'm not doing justice to Montessori philosophy. Though I try not to interrupt my students, there are times when a teacher unintentionally creates interference between them and their work. Then I take a deep breath and look forward to another day, because we are meant to make mistakes.
 
 



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