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montessori and haggadah

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My introduction to Montessori came decades ago, nearly four of them and counting.  My introduction to Jewish Montessori schools came only in the last, as of this summer, when a small Montessori school in Baltimore asked for assistance in launching an Elementary level. Jewish Montessori schools?  Who knew?  Well, actually, my ignorance belied the number of schools that were thriving, and continue to grow, both in North America and around the world. It made me curious as to the how and why does Montessori integrate so well with the Haggadah, the classic Judaic guide to education.  Disclaimer: I once gave a talk at an AMS conference entitled, “Zen and the Art of Montessori Teaching”.  Prior to, I was dogged by the nightmare of seeing a half-dozen saffron-robed priests in the back, shaking their heads at my misconstruction of basic tenets of Buddhism.  Gratefully they did not materialize.  I say this now, because the image of a dozen rabbis and morahs, reading this and clucking their disapproval has entered my mind!

The Haggadah, literally “telling”, is an annual part of Pesach (Passover), the narrative of  Exodus. It is timeless in that there is no sense of completion, no expectation that once it is learned, the student is done.  Quite the opposite, as the child grows older, they understand more, as they become an adult, they approach the story with new eyes, when they start their own families, and take on new roles, the tale resonates deeper.  In short, the Haggadah is life-long, and Judaism values life-long learners.  As Montessorians we also understand how the pedagogy fosters life-long learners. The importance of a prepared environment as an instrument to foster curiosity, hands-on materials for experiential learning, and the development of intrinsic motivation that comes from long uninterrupted work cycles in multi-age classrooms. These are traits we hope get carried far beyond a graduation ceremony.

Further, the Haggadah, and one could argue much of Judaic studies is based less on the answers the child gives, but more the quality of the questions they ask.  Specifically, there are steps of the Seder that are different during Passover. Why is it different?  Exactly!  That’s the point, to challenge the norm and the expected, to make an impression and elicit questions rather than provide an answer.  If this sounds familiar to us as Montessori educators, we need look no further than our array of impressionistic lessons designed to provide not explanation, but to spark interest. We will even borrow from Socrates (more on him later), when we say that in Montessori education it is the lighting of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.

Aside from specific questions asked at this holiday, there are also identified four types of questions, and in some writings, four types of children that ask them. One child asks a question that reveals their understanding while another asks a question without regard to the answer. In both cases, we have an engaged child. A third child cannot phrase their question; we can’t discuss it, because they can’t articulate it.  A fourth child asks no questions and has no interest. Think back to the last lesson you gave, whether it was geometry, language, or division of fractions. Did you have all four of these children around the rug?  I feel like all I ever had were some combinations of that engagement over the years! It led to some lively discussions and should remind us that without questions to precede (and proceed), our students are not ready to learn.

As Montessorians, we use the term Socratic Method, to describe our lessons.  We move our presentations along by asking questions.  In fact, I often encourage my adult learners to see if they can give a lesson using only interrogative sentences (and their hands behind their back), or at least have the idea in mind as a discipline.  In reality however, it’s not the teacher giving the question that should take precedence. Why? Because we know that if we give information, especially in a review,  “Remember this is an adjective”, we can’t be confident that this is a piece of information the  children knew (any self-respecting Elementary child will confidently nod their head regardless).  We might perhaps ask, “What is this?” in classic Three-Period Lesson style.  But let’s look a bit deeper. Really, if we ask a question and the child answers (THAT kid, most likely), what have we learned? Perhaps a more insightful method would be one that asks not for an answer, but for their questions.  Could we garner engagement like, “Why is that an adjective?” or “Why are there only seven possible triangles in the universe?”  “Why are all these civilizations by rivers”?  And if we did, isn’t that a better gauge of a child’s development?

the three-period lesson

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The term “three-period lesson” can refer to two aspects of Montessori pedagogy. Directly, it refers to the basic structure of a Montessori lesson, with each period corresponding to a section of the presentation. In short, the three periods are often illustrated as follows: “This is…” (first period), “Show me…” (second period), and “What is…?” (third period). A Lower Elementary teacher, for example, in giving a lesson on types of triangles, may present three different wooden triangles: a scalene, an isosceles, and an equilateral triangle. The first period of the lesson would consist of the giving of information and nomenclature. “This is a scalene triangle. All of its sides are of different lengths. This is an isosceles triangle. Two of its sides are the same, and one is different. This is an equilateral triangle; all of its sides are equal.” The second period gives the child a reference point. “Show me the equilateral triangle. Show me the scalene triangle. Show me the triangle with three different sides. Show me the triangle whose name means ‘same sides.’” The third period of the lesson removes that reference. “What is this? Which is this one?” 

We can take the concept of the three-period lesson a bit further. We can identify experiences and activities that are giving information as the first period, activities that allow the children to work with the concept as the second period, and the presentation of work as the third period. In traditional classrooms, emphasis is placed on the first and third periods. “Here are the names and dates. In two weeks you will have a test and be asked to give back these names and dates.” Seen in this expanded view, we can see that the vast majority of work in a Montessori classroom is much more meaningful second-period work, such as the activities of children working with the materials, finding similar concepts in the environment, making small booklets, creating timelines, or determining the areas of rugs in the classroom. The child ultimately arrives at “third-period” comprehension, but it is a more profound, internalized understanding.

born at the right time

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As we spend time immersed in Montessori environments, as educators, administrators, teacher-educators, as parents and as children, we find the experienced steeped in cycles. The year and its children, families, and colleagues turn and return and turn again and for some the years unfurl to a decade and then decades. Our own children become adults, become parents of new children, and then, and now the wheel seems quite grander in scale of time and of magnitude.

Lyra is fussing. We’ve given Amarinda and Brendan the gift of a night out, absolutely leaping at the opportunity to care for this beautiful four month-old baby, born half that age early. The repertoire of practiced techniques is not cutting it tonight; the usual checklist of diaper, hungry, entertainment has been loudly ignored by an increasingly agitated and unhappy child. In the space afforded between decibels, I wonder if there is a genetic factor to quiet and comfort and soothe. If Rhythm of the Saints worked for Amee…. did she pass that on to Lyra like so many anti-bodies? Luckily there’s no fumbling through CD’s, we’re a mere “Hey Google” away from Paul Simon and then I’ve got Lyra cradled and the volume is up and those first beats of the dundun drum and the dance begins, and whether it’s surprise or curiosity, Lyra lets one last sob shudder and begins to just listen and feel. It’s probably untrue, but I think that it is perhaps 31 years since I last listened to this album, when I was 31 and Amee an infant child, but the years peel away as the lyrics start and they pour out of me nearly unbidden, but apparently not forgotten. (But among the reeds and rushes, A baby girl was found). Lyra is no match for the not-too-gentle rocking and dancing. Like her mother before her, by the time Obvious Child is in its last verse, she’s already droopy-eyed as Sonny takes down his high-school yearbook. (Her eyes as clear as centuries, Her silky hair was brown). When The Coast kicks in, she’s starting to breathe deeper and deeper, as sleepy as that harbor church of St. Cecelia. (Never been lonely, Never been lied to, Never had to scuffle in fear, Nothing denied to) And when we’ve reached Born at the Right Time? Well, you know Lyra’s been asleep for at least three tracks. (Born at the instant, The church bells chime.). But me? I’m still dancing (And the whole world whispering). I’m still singing (Born at the right time), I’m so gone, man, so in love with all of it.

going out

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“Let us take the child out to show him real things instead of making objects which represent ideas and closing them in cupboards.”  Maria Montessori (1948).

Dr. Maria Montessori believed strongly that elementary-aged students were suited to learn from outside experiences and that the classroom did not only have to be inside four walls.  By linking the upper elementary classroom to the world beyond its walls children are provided with the opportunity to mesh concepts into real life.  Learning to operate in the real world is an explicit goal of Montessori.  “Going out” is the term Montessori used to describe leaving the classroom for hands on experiences in the real world.  Going out relates to the “acquisition of culture”.  Montessori believed that the elementary-aged child was especially developmentally  suited to learn from activities outside the school building, in the thick of the society, the culture, and the natural world.

Sometimes children learn information and procedures in school but cannot see how they are relevant or can be applied outside of the school context.  Going out allows learning to be directly connected to the context from which it arises and finding real life applications.  The classroom environment is perfect for introducing students to concepts and ideas for students to then initiate their own projects and research based on his/her interest.  Bringing in living creatures to study and take care of in the classroom environment, builds an appreciation for living creatures.  Using real maps for a geography study of a child’s town or city or country provides the opportunity to work with items used in real life.  Learning to follow written directions, finding your way around a new town, and reading a map are all skills that can be utilized outside of the school environment.  A going out experience to find a location, predetermined and studied on a map, links the classroom to the world beyond.

Leaving the present moment for a different time opens up the imagination.  Through the study of history and cultures, students are able to use their imagination to transfer back to another time period. Historical studies can be linked to a field trip to a site or location that was studied.  A while back, a group of students at the Cornerstone school were interested in Vikings.  After 7 -8 months of work, they planned a trip up to Newfoundland, the location of where the Vikings first landed.  The trip was guided by an adult but the planning and administration of the trip was carried out by the students.  Although the classroom part was memorable, there is no comparison to actually going to see the site of the Viking landing.  

In geometry, learning about the Pythagorean theorem by using hands- on materials, and then going out to plot out a garden, is a direct link from inside the classroom to a useful project outside on the school grounds.  In math, a study on percentage can lead to a field trip to a store that is having a sale and figuring out what savings is offered.  A trip to a Spanish restaurant to practice ordering in Spanish allows that knowledge to be used as well as having students figure out the percent tip to be left for the waiter.

A bake sale for a fundraiser can provide all different kinds of skills to be utilized both in and out of the classroom.  A shopping list must be formulated and the shopping done.  While at the store, the students can shop for bargains on products they need. Grace and courtesy in the classroom hopefully will be transferred to the outside setting as children interact with the public.

The kingdoms of life are another unit of study that can then be transferred to the outside world.  Collecting pond water and using a microscope to see the protista, collecting fungi and classifying them, studying plant life with an expert in the field, growing seedlings inside and transferring them to a garden are all good links between the two environments.

Children in both Lower and Upper Elementary take class trips during the school year to educational sites as extensions of their learning experiences in the classrooms and to foster community building. 

Going out is driven by the child’s personal interests and goals as they become more independent.

Planning a going out experience should be child led, including figuring out where to go, how to make practical arrangements, what to bring, how to learn from the experience, what interview questions to ask, and how to call and make reservations.  These are small group “field trips.”  Going-out guides the children in developing life skills that facilitate transition into the world as young adults. The children involved organize the event from start to completion. They use the resources of the community in preparation for the going-out experience. They initiate the research, make the needed phone calls, set appointments if necessary, obtain and arrange drivers, and complete the appropriate paper work (forms, permission slips, etc.) This trip into the community can provide the information they need to complete a research project or provide the real life experience that truly demonstrates life skills. Upon returning from the trip, they can present their experience and findings to the class.

The Upper Elementary classroom has no walls.  Each and every subject matter can be linked to the real world.  The world is open for exploration. With freedom to travel down any road the child decides to take, the experience will be his to explore and create through books, travel and hands-on learning.  Through self-created projects, learning in context is so important for children.  So much more knowledge is acquired when the subject matter is self-directed.  Montessori believed in the acquisition of culture, and what better way to receive that culture then by seeing and experiencing all that is out there.

it’s not just the beads

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There’s an expression I use in reflecting about teacher education, and how adult learners engage with Montessori – “where do the beads go?”.  For me, it indicates a level of concern that new teachers have with the didactics of teaching, how the manipulative materials “work”, the what-goes-where-how-do-I slide-flip-turn this bead bar, this grammar symbol, this circle inset, etc….  It’s important work for sure, and I would never diminish the drive and intention for new teachers to gain a facility and then confidence with the materials, especially those that dominate the Elementary Montessori classroom, 6 -12.  

And yet, in my over 30 years of teacher-education (yes, I am THAT old), I’ve found that the truly gifted teachers must also have another quality. An understanding of the greater context, the greater tapestry upon which the curriculum and concepts are woven.  This is much more difficult (I would hazard the word, “impossible”) to teach an adult learner.  Also in my experience, it’s revealed fairly quickly, in a presentation, in observing the teacher practicing with fellow students, the language they use, the questions they ask, in observing them in a classroom with children, the language they choose, the respect they give, naturally, to their children. There’s a sense of humor, there’s a healthy dose (just a soupcon) of well-intentioned self-deprecation, and a strong sense of taking the work very seriously but themselves, not so much.

the power of three

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When Montessori schools are tasked with parent education for their community, inevitably there are choices to be made regarding content.  Time is finite and precious when it comes to asking families to attend events at our schools.  With requisite parent conferences a few times a year, a “child shares their work” evening, a back-to-school night, and a myriad of performances or art shows or concerts, the calendar fills up with remarkable speed and density.  To which topics do we give priority?  The prepared environment? Essential.  Demonstrations of the materials? Very important!  Spotlights on Arithmetic or Cultural, or Geometry or Language?  Those topics will ground the parents in the curriculum.  But what about the Great Lessons?  It would be so very helpful if our parents were that well-informed, but short of requiring them to read articles and manuals, (perhaps we could quiz them later!), what do we present and what do we not present? While the examples above represent valuable concepts and information for parents to understand, there are less obvious but equally essential components of our classrooms, of our schools, that would benefit everyone if families could assimilate them into their knowledge of Montessori. One of which is the importance of the three-year cycle, academically, socially, and emotionally for the child.

Dr. Montessori’s understanding of the Planes of Development was predictive of so much science that we would come to understand years after her death.  It’s gratifying to be involved in Montessori in this time period as virtually every educational or even neurological study done in the last twenty-five years supports what she proposed well over a century ago.  We structure our environments around these planes of common characteristics, the rising and ebbing of sensitive periods and child development.  We understand that children move through these periods of their lives regardless of whether or not they are fortunate enough to be in a Montessori classroom; we can provide the very materials each child needs to fully engage with those developmental areas most appropriate. There is a rhythm to the three-year cycle, a scope and sequence that moves our students from concrete ideas to abstraction. It is an uninterrupted chain of presentations that engages the child seamlessly to understanding, and this is true for every area in the curriculum. In September, children moving up to the next level find themselves the youngest in the classroom. They adapt themselves to their new environment, new friends and teachers, new expectations, but they do so following a familiar path. These are not new kingdoms moving from Primary to Lower Elementary, LE to UE, and Upper Elementary to the Junior Class or outside our school. 

There is also an underlying rhythm that moves the community through three years together. My role as the youngest in the room is the proverbial “learning the ropes”, but three years later I am the wise elder at 6 years old, 9 years old, 12 years old, or a graduating Junior. Children are well-aware of these evolutions; at our school any self-respecting five-year old understands that they are now “Stended Day”, not quite able to wrap their tongue around the word, “extended”.

For Montessorians, I would posit that the three year cycle is akin to Dr. Montessori’s Three-Period Lesson.  From a teaching aspect, it forms the structure around any single lesson, the familiar “This is….”, “Show me….”, and “What is…….?” construct. This is a triangle, this is a square, this is a circle. Show me the square.  Show me the triangle.  Show me the circle. What is this?  And this? And this?  The Three Period Lesson, we would argue is of crucial importance to our lessons. But we can take this same form and extrapolate to something much larger.  The First Period is one of taking in information. In many ways, this serves as an apt description of the first year in any one program level. The Second Period, our Show Me stage, is one where the child engages with concepts in context, they are given information in a manner that references past knowledge, which is a fair understanding of the second year student’s experience. Finally, the child arrives at the Third Period, the Third Year, the culmination, the collecting and discrimination, the synthesizing and internalization that marks both the lesson in microcosm and their classroom experience in macro.

My work as an Admissions Director at this long-established (nearly 40 years old) Montessori school in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire, includes tours for applicant families that are more parent education about Montessori than anything specific regarding the Cornerstone School.  Among the many salient points regarding this  pedagogy, I always stress the importance of the three-year cycle while also stressing that each program builds upon the previous, and that the greatest benefit gained from a Montessori education is when a child can move from program to program.  The program levels are not islands, but one comprehensive curriculum.  I know I’m not alone in this effort and that our teachers are reinforcing the same message. And still there are parents who consider opting out after the second year of Primary or the second year,  (usually 5th grade) of Upper Elementary.  We can clearly understand the financial stresses of our constituent parents, and that a 12-plus year commitment to an independent school tuition is out of the question for many families, especially those with siblings. This should be fully acknowledged, and there are many families who commit to the three years of a Primary program, knowing that they will be elsewhere for first grade. This is appropriate, and such a gift to invest in the child at 3 – 6 years old, rather than just at 18.

The third year at any level in a Montessori school brings closure, academically, socially, and emotionally. Every curriculum area is written and presented knowing that the abstraction, the internalizing of concepts, awaits the child in that culminating third year. Further, to rob the child of being the wise elder, the responsibilities that come with that stature, will also diminish the child’s educational experience.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the heads of schools, admissions directors, guides, and experienced parents to educate families about the importance of “finishing a cycle”.  How else are they to know?  Trained Montessorians with years of experience can sometimes forget that what we take as evident is to most of our families a mystery, an unseen component in the great work that engages their children every day, including the power of that third year.  Let’s shine the light here, too.

the partner in the room

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In most classrooms, when we say the word “assistant”, what image does this bring to mind? Most likely it’s one of “an extra hand”, a “helper”.  It’s a minor role, stationary and not crucial to the environment.  In a Montessori classroom, this could not be further from the truth.

A Montessori classroom is unlike any other classroom. While we can accurately describe it as the largest alternative pedagogy in the world, Montessori  has been so well-researched, so studied, and its success so replicated, we can hardly describe something so mainstream as “alternative”. And by far the biggest growth in Montessori in this century has been in the public sector.  While there were relatively few public Montessori schools in 2000, there are well over 700 now and counting. In fact, the Cincinnati Public School System has adopted Montessori as their curriculum, a development that many cities are following closely. Working in a public Montessori classroom, at this time, puts you on the cutting edge of what is an undeniable trend for the future, Montessori in the Public Sector. 

The Role

Let’s observe an effecting para or aide in a Montessori classroom. We notice that their role seems both active and passive.  How can that be?  Well, we see that they are  “cruising” the classroom, being a moving presence to reassure children that their work period is protected from disruption and their attention can be on their work, whether they are working with a friend or alone. We observe that they are rarely seated in one spot; they are definitely getting their daily steps in!   

They are passive, in that there are no unnecessary interruptions.  They understand that in a Montessori classroom, “rewarding” a child with praise while they are in the middle of a work cycle is discouraged. Dr. Maria Montessori likened a child working with focus to a scientist perhaps about to make a big discovery.  Just like we would never interrupt a researcher, with “My, look at how well you’re looking through that microscope”!, we don’t disturb a child’s work with “Good job”!  

Does this mean we never praise a child?  We do!. But later, during a transition time between lessons or specials or lunch or recess, etc….  We can comment positively on what we have observed.  “I noticed how concentrated your work was on ……” or “how is your story coming along?  Let me know when it’s finished, I’d love to read it”.

Of course, the other adult in the room is the lead teacher. Our partner in the education of these children. The adult who has trained on these materials, how to present them, and has the responsibility of delivering the curriculum, evaluating their progress, and communicating with parents.  In some ways, their movement in the classroom is almost opposite of the other adult.  Here, in our imaginary observation, we see the teacher sitting on the floor, with a rug, a Montessori material and surrounded by four or five students. The teacher’s focus is on the lesson and the students. They are completely present for the children in the lesson.  What is the role of the second adult here?  Another analogy. If you’ve ever watched an NFL game, you know that the quarterback is a key position. Most every single play starts with them receiving the ball. But we also know that even the greatest quarterback ever to play, Tom Brady, would never be able to complete a single pass without his partners, the offensive line. In much the same way, a teacher is only as effective in giving a lesson as the para/aide is effective in protecting the presentation space!  A child has a question on a work and gets up to ask the teacher, the aide deftly swoops in to intercept and finds an answer to their question, or gives them permission to leave the room, or the other of hundred things that might prompt a 9 year-old to get up from a task.

And finally, teachers and aides are partners in the maintenance of the class space, keeping the environment beautiful and inviting and in good order, ready for children to access those Montessori materials. Most often classrooms will have a job wheel or chart that assigns different cleaning and neatening tasks to the children. This is appropriate.  At the same time, we understand that this will most likely get the job 80% done. The other 20% is up to the adults in the room to tidy as they go, straightening a material on a shelf, watering a plant, pushing in a chair.

The Big Takeaways

The assistant is a partner in the creation and maintenance of the spaces of learning.  

Being the second adult in a Montessori classroom  is important work.

They move around! Circulate throughout the classroom so children know that they are supported. They can assist one child while keeping their head up and on a swivel, and move away from the child working independently as soon as the assist is complete.

When the teacher is giving a lesson, they notice and switch gears. Now they are allowing the bubble, containing the teacher and the children in the lesson, to work without interruption. They are protecting the space.

If time allows, they take a critical eye to the environment, sort of like they are expecting company.  In fact, they are!  About 20 – 25 children in fact.  

Conclusion

Aides, assistants, paras, have all chosen to work in education.  Despite what sometimes feels like a thankless job, and this includes teachers, principals, and superintendents, it is still sacred work. Providing education to our children is the best way we can effect change in our neighborhoods, our communities, our lives. They have also chosen to work at a Montessori school, a proven pedagogy that delivers both academic success, but also demonstrated social awareness and kindness. Montessori children are more engaged with their schools, have a greater sense of their community, than any other school environment.  And one more thing? Great “paras/aides”second adults” often become great teachers.

core

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There is a foundation or skeleton that a Montessori environment must possess, and without it, it is difficult to build upon it. What is that foundation? Spoiler Alert: It’s not the materials on the shelf. Engagement, warmth, support, grace and courtesy manifested.

the constructors of upper elementary

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The nature of most every concept in a Montessori curriculum is one of connection and integration.  It is rare that we find a lesson or idea that isn’t predicated on a previous experience in our classrooms. In this way, a Montessori environment is a more accurate reflection of the world around the child than in a traditional pedagogy, where geography is a separate study from zoology, a separate study from botany, a separate study from history, when clearly all four curricula form a tight weave of intersecting causes and effects. We see this in mathematics as well, where often a textbook will include geometry as a chapter unto itself, robbing the child of the benefit of seeing the many areas (pun intended) of overlap. 

Both of these concepts, connection to prior experience and connection to other subjects are present in the Constructive Triangles. Squaring and factoring informs our study of area and cubing supports the study of volume to mention just one. Geometry as a whole also presents materials that a child will use over a large span of their school “career”, each time returning and moving, as always, from the concrete and the tactile, to the abstract and logical.  The Constructive Triangles and the Geometric Solids are part of a Primary, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary classroom offering the strength of prior experience with the challenge of a new way to see and manipulate them. 

As teachers, we notice the same strengths and challenges inherent.  We proceed with all of our students hoping they have worked through their sensitive periods in any area of the room, to set the stage for what we present to them. In the case of geometry, in the case of area, we go back quite far to the child’s first years in school. Those children acquire prerequisites if you will, that will greatly enhance their work in the study of area, especially the creation of formulas. One is the concept of equivalence, learned in Primary sensorially; I can make this figure with these other figures.  The other is the nomenclature describing the various parts of polygons; this is an “angle”, show me “height”, what is this?

In upper elementary, the Study of Area, then, must commence with the Study of Equivalence, the relationship between figures. A station of arrival that gathers what the child has done previously; a station of departure for what comes next.

the universal

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I spend my summers presenting Montessori materials and working with teachers in different parts of the world.  From public charter schools in South Carolina and Detroit, to a village in Ghana where pencils are shared, and Shanghai where materials still wrapped from the manufacturer are opened for me to show..

To say that it impresses upon me the universality of Montessori would be an understatement.  And so I’ve spent some time thinking about what it is about this method of education that is so adaptable across time, over a hundred years, and space.  I think part of the answer is that at its core, Montessori is a reflection of humanity’s most essential components.

It is rooted in movement.  We see this clearly in the materials and the nature of the environments.  Ours is a dynamic space.  Movement is engaged, both gross motor, as works are chosen and replaced, and fine motor, exchanging one stamp for ten, one bead for ten, forming quadrilaterals from triangles.  “Children”, Montessori reminds us, “learn through their hands”.   Movement is also rooted in our humanity.  When we need to express our deepest emotions, are words ever adequate?  What conveys comfort better than an embrace?  What communicates affection more clearly than the stroke of a cheek?  We are born to movement.  Our first breath is movement.  Movement makes us human.

It is rooted in imagination.  Our children place a thousand stamp and see, in their mind’s eye, a thousand cube.  A piece of string becomes a line that never ends, moving to infinity in either direction. Globes become worlds. Look around you, for worse but mostly for the better, everything we have created as humans was created through imagination.  Montessori likened us to Robinson Crusoe, wresting material from the Earth to meet our needs, using our greatest tool, our imagination.  It is what moves us forward with hope, envisioning a future better than the present, better than our past.  “If there is to be change in the world”, Montessori reminds us, “it will begin with children.”

It is rooted in love.  There is no greater lesson in a Montessori classroom than the value of compassion.  The care of our environment comes from a love of order.  The care of each other comes from our love of community.  We could even say that the child’s inner drive to refine, to learn, to grow, is derived from love, because isn’t self-respect and esteem a loving and caring process of our future self?  

And we have all chosen to make this our life’s work.  Now think of the circumstances that have led to this moment.  My parents, one from Germany, the other from America, had to meet for me to be born, and their parents and their parents parents and so on, from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Austria, Germany.   We are all, then at the apex of a great triangle.  The circumstances and events that led to this moment, repeated for all of us, then gives us the idea, not of a triangle, of a great cone, stretching out behind this moment, and focused right here, right now.  If we look ahead, doesn’t the same shape appear to us?  The events in our lives, planned and unplanned, woven with others, expand out away from us as will our descendants.  A cone behind, cone ahead. That’s what makes these years, our work, in each passing moment, so important.

The Three Questions (Leo Tolstoy, related by Thich Nhat Hanh)

One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter. What is the best time to do each thing?

Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times? The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that

whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.

In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time. Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.

“How’s that?” the emperor asked, puzzled.
”Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man
on your way home . Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound.
”Remember that there is only one important time and that is now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future? The most important pursuit is making the person standing at your side happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.”

Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice. Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers. The responses to the second question also lacked accord. One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in Warriors. The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill. The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.

After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit. Reaching the holy man’s dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily. The emperor approached him and said, “I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?” The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, “You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that.” The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest. After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, “Why don’t you rest now? I can take over again.” But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, “I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can’t give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on my way home.”

The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, “Do you hear someone running over there?” The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man’s clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped. At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit’s bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from a long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around himself in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, “Please forgive me.”

“But what have you done that I should forgive you?” the emperor asked. “You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back and kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn’t met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness.” The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man’s property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before. The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. “But your questions have already been answered.” 

“How’s that?” the emperor asked, puzzled. “Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home . Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound.

“Remember that there is only one important time and that is now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future? The most important pursuit is making the person standing at your side happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.”

These are perilous times.  If there is to be change in the world, it will start with children.  In Montessori classrooms.  Within each passing moment.