Montessori is one of those things that often needs to be seen to be
believed. This is why Montessori schools typically recommend that
prospective families set up a time to observe the classroom in action.
For
many of us, especially those who attended a more traditional
educational background, the concepts displayed in a Montessori classroom
may seem foreign.
How is it possible that children can coexist
in a mixed-age classroom, work independently, functional socially and
without conflict, while following their interests and excelling on their
own terms?
Similarly, it is often helpful not to compare and
contrast Montessori to traditional education - that can be misleading -
but rather, to highlight what makes Montessori exceptional.
How to do this? By showcasing Montessori itself.
One
of the ways is to exhibit the principles in other contexts - taking
Montessori concepts and applying them to more familiar circumstances.
Let’s take your typical modern workplace.
Recently, there have
been a number of efforts to try to incorporate the lessons of Montessori
and apply them to business practices. Perhaps the most famous is
Google, the founders of which credit Montessori to much of their
success. Former VP at Google Marissa Mayer famously said, “You can't
understand Google unless you know that both Larry and Sergey were
Montessori kids.”
There are three concepts from Montessori that readily serve as useful guides in this thought experiment.
Prepared Environment
The
first is the prepared environment, a concept Montessori pioneered that
emphasizes the importance of the environment in setting up students for
success. With the right conditions, Montessori believed that children
are naturally inspired to learn. If the environment is carefully and
thoughtfully prepared, it is created in such a way as to optimize for
learning.
How is this exhibited in the workforce? Well, start-ups
are a perfect example of creating the types of environments most
conducive to exceptional productivity. Well-known examples include open
floor plans with sunlight and plants (which require care and
thoughtfulness), easily accessible and interchangeable conference rooms
and mutable spaces, as well as some of the more luxurious amenities,
such as culinary offerings, quiet spaces to concentrate, gyms, etc.
Uninterrupted Work Cycle
The
second is the uninterrupted work cycle. Montessori believed that to
cultivate concentration - to truly allow children to explore their
interests - we must protect their ability to engage in deep and
meaningful work for an extended period of time. For many of us, this
idea comes as a great relief. How many times were we finally fully
immersed in the throws of a math problem when the bell rang and it was
time to put away our work and turn to geography or history?
While
this may not be a practicality many of our work spaces afford, it does
pose an interesting thought experiment. What if we could spend a certain
period of each day completely uninterrupted and focused on the task at
hand? Imagine not having to interrupt your work with a meeting? What
types of productivity could you achieve? Montessori affords all of this,
helping to inspire students to be flexible, create independence, and
develop a sense of order.
Let’s take what Montessori terms
“gatherings.” Instead of having predetermined times to meet, these
occurrences happen spontaneously, in the moment, and are conditioned by
needs. Instead, so often in the workplace, we look at our calendar,
realize that we have an upcoming meeting, and our mind is instantly
taken out of the space of concentration. Montessori says of
concentration, “Once you interfere, a child’s interest finishes, and the
enchantment is broken. It is as though he says, ‘I was with myself
inside. But you called me, and so it is finished.’ ” The same is true
for concentration in the workplace.
Collaboration
The
third Montessori principle to share is the concept of collaboration. In
highly competitive work environments, where competition is often
envisioned as a necessary component to growth, Montessori offers an
interesting and often highly discounted perspective.
The greatest
form of competition, for Montessori, is not learning how to compete
against your peers, it’s learning how to compete against one’s self.
It’s not about performing well on a test to outperform any perceived
competition. Rather, it’s about pushing yourself in new directions.
One
of the ways Montessori creates these types of conditions is by
implementing a mixed-age learning environment where a student is not
limited by age or ability. Instead, they are inspired and motivated by
their peers, learning how to challenge themselves in a prepared
environment that allows for uninterrupted work and the opportunity to
collaborate.
Picturing a traditional educational framework, where
everyone is working on the same thing at the same time, does this sound
like your work environment? Is everyone the same age, working on the
same tasks? Or, is there a mixed-age setting where everyone is working
together to achieve a set of goals?
Next time you walk around
your office, turn to your calendar or collaborate with a coworker on an
exciting new project, consider Montessori as a precursor to a new type
of thinking - not only about education, but also productivity in the
workplace. While Montessori undoubtedly has much to offer children by
way of independence, confidence, and social wherewithal, it also has so
much to offer the broader and ever-changing world.
We hope these short examples help provide further context into what makes Montessori so unique.