https://notesonnn.wordpress.com/category/montessori/
[Montessori Theory 101] Deep Concentration constructs Character
I have a unique experience that makes me a first-hand witness, or living proof, of Maria Montessori’s ideas.
Until the age of 16, I had a major defect — chronic carelessness. I would know every single question in a test and come home with 85%. I wasn’t bothered by it until faced with my first public examination — I want my grades to reflect my intellect, not my carelessness!
I was determined to get rid of my old habit. With the goal of optimising exam performance, I planned my preparation much like a professional sportsperson — from regular rest to strict diet, cross-training to relaxing, plus the recording, evaluation and analyses of my own performance. I am tough with my drills and refer to the answers/marking schemes as a control of error. A control of error provides impersonal feedback; I am able to scrutinise my work and log my scores with full independence. There must be no disturbance; no one understands my method, no one understands my deep, personal, developmental needs either. Looking back, I would say my exam preparation was spiritual more than intellectual.
By repeating my cycles of activity (execute-evaluate cycles), I was drawn into deep concentration, day after day, tirelessly indulged in my own routine, isolated from all distractions. Consistent, perfect scores gradually emerged. By then I knew I was ready.
I came in the top 0.02% of the annual exam among a hundred-thousand candidates. I didn’t realise until later that the results were an indirect outcome of my newfound character — well, actually, ‘normalised‘ — one who pursues perfection, exactness, and is focused on the intrinsic value of work. The careless girl who couldn’t care less about anything she does is nowhere to be found. I never expected her to vanish into thin air! I thought she would return when the tests are over, but her disappearance informs that my defect developed as a survival adaptation; it is not who I really am.
Deep concentration works magic. It rewires our brains and soothes our soul. It is where character is found. Strength in character comes from self-initiated, hard and repeated work. Ten years after my re-genesis, when I encountered this theory of Maria Montessori’s in The Absorbent Mind, I loudly and pleasantly proclaim its truth. I have done this myself.
(Note that this concentration is constructive. It is constant working and reworking. Passive meditation does not restructure character.
When everything in life is a scheduled sequence of responsibilities irrespective of ability, interest and effort, no one can enjoy the inherent tendency to pursue perfection. The industrial mode of schooling rewards efficient workers and displaces the craftsmen, thinkers and dreamers — exactly the people who push civilisation forward.
– – –
Suggested reading:
Chapter 19 “The Child’s Contribution to Society — Normalisation”, The Absorbent Mind Chapter 24 “Mistakes and their Correction”, The Absorbent Mind
[Montessori Theory 101] The many cycles in “The Absorbent Mind”
I studied Maria Montessori’s The Absorbent Mind in depth during January to February 2016. Hooked on it ever since, it is the experience that led me to pursue orthodox, theory-oriented AMI Montessori training in 3-6.
This book is primarily on childhood development; there is very little on the teaching method. The first edition is also peppered with blunt criticisms of usual prejudices and practices, unfortunately slashed (maybe censored) in subsequent editions. I prefer her theories over today’s stage-theories, because instead of fixating focus on progression and growth, a lot of her writing stresses on something else —
Cycles. (Usually overlooked.)
Progression is typically associated with linear or exponential. Truth is progress is neither. Progress is rolling — movement created by endless tumbling. This is a very oriental view, resembling the roles of seasons, the yin–yang rotary, worldview covered in the Book of Changes, and the course of Chinese history — a few thousand years of dynastic rise-and-fall.
I made a few diagrams to illustrate the many cycles she covered in her book.
The Brain as an Organ (of the Psyche)
The brain is an organ that can only be built and refined through functioning. Today’s science informs us of myelination — brain circuitry refined for more efficient processing. Also the neuroscience concept of “neurons that fire together wire together”. Why? Because the real world informs our brain, and our brain controls us in the real world. Endless cycles, endless refinement.
From an Organ to an Independent Person
The brain develops through exercising, as above. The brain functions in accordance with the child’s quest for independence, a mission that is widely observed. Ability is developed through opportunities given, and stronger abilities open up more opportunities (even in the adult world!). The more a child does, the more he can do, the more he participates in society, the more he establishes his self and his identity.
Identity emerges from Freedoms
Human beings have many kinds of expression. Doing/working is a kind of expression; language (speaking, writing) is another major one. Both will result in feedback, specifically ‘social feedback’ — feedback given by third parties. Understanding and acceptance is vital to the encouragement and refinement of expression. It continues in this cycle; the more opportunities, the better. Identity is established throughout the expression-feedback cycle.
A question I was asked during Sixth Form scholars’ meeting — “Who are you?” The teacher smiled when I had the satisfactory answer — “you are what you believe”, not in the Disney way, but you are defined by your values. There is no separation between ideas and identity, but if they remain unknown and unseen, how torn will you be!
Identity vs Character
Identity is expressed; character is refined. Character is inborn, biological temperament, plus the ability to self-regulate it. We are all born with the first part; the latter is developed through years of problem-solving.
Maria Montessori argues that the strength of the character is rooted in walking. When the 1-year-old walks, wonders of the world opens up to him! The more the child walks, the more he interacts with the environment, which in turn feeds the psyche. Walking is a manifestation of the curious mind, as well as its aid. Then, all the cycles above happens with intensity! His body also develops energy, stamina, control, strength, agility and good health!
Work is Done
When movement is performed with a purpose, it is called work. For example, my daily physical exercise is to massage my dogs and throw balls for them to fetch. These serve external purposes, so they are work.
My 14-month-old has repeatedly shown that he cares to brush our dog’s hair and mop our floor. Although that is part of imitative play, children love work because it is delighting to serve a purpose, entertaining to be ‘grown up’, and very satisfying to be coordinating thoughts and bodies.
Purposeful work grants membership to society. The community welcomes all who contributes, so why not let the children be welcomed too?
Hand as the Organ of Intelligence
Work is performed through the hands. Civilisation is partially an impressive collection of sophisticated craft, such as carpentry, textiles, script, pottery. The hands demonstrate intelligence, and their sensual manipulation in turn feeds the mind. It is yet another expression-feedback cycle, and a contributor of the nervous system.
Repetition and Result
Cycles and cycles equal work performed/done. Maria Montessori coins the term ‘cycles of activity‘. I labelled the diagram with work or exercise instead of activity because work entails making a difference (even in the physics term).
When work is performed over time, it accumulates as heightened conscious will. Willpower doesn’t happen overnight; it is a muscle trained to be worked by plenty of cycles of activity, over a long period of time. Progression in life is simple… as long as the cycles are freely performed, adequately throughout the years.
Repetition is another word. Our culture likes to think of learning as ‘ticking off boxes’. This is too narrow a view. Learning benefits from a lot of repetition, going back and forth, connecting difference experiences in time — sometimes separated by years or decades. To allow or even encourage repeating and revisiting, is so different from frowning upon such needs as ‘retardation’ or ‘falling backwards’.
Implications
These are scattered throughout the book. But let’s modernise it into a “10 parenting reminders from Maria Montessori“:
- Include children in the home environment by offering child-sized provisions for them to lead a real life. Do not give luxurious toys instead.
- Welcome children into the community. Let them listen to your language and see your work. They want to adapt to the environment and culture.
- Let children walk on their own, guided by attraction. Follow the child.
- Let children pursue their own experiences. They are led by nature to seek exactness, precision and achievement.
- Let children make sense of their own experiences, by themselves. This fosters the ability to visualise the unknown and powers imagination.
- To obtain discipline, give freedom. The self is established through cycles of expression-and-feedback, not control.
- Do not teach. Do not assume the child is incapable or wrong.
- Do not interrupt. Learn what is really needed of you. Do not help unless your help is actively sought for.
- Treat the child with dignity. Aid his goal of independence.
- Serve his development, not his body.
My opinions on Montessori vs Waldorf preschool
This blog entry is more for myself than a scientific, scholastic comparison of the two schools of thought. I decided to get Montessori training after I briefly read Rudolf Steiner’s work, so I already know whose ideas I side with at this stage in life.
However, I arranged for myself to visit a Waldorf school in my neighbourhood (Sai Kung, Hong Kong) as I am looking for a more natural alternative to commercialised Montessori programs that adopt a narrow definition of ‘work’ (i.e. product-driven, cognitive stuff). I wanted to see a Waldorf environment and how their children learn.
Both schools take a holistic view of the child, stress detail observation and understanding of the family (incl. history).
The child’s goal
Maria Montessori thinks the child’s primary goal is to adapt to the environment, which inevitably includes language, math, physical science, reasoning and all kinds of serious disciplines. In her view, the child is an intense learner intrinsically driven by intense curiosity and passion towards his/her environment.
Rudolf Steiner, on the other hand, wants the child to retain his/her naivety (probably not the official Waldorf term — please inform if you have it), to be connected with the spiritual realm, to hold tight to innate powers such as imagination and intuition.
Programme
Montessori is fun but highly academic. There is arithmetic that goes up to the thousands, operating fractions, introductions to the binomial, trinomial, deconomial theorems, geometry, vocabulary for everything, writing, reading, etc. Montessori apparatuses look (and are) scientific. These lessons are founded upon solid experience of independent, practical work such as housekeeping, food preparation, and care of self which are all performed with curated sets of tools. Children are responsible masters of the Children’s House.
Waldorf refrains from cultivating the child’s intellect in the 0-7 period. There is no reading and writing, and the guides do not reason with the child. The environment is decorated by spellbound artwork (mobiles, scarves, lazure painting), features baskets of what I call ‘raw materials’ for imaginative play. Everything in the environment is to draw the soul and inspire. In their opinion, better-cultivated imagination in the 0-7 period would allow the child to learn more eagerly and much swiftly in the next period. I never thought baskets of wooden eggs, yarn and hoops could look so dignified on a shelf. There is also plenty of practical work, such as cooking and knitting, but the stress is on connecting with creation rather than to be a capable member of society.
Both schools want children out in nature. Waldorf is free play, but Montessori would also like an outdoor space for work, such as a porch, quad or balcony — much like how good I feel with al fresco writing…
Order aka Rhythm
Both schools stress regularity — it is the theme of early childhood.
Montessori schools have ideally 3-hour uninterrupted (independent) work cycle in both morning and afternoon. Waldorf is free play sprinkled with group activities at a consistent time.
My vision
My eldest (4) has been in Montessori for a year and her growth is tremendous. I was originally anxious about her being at home over the summer since we do not have a lot to do at home compared to school. However, I am pleasantly surprised that she has been calm and would go about her own business despite the boring setting. On school days, she comes home stunned and restless.
My guess is, she is overwhelmed at school. When I observed her in class, she skipped from work to work, fiddling with 5 sets of work in 20 minutes. She is upbeat and busy, but I felt maybe she is too busy.
The Waldorf method would guard the child against this. There simply is nothing to skip to and from. Swing to the other end of the pendulum!
The Montessori method has modest beginnings, with a lot more about life and a lot less brainwork. Maria Montessori talks about playing in the rain and with dirt. She is intense (herself a rare female doctor) but carefree, but many Montessorians did not catch the latter. Everyone is obsessed with the apparatuses which I agree looks super cool. With a ton of off-syllabus materials that many schools don’t hesitate to add, the vintage, cozy house of the children has been institutionalised, and appear more like science laboratories than a place to live — which must include a calm (minimalistic) environment to rest.
Montessori is a middle ground, where the method is fun and the curriculum is tough. But to undo the harms of our fast-paced world, the zen execution of Waldorf is necessary.
What if…?
- Montessori classrooms be held to the aesthetic standard of Waldorf
- Montessori guides focus on action, imagination and inspiration rather than the term ‘work’
- Montessori classrooms incorporate a living room where there are places to lie down, roll, climb, jump and perform all the natural movements a child
Oh, how I wonder. I will have to travel the world to find out…
Meanwhile, I found an art studio run by a Montessori teacher who has come to the realisation that product-driven work is inferior to developmental-driven experiences. Children work to acquire skills; they don’t work for the sake of a product. My other daughter roamed the place with a joyous grin and engaged in imaginative play. The availability and appreciation of both real work and free play is what I will continue to seek.
P.S.: If there is anything you’d like to chip in or correct especially regarding Waldorf, I will be very interested to hear.
Introduction to the Child: A Montessorian, Psychological and Chinese Perspective
(Delivered in Chinese at Sai Kung Montessori on 2 February 2018)
The child’s agenda, from the moment he was born, is to adapt to his environment. His environment consists of both inanimate and animate, objects and people. He wishes to navigate himself in the physical environment, find ways to meet his needs, and to accustom himself to social expectations and norms. He is gifted with the absorbent mind as coined by Dr Montessori, which is a subconscious, photographic memory that allows the child to be slowly transformed into a person of his culture – the language, diet, mannerisms, and attitudes, all signify that he has adapted to his environment. The absorbent mind lasts until age 6. In psychology, this adaptation is fulfilled by a set of psychological processes known as self-regulation.
Each person is born with working physical organs at birth, such as lungs, stomach, intestines and liver, that allows the body to function. The body respires and metabolises. Each person is also born with psychical organs, which allows the intellect to function. Examples of psychical organs: brain, hands, feet, senses especially touch (such as the tongue).
Why are our hands and feet so important? The hand is the symbol of grasp, control, manipulation and confidence（把握、掌握、掌控等等都是跟手有關）. The foot is the symbol of exploration, strength and endurance（路遙知馬力，日久見人心）. This is studied in movement psychology.
Our limbs are connected to our brain. When the child stops moving, his brain also stops. Adults too, actually, although our movements are tapered down to, say, spinning pens, tapping feet, doodling textbooks. The synchrony is important. In Chinese philosophy, the noble person is consistent in his thoughts and action（知行合一）.
Psychical organs are present at birth, but the psyche only begins developing after birth, because it is built through interaction with environment.
Psyche = Psychical organs + Interaction with environment
The ego (self) is born with all neurons he has in life. There is an overproduction of synapses at around 1-2 years old. Synapses are terminals on the neurons that help connect brain circuits. The overabundance of synapses mean there are infinite ways our brains can be wired, as accordance to what is required of us. It is a ‘use it or lose it’ scenario. When faced with a task or stimuli, ‘neurons that fire together wire together’. Circuitry is established and the brain furthermore wants to insulate these circuits by a process called myelination. The more often the circuit is used, i.e. behaviour or exposure is repeated, the stronger the connection. Myelination increases the speed and stability of mental processes. It occurs at a genetically programmed time in different regions of the brain, which in psychology is known as critical periods and in Montessori the sensitive periods. It is observed as an intense, indulgent but temporary interest in a particular area of development. “Time is Love” – the greatest love for a child is to give him time and space to wire his brain.
The goal of Montessori education is to allow a normal person to be established. ‘Normal’ or ‘normalisation’ may be difficult to think of as a spectacular goal, but in Chinese, ‘normal’ is made up of two excellent words – 正、常。正：righteous, correct；常：the eternal way. ‘Normal’ in Chinese essentially means the right, timeless way/order of the universe. Such a person is positive, resilient, stable, balanced, and functions optimally.
The normal person is of good character. Character in Montessori is essentially temperament in psychology, which consists of both nature and nurture parts – emotional reactivity that we are born with, and the ability to regulate that emotional reactivity. As self-regulation is a result of our desire to adapt, our character is a product of our interactions with the environment, as well as our brain circuitry.
The child is born with his own instincts to grow, discover and learn. He is programmed with a schedule that is in his best interests, such as how baby Juan is stomping his feet eagerly at 4.5 months (and would cry until he is seated on my thigh to stomp). Only stomping would prepare his lower back muscles for the 6-month milestone of sitting without support. It is not something an adult would think of, or could teach, but the adult can facilitate the instincts. We are farmers who ought to provide the right kind of soil, water and sunlight to suit the species we are planting. It is not in our interest to grow wild grass; we need to cultivate our land with the right care so plants will mature and fruit.
Dr Montessori purports a stage theory of development, like many others such as Erikson and Piaget. Dr Montessori divides human growth into the four planes, each of 6 years, with a sudden jump in between. The child at each plane exhibits very different characteristics.
At 0-6, the child’s development begins with himself, indulged in whatever is in his hands, mostly in the home environment. At 6-12, he is concerned about logic, reasoning, fairness, and where he stands in the peer group. The teenager goes further to be concerned about his role in society. The young adult learns his role in creation, i.e. ‘calling’. Development has to begin from the ego, and progress outwards step by step. This is summarised by the Chinese saying, “cultivate self, organise family, govern country, make peace with the world”（修身、齊家、治國、平天下）.
One remarkable outcome of the first plane of development is consciousness. Consciousness continues to grow throughout 0-6, but it is widely recognised that 3-year-olds deliberately use declarative/explicit memory.
Dr Montessori considers 3-6 the best time for education. These young children have enough consciousness and memory to be approachable, albeit in a special manner. She considers the 0-3 child unapproachable. At the same time, the absorbent mind continues until age 6; there is neuroplasticity at the lower, more ‘basic’ brain regions. Therefore, at this age, new circuits can be encouraged and undesirable ones can be dropped. After age 6, brain development is concentrated in the prefrontal cortex, i.e. higher thinking. The subtleties of culture and character are well formed.
To facilitate a child’s development, we must consider his perspective. Let us begin at birth. Imagine yourself going down a long, windy waterslide. After bends and dips, you finally splash into the pool. What would you feel? Perhaps cold, bright, helpless, and startled. This is what Dr Montessori termed as the birth terror. The adult should immediately hold the baby. There is no time or need to dress him. Holding soothes him psychologically, but it is also a biological necessity, for the baby needs skin-to-skin touch to regulate his body temperature. Now that he is outside the womb, he has to learn how to regulate himself to ~37 degrees Celsius. It is only through adequate contact with the adult that he could learn and eventually be independent in his temperature regulation.
Temperature regulation is the first example of self-regulation, beginning with an external source, and eventually internalising the process. The next example is sleep. Daylight, nighttime, noise and the caregiver’s schedule are external cues. With enough exposure to these cues, the child eventually learns to sleep through the night, a relief that comes much earlier than most people would expect – 6 weeks, in my experience.
Consistency is a must; it is embedded in the meaning of regulation. Consistent external cues allow for swift self-regulation. Consistency is the prerequisite for all kinds of learning. If this jacket that baby Juan is wearing is called green today, blue the next, and purple the day after, how would the child ever learn his colours? Language is such an obvious example, but many people forget that this consistency is just as important in other aspects of the environment, in all its details. We call that order in the environment. Order is especially crucial during 1-3 years old. 1-year-old is when the child toddles. He is so thrilled to be mobilising himself. He would toddle to all corners and fiddle with every object. He is so delighted to be proactively interacting with his environment. Gone are the days when he had to beg for someone to carry him! His intense interest for interacting with the environment means he is trying very hard to understand every single rule around him, from mechanics to fluid dynamics, from physical pain to social acceptance. By 3 years old, he would have internalised the order of his environment. This internal order is the framework of his character. This is why in Chinese we say “3 year-old determines (how you are at) 80” （三歲定八十）. The structure has been laid.
Consistency can be rigid at times. For example, me being the consistent caregiver is not enough – baby Juan was very upset when I wore a pullover that has been stowed away for a year. He recognises his mother by smell. The pullover betrayed him.
Apart from offering the founding principles of character, order is also important to a child’s pursuits. With order, there is predictability; with predictability, the child feels comfortable to venture, or to work on his own work. If the environment is at a constant, unpredictable flux, the child, who is so sensitive to change, will have to make sense of the change every time. This means he will have little resources left to cater to his own work. It results in developmental delay.
What is his own work, you may ask? Refer to the beginning of this article. His work is, always, to adapt to the environment, which in turn builds his character.
I ask you to consider the child’s perspective and question, “Do you think the child feels he has a grasp over this environment?” To understand this feeling, take the example of cooking in your own kitchen. You have a good flow because you know your setup, your machines, your inventory and their exact location. It is very different when using someone else’s kitchen – you have to reorient yourself, and perhaps take a few days to adapt. You have a good grasp of your own kitchen, so you can focus on food preparation. Being in control of the environment is crucial to fulfilling one’s work.
The universe is very orderly. Sun and moon have their routines, clouds and trees have their places, fluids and steam obey the laws of physics. The prepared environment that we offer the child ought to mimic such order, in areas such as daily routine, physical organisation and behaviour, as well as natural harmony and the will to flourish.
Order is lived and witnessed; it is the consistency among change. Scientists derive theories from repeated experiments, and they do so in a controlled setup. Limits help us focus, and trials allow us to find order, also to be understood as limits.
Freedom with no limits is ‘wild’. It is not a feeling of free. Imagine Tsing Ma Bridge with no railings. It will be too scary to drive to the airport. We need the railings to feel safe. We need limits to feel safe. We feel psychologically free when we have principles to abide with. We need order to safeguard freedom.
In Montessori, the two main freedoms are the freedom of movement and the freedom of expression. I will explain using the infant as an example. The 9-month-old rolls non-stop. My husband jokes that the baby camera is now our screensaver. I transitioned my daughters to a king-sized mattress on the floor, fenced. The infant is free to roll far even in sleep. When he gets to roll, he is happily fulfilling development and will not cry. If he is in a crib, he cannot roll without hitting against the sides every minute, so he will cry. Sleep regressions denote changing developmental needs. Facilitate them, and the parent of a happy baby gets lots of sleep.
Babies coo and vocalise in attempt to communiciate, but crying and fussing are just as important. Language is not merely muscle control, it also counts on the ability to express appropriately, with exactness. A person who can speak true to his heart is in harmony with himself, and is empowered to feel responsible for himself. It is a virtue for thought and speech to be consistent（心口一致）. A person who is obstructed from expressing when he needs to, e.g. using a pacifier, is more likely to feel awkward or reluctant with expressing.
Dr Montessori says, “Free choice is the highest of all mental processes.” A person who is able to make the very appropriate choices is considered wise and sharp（有慧眼）. It is only through practice and experience that a person gains this foresight. Therefore, from the youngest age, we should offer the child opportunities to practise making choices. Choices have to be safe, and they start simple, gradually building up through the entire process of development. Adults should analyse out loud and model making choices, such that the child learns this self-regulatory process. Make good choices – the young child under 6 has an absorbent mind. Therefore, apart from wanting to make choices to take charge of his life, the young child also learns other people’s choices. Good choices should be in daily details such as colour coordination, style and taste, diet, decoration, scent, etc.
The 0-6 child and the 12-18 teenager have much in parallel. They are both very concerned about self-esteem. It is very important to give them a sense of control over who they think they are and how they feel about themselves. The 3-year-old, who we call the ‘threenager’ is so sensitive to failing to do something for himself. He will cry when he cannot put on his shoes, worrying that he is incapable and truly scared about life being uncontrollable.
The theme for 0-6 is empowerment. The adult ought to step down to support the child’s efforts of grasping the environment. The adult is to facilitate quality interactions so the child can build his character. In Montessori, we emphasise the importance of purposeful work, because it embeds a whole cycle for adaptation. There is first the understanding of social expectations, then through the child’s natural interest for imitation, he uses his skills to complete a work, to meet expectations. The environment provides feedback, partly through control of error and partly through people’s responses. The child is able to know how well he has performed and adjust his strategy accordingly. Therefore, purposeful work is a complete cycle, where pretend play is not. With pretend play, there is little feedback as no work is actually done and no expectations are actually met. There is not a cycle of activity that aids adaptation.
We have high expectations for the child, therefore we give him a quality environment to “help me to help myself”. For example, we give them child-sized and functional tools, as the Chinese saying goes, “to do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools” （工欲善其事，必先利其器）. The adult is the child’s steward, his helpful butler, who manages his house, prepares his food, but never tells him how to spend his time, or to dictate a letter to a friend. The Children’s House (3-6) is where the child takes the role of the master, to live a dignified life. The master is a gifted scientist. He pursues his curiosity with an intense passion. He needs space and time for his tireless work, but be prepared to be responsive and supportive when he asks for you. Discoveries will delight him with joy and brighten his character.
The adult is the keeper of the environment, the guardian angel of the child. The Montessori method is not the only way that supports the child, but if we can follow the child with precision and accuracy, we have what it takes to be a Montessorian.
Summary
The child’s work is to build his character through adaptation, that is interacting with the environment and self-regulating accordingly. The child can only build internal order through repeated exposure to a consistent external order. Order is hardwired into the brain. Intellect is built through physical interaction, such as with hands, feet, tongue and other sense organs.
The adult’s role is to provide order. Its consistency and predictability allows the child to acquire principles as well as to have a safe space to focus on his own character-building. The adult is to allow freedom within limits, so the child can pursue safe experimentation. With a confident grasp over the environment, the child is empowered and would feel good as an independent, capable entity. Offer plenty of opportunity for practising choice and being responsible for oneself. Freedom of movement and freedom of expression are fundamental to mind-body harmony.
On Intentional, Effortful, Cognitive Self-Regulation (in a Montessori setting)
This paper is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for SE761.404 Introduction to Special Education with Dr Ann Epstein.
Self-regulation is essential for adjusting to and eventually succeeding at school. It is a set of psychological skills that allows a person to act according to social expectations or norms, ranging from self-awareness or self-knowledge to the resolution of discrepancies (problem-solving) (Heatherton, 2011). School is undoubtedly a social setting, and academic success is unfortunately dependent on social norms.
The progression of self-regulation begins with the infant’s reflexive regulation, then some voluntary behavioural control in toddlerhood; in his ‘Casa dei Bambini’ years, the young child begins to develop active, cognitive control of behaviour (Blair, 2003). Around 3 to 4 years old, he reaches a milestone in executive function (EF) development – he can form “abstract rule representations” (Roebers, 2017, p.8), which is the ability to differentiate between current and previous rules. He takes in information more abstractly and flexibly. By 5, he judges his level of certainty/uncertainty in a spectrum, and shows “increasingly differentiated monitoring judgments” (p.9), a reflection of a working metacognition (MC).
EF and MC contribute to a person’s intentional self-regulation, which in turn is a tango between cognitive and emotional regulation (Florez, 2011). The interplay of effortful self-control and a person’s biologically determined emotional reactivity make up temperament (Blair, 2003) – which is in essence Dr Montessori’s concept of character.
EF and MC are both higher-order cognitive processes that help an individual adapt efficiently and operate flexibly in view of challenges and tasks posed by the environment (Roebers, 2017). They are seen as controlled processes initiated by the individual. Signs of good self-regulation include goal-directed behaviour, demonstration of appropriate social interaction, regulation of attention, regulation of emotions, remembering to do something, and the ability to use and improve strategies to solve tasks (Blair, 2003; Roebers, 2017).
How then, does the helpless newborn come to build this higher mental ability of man? It begins with external regulation. It is a developmental task to move from external regulation to internal, self-regulation (Gillespie and Seibel, 2006). Just as babies need help regulating body temperature, young ones also need adults’ supportive coaching to foster emotional and behavioural self-regulation (“Explaining”, 2017). This is provided by trusted adults who are sensitive to the child’s needs, and is fostered in a safe, predictable environment (Gillespie and Seibel, 2006). In Montessori language, external order or control over the external environment is a prerequisite to building internal control.
Attention regulation, however, can be seen as early as 3 months through an infant’s response to joint attention (RJA) (Vaughan Van Hecke, Mundy, Block, Delgado, Parlade, Pomares, Hobson, 2012), e.g. looking to where an adult points. This research shows that RJA is significantly related to EF because RJA reflects executive control of attention[1]. Children who had higher RJA at 12 months demonstrated more complex use of strategies to distract themselves in a delayed-gratification task at 36 months.
At 1 year old, two out of three latent factors of EF begin to emerge, namely working memory and inhibition. These cognitive functions of self-regulation are solidly constructed during pre-school years. The third factor, cognitive flexibility, begins to show at kindergarten age (5 years old). These functions are built through tasks (problems and solutions) and interactions with humans and the environment. The latter provides feedback, which allows for monitoring, and by controlling to act accordingly, a feedback loop is formed to continually and cognitively self-regulate (Roebers, 2017). Self-regulation is likened to a thermostat; it bears both intentional decision (i.e. setting the temperature) and active processes of regulation (Florez, 2011). The ‘Casa dei Bambini’ years determine how effective and efficient this thermostat is.
Signs of difficulty with self-regulation
The earliest sign of weak executive control is an infant’s response to joint attention, as mentioned above. RJA is a reflection of how well an infant is able to control his attention. Hence, the lack of RJA is one of the major warning signs of autism and EF deficits.
In toddlerhood, the development of inhibition can be observed. Inhibition is the “process by which people initiate, adjust, interrupt, stop, or otherwise change thoughts, feelings, or actions in order to effect realization of personal goals or plans or to maintain current standards” (Heatherton, 2011). It is subject to social expectations. If a child shows no interest in following ‘stop-go’ directions in an entertaining game, for instance, then inhibition may be weak. However, expectations must be age-appropriate.
Another measure of self-regulation is the use of strategies to achieve a goal or to avoid an undesirable outcome. If a child does not do so age-appropriately, this is a sign that he is unable to remove himself from biological impulses or arousals, and control them from a higher level. Such a person could either be rash and impulsive, or be helpless and depressive. Several disabilities such as emotional and behavioural disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD and autism share this ground.
The purpose of self-regulation is adaptation. This means adapting to survive as well as adapting to a social environment (Heatherton, 2011). From the perspective of social adaptation, signs of weak regulation include the inability to understand social expectations, to predict other’s reactions, the failure to balance between individual and group interests, and that between short-term impulses and long-term goals.
Strategies to promote self-regulation
The central theme of Montessori education is adaptation[2]. Before this is achieved, “[t]he first essential for the child’s development is concentration. It lays the whole basis for his character and social behaviour.” (Montessori, 2014, p.201) In fact, concentration and social behaviour are manifestations of self-regulation at pre-school age (“Explaining”, 2017); the ability to self-regulate defines a person’s character. Promoting self-regulation, not surprisingly, is the underlying foundation of Montessori curriculum and principles.
1. External regulation
External order is a major component of the prepared environment, from infancy to age 6. With structure in the environment, predictable daily routines, and age-appropriate limits clearly defined and consistently held, the child feels safe, is confident that his needs will be met, and consequently can manage his stress in small steps (Gillespie and Seibel, 2006). Stress management, such as self-soothing, is evident in the earliest days, and is key to nurturing self-regulation (“Explaining”, 2017). Provide manageable challenges.
2. Modelling self-regulation: monitor and think aloud
This is experienced since the child’s birth. Everyday utterance and parent-child interactions can relate to planning, self-monitoring and control. These are proven to improve a child’s MC. Use mental verbs (e.g. think, feel, foresee), narrate self-monitoring, demonstrate self-control, and lay out strategic thinking (Roebers, 2017).
3. ‘Goodness of fit’: sensitivity and observation
This refers to recognising a child’s needs and temperament, then responding to it appropriately (Gillespie and Seibel, 2006). As mentioned above, interaction and feedback are the basic contributors of the self-regulatory process. Understanding a child correctly provides accurate feedback on his expressions. It also builds trust and an emotional sense of safety. Therefore, it is the adult’s role to observe closely, respect and respond.
This sensitivity is extended to providing appropriate challenges and interesting tasks for the child, which will allow him to exercise his EF. Use ‘scaffolding’ – prompts and strategies can help, but withdraw when the child is capable of independence (Florez, 2011). It also refers to the Montessori guide as the ‘dynamic link’ between the child and materials. Observe for a good fit, entice to make it happen, then let the child make his discoveries.
4. Internal regulation through purposeful work
Practical Life activities feature a clear, tangible and attractive goal. A logical series of steps requires working memory; coordination of movement is essentially inhibition; control of error provides feedback for self-monitoring; grace and courtesy promotes social expectations, understanding and skill. Provide and rotate plenty of Practical Life activities.
Planning is also suggested as a method of enhancing self-regulation (Florez, 2011). Older children can participate in class planning, such as by writing shopping lists.
Encouraging children to write, especially journalling, can improve MC.
Conclusion
Life in the Casa is full of decision-making – many choices to make and much feedback to be received, primarily from work and peer interaction. Physical, intellectual, emotional and social independence are to be fostered. Why are there so many types of independence? Because it is full-self regulation!
Appendix
This diagram is created to illustrate the components (types, factors, processes) of self-regulation as reflected in the sources that inform this essay.
Reference List
Blair, C. (2003). Self-regulation and school readiness. ERIC Digest, EDO-PS-03-7. Retrieved from http://ericeece.org/pubs/digests/2003/blair03.html
Eliot, L. (2000). What’s going on in there? How the brain and mind develop in the first five years of life. New York: Bantam.
Florez, I.R. (2011). Self-regulation through everyday experiences. Young Children, 66(4), 46-51. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201107/Self-Regulation_Florez_OnlineJuly2011.pdf
Gillespie, L.G., Seibel, N.L. (2006) Self-regulation: a cornerstone of early childhood development. Young Children, 61(4), 34-39. Retrieved from http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200607/Gillespie709BTJ.pdf
Explaining self-regulation. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/social-and-emotional-learning/anger/explaining-self-regulation
Heatherton, T.F. (2011). Neuroscience of self and self-regulation. Annual Review of Psychology, 62. 363–390. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.121208.131616.
Montessori, M. (2014). The Absorbent Mind. Amsterdam: Montessori-Pierson.
Montessori, M. (2009). The Child, Society and the World. Amsterdam: Montessori-Pierson.
Roebers, C. M. (2017) Executive function and metacognition: Towards a unifying framework of cognitive self- regulation. Developmental Review. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2017.04.001
Vaughan Van Hecke, A., Mundy, P., Block, J.J., Delgado, C.E.F., Parlade, M.V., Pomares, Y.B., Hobson, J.A. (2012) Infant responding to joint attention, executive processes, and self-regulation in preschool children. Infant Behaviour & Development, 35, 303-311. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2011.12.001
[1] RJA takes 3 steps: 1) the infant processes cues from the social partner; 2) he disengages his attention from the social partner; 3) he directs his attention “in a goal directed, socially-anchored and spatially correct fashion” (Vaughan Van Hecke et al., 2012, p. 309)
[2] “When men are together they are in a society. They are in society when they are in the home but the adaptation is different. Social life is everywhere… [i]t is the adaptation which differs. The difficulties of adaptation are not easily overcome. These [normalised] children adapt easily to everything, to work and to contact with others.” (Montessori, 2009, p.22)
Book review: Education and Peace by Maria Montessori
Title: Education and Peace
Author: Maria Montessori, translated by Helen R. Lane
Edition: 2015, Montessori-Pierson
Period: 28-31 May 2017
At 113 pages ‘long’, Education and Peace is one of the shortest books of the Montessori series, so succinct that its passionate rhetoric must be read word by word. A compilation of lectures given in the thirties (1932-39), the tone of her speeches is heavy-hearted and full of urgency. As she speaks of peace in a turbulent time, this text is all about vision, indeed a very grand one, rather than pedagogy. This makes the book a very spiritual read. She drew parallels with the Bible on numerous occasions, which with her Italian heritage, comes eloquently and naturally, with no pretense or evangelism.
I experienced this book as a crystallisation of my full-year Montessori teacher training at the primary level. In this book, Dr Montessori repeatedly stressed the importance of following, understanding and supporting the child, and the reasons why the adult world needs this new attitude to achieve world peace.
“We were deeply moved at the discovery of a real and awesome conflict, a ceaseless war that confronts the child from the very day he is born and is part of his life all during his formative years. This conflict is between the adult and the child, between the strong and the weak, and, we might add, between the blind and the clear-sighted.” (p.12)
If we destroy the seeds and potentialities of goodness in the young, how will the quality of man ever improve? How will war ever stop? We’ve only evolved in our ways of fighting, haven’t we — at all levels!
Faith, hope, love; with love came the child — our hope. Hope can only be sustained by faith, for hope is unknown. We can only study what has manifested, but for all the potential that is hidden within the child, we have to hold faith, to the secret of childhood. This is our role as “a scientist and a saint” (Note 1). We do not study the individual child, which is full of unknown. We study the environment we provide — whether it is satisfying the needs of the child-spirit, or obstructing it. While we objectively and critically evaluate our work, the saint in us holds fast, certainly and confidently, to the belief that the child will reveal himself as he is ready.
I feel ever more strongly about preparing every adult to be observant and wise. Even if school is ideal, the family environment could still be chaotic. It is more important for the child to have a “guardian angel” that supports his best interests (refer to p.104) rather than be acquainted with Montessori materials.
In this book Dr Montessori speaks of man’s major misery as an issue of adaptation:
“His personality has remained exactly the same as in past centuries, but the many changes that have occurred in his social conditions force him to live in an unnatural environment today. Man is thus weak and helpless in the face of the suggestions exercised both by his physical environment and by other men. … [Those who have made scientific studies of him] tell us that man’s desperate struggle to adapt to his environment without being prepared to do so brings about changes in his personality that might be described as pathological.” (p.40)
In today’s terms, it’s just as we’ve been made to like food that we can’t create, buy houses that we can’t afford, indulge in social media when we are missing social skills, and manufacture weapons that land in the hands of immature politicians, terrorists and gangs.
It then becomes even more obvious as to why primary education (3-6) takes the theme of ‘concrete’, ‘practical life’ (includes adaptation) and ‘exploration’ — the theme of independence also extends to the ability to discover, create/innovate/invent and progress. It is commonly said that the Millenials are weak in computing science because they didn’t witness the building blocks. Unless they deliberately learn the primitive ways, the young successors will have a shaky foundation in their understanding of computers — holes, emptiness, confusion.
The same goes for the Sensorial area in the primary classroom. This area is a very scientific representation of our physical world, but often neglected because it doesn’t feature fancy ‘hands-on’ science experiments and funky-termed theorems. The objective of the Sensorial materials is to encourage repetition and free exploration, which will allow the child to come to his own conclusions and expand on his inquisitiveness, according to his own desire. It is obviously more meaningful that a child abstracts the concept of gravity and weight than to have a physics teacher preach about Newton. If the child makes his own knowledge, he can make full sense of his world at every step he takes. There is no unintelligible gap between him and his environment; he is fully adapted.
When a person establishes his own understanding and meaning every day, he is his own scientist and philosopher. He is independent of anyone’s explanations, persuasions and advertisements. He is grounded in his strong character.
Note 1: The teacher as a scientist and saint
“The vision of the teacher should be at once precise like that of the scientist, and spiritual like that of the Saint. The preparation for science and the preparation for sanctity should form a new soul, for the attitude of the teacher should be at once positive, scientific and spiritual.” (Advanced Montessori Method, p.107)
On war and peace, sickness and health
Reading Seminar, 2 March 2017
Washington Montessori Institute
Maria Montessori, Education and Peace, Part I: Foundations for Peace
“We were deeply moved at the discovery of a real and awesome conflict, a ceaseless war that confronts the child from the very day he is born and is part of his life all during his formative years. This conflict is between the adult and the child, between the strong and the weak, and, we might add, between the blind and the clear-sighted.” (Education and Peace, p.12)
15-minute reflection (edited):
There is a persistent conflict between the adult and the child, because they have very different priorities. When the child fights back he is called the ‘troublesome two’ or the ‘threenager’. It is easy for the adult to win, just because we are in a dictatorial position, but the cost of war is borne by both winners and losers. After WWI our ancestors experienced Great Depression and Fascism. Today we have the refugee crisis. The costs of oppressive parenting are just as such; they are partly immediate, and partly repaid long into the future.
Til today we still pray for world peace, and this ‘peace’ is merely understood as the absence of war — still, a wild dream. But if we think of our physical beings, will we call ourselves healthy as long as we’re not coughing or sneezing? Health is much more than the absence of disease or sickness. (Note 1)
If we think of the goal(s) of the human being, at its very foundation lies the goals of survival and adaptation. What we consider as civilisation now is man’s adaptation to the environment, to use less and less resources (incl time) on survival, and more and more time on self-fulfillment and social progression, which in turn should drive civilisation further. Man, who once fights hard to merely ‘not die’, can now focus on a more positive way of being alive.
If instead, man spends this extra time on fighting, then there is no progression. In the same way, if the child spends his effort to fight his parents, to try so hard to exert his will, to throw tantrums and break down inconsolably because his intentions are disrupted, then the child merely eats and grow in size, but his spirit shall not expand.
Note 1: On Health and Positive Peace
“Personal health is closely related to man’s mastery of himself and to the reverence shown to life and all its natural beauties. The aim became not so much to fight against disease as to attain health, thus shielding oneself against disease in general. This was a new idea, and when it was first propounded man was not a healthy creature.” (Education and Peace, p.9)
“[T]he plague represents a sudden, catastrophic scourge, and tuberculosis represents the gradual self-destruction of the weak personality.” (Education and Peace, p.11)
Social Awareness
Reading Seminar, 23 February 2017
Washington Montessori Institute
Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 22 “Social Development”;
Chapter 23 “Cohesion in the Social Unit”
“Good laws and a good government cannot hold the mass of men together and make them act in harmony, unless the individuals themselves are oriented toward something that gives them solidarity and makes them into a group. The masses, in their turn, are more or less strong and active according to the level of development, and of inner stability, of the personalities composing them.” (The Absorbent Mind, p.215)
15-minute reflection (consolidated):
As the mighty adult, recognise that by proactively helping, you are stripping children of the chance to solve their own problems. They are not helpless — so your help is an insult. (Note 1)
Rather than solving a problem, your role is to engage children with each other, then allow them to interact themselves. It can be as simple as facilitating a dialogue, that each have their turn to say something. ‘Engagement’ means children hear each other and respect each other’s words, that “stop hitting” said by a child is just as urgent as that said by an adult — which isn’t quite often the case now. Perhaps children, now coming from smaller and more ‘knowledgeable’ families, are too used to adults’ involvement/intervention.
Social awareness stems from engagement; understanding and respect cannot come by if one does not see, listen or notice. Ignorance is the opposite of awareness.
Hence, apart from engaging children with each other, you should often demonstrate using your senses, such as noticing there’s a wet patch on the floor, noticing that the soil is dry, noticing that the corner is dusty… noticing is fundamental to care — care of self, environment and others.
Intelligence is largely about perception. How a person solves a problem depends on how he perceives and analyses the situation. The more you see, the more you understand, the better you are capable of judging. If you don’t see, your ability is pretty limited.
When children become capable of attending to each other, you may then step back and appreciate these mischievous and creative beings who will find their own creative solutions, almost entirely out of our imagination.
Acknowledge that the adult have the best view of the classroom/environment, but the children see each other close-up. They are capable of noticing more than us. How can you possibly see nearly and clearly when you’re taking a bird’s-eye view?
So let them solve their problems!
Note 1: Development comes from problem-solving
“When adults interfere in this first stage of preparation for social life, they nearly always make mistakes. When children are ‘walking on the line’ one of them may go in the opposite direction to all the others, and a collision seems inevitable. One’s impulse is to seize the child and turn him around. But he looks out very well for himself, and solves the difficulty — not always in the same fashion, but always satisfactorily. Such problems abound at every step, and it gives the children great pleasure to face them. They feel irritated if we intervene, and find a way if left to themselves. This is all social experience, and it provides constant practice in dealing suitably with situations that no teacher would be able to invent. The teacher, instead, usually intervenes, but her solution differs from that of the children and this disturbs the harmony of the group. Apart from exceptional cases, we ought to leave such problems to the children. We can study their behaviour objectively, and of this very little is known. It is through these daily experiences that a social order comes into being.” (The Absorbent Mind, p.203)
Freedom of circulation in class and its implications
Reading Seminar, 20 October 2016
Washington Montessori Institute
Maria Montessori, The Child, Society and the World, Chapter IV “Montessori’s ‘Alternative Comprehensive School’ ”
“These are the things you should remember: primarily the interest of the child, which brings the child to fix himself on the study. Secondly, the co-operation of the children, and this is immensely aided by the fact that the ages of the children are not alike; the older children are interested in the younger, and the younger in the older. So we come to the conclusion that not only the older ones can help the younger ones but they will also profit from the fact. Thirdly there are the human instincts which bring man to attach himself to one place, and which result in order and discipline. It is curious that the remark mostly made by visitors is that their strongest impression is of the silence that reigns over the school. The most fervent activities of these children are carried out in a silence that had never been imposed on them.” (The Child, Society and the World, p.69)
15-minute reflection (edited):
In Chapter 22 “Social Development” of The Absorbent Mind, Dr Montessori talked about the competitive, rivalristic nature of same-aged classrooms (schooling separated by ages) (Note 1).
Our group discussed Montessori elementary (6-12) students freely going into the primary (3-6) classrooms, sometimes to re-experience a concrete material — to connect it with a new challenge or knowledge. This act of ‘going back’ is frowned upon by society, or by those of us who went through traditional schooling. Same-aged classes and the idea of being an infallible ‘A’ student promotes the idea of segregation, by grade/age and by attainment. The precious opportunity to connect, both with experience/knowledge and with people are sacrificed.
Mixed age classes are naturally conducive to the interaction between older and younger children, where teaching and learning will happen spontaneously. On top of that, it is also the foundation for a cohesive society — an integrated one that is not segregated by class or by seniority, by religious faith or by hierarchy of power.
Our discussion about children acting as a ‘control of error’ has brought us to talking about how much traditional education emphasises ‘infallibility’. If schooling is factory-modelled, of course the blueprint (teacher and curriculum) and output (student and evaluation) have to all be free from defects. Standardisation is a must, for how can there be two versions of ‘the perfect final product’? With this understanding, and comparing it with Montessori, one shall see that there is no ‘expert’ expectation in the latter setting. Children are more than welcomed to teach their peers regardless of whether they have or have not the expertise, for that is the time when they become better and better in their understanding, grow as a whole person, and work towards realising their true selves. This is the road, the process to perfection.
Note 1: On mixed-age setting
“The charm of social life is in the number of different types that one meets. Nothing is duller than a Home for the Aged. To segregate by age is one of the cruellest and mos t inhuman things one can do, and this is equally true for children. It breaks the bonds of social life, deprives it of nourishment. […] Our schools show that children of different ages help one another. The younger ones see what the older ones are doing and ask for explanations. These are readily given, and the instruction is really valuable, for the mind of a five year old is so much nearer than ours to the mind of a child of three… [t]here is between them a natural mental ‘osmosis’. […] All the older ones become heroes and teachers, and the tiniest are their admirers. These look to the former for inspiration, then go on with their own work. In the other kind of school, where children in the same class are all of the same age, the more intelligent could easily teach others, but this is hardly ever allowed. The only thing they may do is to answer the teacher’s questions when the less intelligent cannot. The result is that their cleverness often provokes envy. Envy is unknown to little children. They are not abashed by an older child knowing more than they do, for they sense that when they are bigger their turn will come. There is love and admiration on both sides; a true brotherhood. In the old type of school… [t]he brighter children became conceited and dominated the others, whereas in our schools the five year old feels himself a protector of the younger one. It is hard to believe how deep this atmosphere of protection of admiration becomes in practice. The class gets to be a group cemented by affection.” (The Absorbent Mind, p.204-205)
Illustrations on the Four Planes of Development
Reading Seminar, 27 September 2016
Washington Montessori Institute
The Four Planes of Education (AMI pamphlet)
“Montessori’s phases of development”, illustrated by Camillo Grazzini
“Education then becomes a matter of helping these energies; for the soul is not a stone for sculpting according to the artist’s talent, but is free energy whose expression and unfolding obeys its own inner laws.” (The Four Planes of Education, p.31)
Background: the ‘Four Planes’ are the four distinct stages of man’s development. Like Piaget’s and Erikson’s, this is Montessori’s stage theory of development, where each plane has its distinctive characteristics and needs to be met.
15-minute reflection on group discussion:
The mathematical mind is strongly captivated by the charts discussed in today’s seminar. I presented my own interpretations of them, and with supplemental words from my group-mates, I shall summarise below:
“The Bulb”:
- Bulb diagram is a differential (d/dx), i.e. change. The triangle diagram beneath is cumulative, i.e. sum.
- Bulb diagram shows organic nature of change, hence ‘artsy’ illustration. The triangle diagram is uniform because of the ‘empty vessel’ concept of traditional, factory-modelled schooling, where input is uniform.
“Constructive Rhythm of Life”:
- Again, the triangle diagram is about schooling, or a version of man that is perceived by society. Society sees sum. Accumulation is evident to man. Potential, on the other hand, is unseen to most. It happens ‘in darkness’ like a photograph development. ‘Empty vessel’ is evident again, because size of triangle is proportional to number of upward arrows.
- Inverted triangle diagram on top is deliberately made up of uniform triangles to stress equal importance of each stage. Red and blue symbolises different types of energy (creative vs. calm), but they are of equal importance. Height of triangle = evidence of characteristics/sensitivity of that stage. Area of triangle is work done in establishing it.
We spent time discussing “The Bulb” diagram, how the organic bulb illustrates human potential, while the bottom diagram illustrates human thought. The accumulation of thought = civilization. Man as a society would of course put emphasis on civilization, and not the unseen, intangible potential. The latter takes spirituality.
In Physics, ‘potential’ and ‘work’ are related concepts. Potential is voltage, work is energy dissipated. One needs to do work to realise potential. The result of this work will present itself as a cumulative diagram much like the one below, except that the rate of change (i.e. slope) could not be uniform (a straight line). The only reason for uniformity is if man is viewed as empty vessels, which man shall only have what he receives in schooling. Since traditional schooling is uniform input, the triangles have straight hypotenuse. Otherwise, if according to the nature of man, it should look something like this:
Last, we discussed what ‘finality’ means and why it is placed in both graphs. Normally, final can mean fixed, complete, done – this is my ‘final work’, for example. Here, finality can mean ‘my work is done’ too – the work of human development is complete, full human development has been expended, his spontaneous creative energy on character development fully dissipated.
I hate to feel that my ‘creative’ days are over (2 years beyond finality now), but perhaps I can be happy with the character I have created, and work on the accumulation of thought instead.