Education should no longer be most imparting of knowledge, but must take a new path, seeking the release of human potentialities. Maria Montessori More Quotes by Maria Montessori More Quotes From Maria Montessori The human hand allows the mind to reveal itself. Maria Montessori humans mind hands Order is one of the needs of life which, when it is satisfied, produces a real happiness Maria Montessori real order needs Great tact and delicacy is necessary for the care of the mind of a child from three to six years, and an adult can have very little of it. Maria Montessori mind children years Mental development must be connected with movement and be dependent on it. It is vital that educational theory and practice should be informed by that idea. Maria Montessori educational practice ideas This then is the first duty of an educator: to stir up life but leave it free to develop. Maria Montessori educator childhood firsts The teacher must derive not only the capacity, but the desire, to observe natural phenomena. The teacher must understand and feel her position of observer: the activity must lie in the phenomenon. Maria Montessori desire teacher lying Except when he has regressive tendencies, the child's nature is to aim directly and energetically at functional independence. Maria Montessori independence independent children No one can help us to achieve the intimate isolation by which we find our secret worlds, so mysterious, rich and full. If others intervene, it is destroyed. This degree of thought, which we attain by freeing ourselves from the external world, must be fed by the inner spirit, and our surroundings cannot influence us in any way other than to leave us in peace. Maria Montessori degrees solitude secret The best instruction is that which uses the least words sufficient for the task. Maria Montessori tasks instruction use What advice can we give to new mothers? Their children need to work at an interesting occupation: they should not be helped unnecessarily, nor interrupted, once they have begun to do something intelligent. Maria Montessori intelligent mother children No one who has ever done anything really great or successful has ever done it simply because he was attracted by what we call a 'reward' or by the fear of what we call a 'punishment.' Maria Montessori punishment done successful The child’s parents are not his makers but his guardians. Maria Montessori guardian parent children Order is ... the true key to rapidity of reaction. Maria Montessori reactions keys order It follows that at the beginning of his life the individual can accomplish wonders without effort and quite unconsciously. Maria Montessori individual effort wonder But an adult if he is to provide proper guidance, must always be calm and act slowly so that the child who is watching him can clearly see his actions in all their particulars. Maria Montessori adults action children Love and the hope of it are not things one can learn; they are a part of life's heritage. Maria Montessori parts-of-life heritage Rewards and punishments, to speak frankly, are the desk of the soul, that is, a means of enslaving a child's spirit, and better suited to provoke than to prevent deformities. Maria Montessori punishment mean children No adult can bear a child’s burden or grow up in his stead. Maria Montessori growing-up adults children Today, however, those things which occupy us in the field of education are the interests of humanity at large and of civilization, and before such great forces we can recognize only one country-the entire world. Maria Montessori humanity civilization country The task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility and evil with activity. Maria Montessori evil lying children