This then is the first duty of an educator: to stir up life but leave it free to develop. Maria Montessori More Quotes by Maria Montessori More Quotes From Maria Montessori It is not enough for the teacher to love the child. She must first love and understand the universe. She must prepare herself, and truly work at it. Maria Montessori first-love teacher children By the age of three, the child has already laid down the foundations of his personality as a human being, and only then does he need the help of special scholastic influences. So great are the conquests he has made that one may well say: the child who goes to school at three is already a little man. Maria Montessori character children school Education today, in this particular social period, is assuming truly unlimited importance. And the increased emphasis on its practical value can be summed up in one sentence: education is the best weapon for peace. Maria Montessori assuming weapons today The ‘absorbent mind’ welcomes everything, puts its hope in everything, accepts poverty equally with wealth, adopts any religion and the prejudices and habits of its countrymen, incarnating all in itself. This is the child! Maria Montessori prejudice mind children It is easy to substitute our will for that of the child by means of suggestion or coercion; but when we have done this we have robbed him of his greatest right, the right to construct his own personality. Maria Montessori personality mean children The child who concentrates is immensely happy Maria Montessori montessori children Imitation is the first instinct of the awakening mind. Maria Montessori awakening mind firsts Do not offer the child the content of the mind, but the order for that content. Maria Montessori mind order children Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which they must do everything, as something lacking an inner guide and in constant need of inner direction. . . . An adult who acts in this way, even though he may be convinced that he is filled with zeal, love, and a spirit of sacrifice on behalf of his child, unconsciously suppresses the development of the child's own personality. Maria Montessori sacrifice personality children The child, in fact, once he feels sure of himself, will no longer seek the approval of authority after every step. Maria Montessori approval steps children The needs of mankind are universal. Our means of meeting them create the richness and diversity of the planet. The Montessori child should come to relish the texture of that diversity. Maria Montessori diversity mean children The aim of education should not be to teach how to use human energies to improve the environment, for we are finally beginning to realize that the cornerstone of education is the development of the human personality, and that in this regard education is of immediate importance for the salvation of mankind. Maria Montessori energy personality education Bring the child to the consciousness of his own dignity, and he will be free. We see no limit to what should be offered to the child, for his will be an immense field of chosen activity. Maria Montessori limits fields children Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war. Maria Montessori educational war peace If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind? Maria Montessori intelligence use men Environment is undoubtedly a secondary factor in the phenomena of life; it can modify in that it can help or hinder, but it can never create. Maria Montessori hinder environment helping How does he achieve this independence? He does it by means of a continuous activity. How does he become free? By means of constant effort. we know that development results from activity. The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences. Maria Montessori effort mean children Let us treat them [children], therefore, with all the kindness which we would wish to help to develop in them. Maria Montessori wish kindness children The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence. Maria Montessori instruments men hands Two things are necessary, the development of individuality and the participation of the individual in a truly social life. Maria Montessori individuality development two
