“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” - William Blake I offered this advice originally as an observation on the pace of children's lives in and out of school. Now, we're out of school all the time. It feels like it's even more relevant now. Sometimes we catch it: a child intently staring at a flower bud or absorbed in the way the light comes through the trees above her. We migh

The human spirit, that human spirit that we should first and foremost consider when we think of education, is glorious, enthusiastic; it is luminous, daring, grandiose, and infinitely delicate; melancholy, mirthful, tragic, passionate; earthy and ethereal; inquisitive, contemplative; tender, sorrowful, and joyous. Above all it is robust. - Renilde Montessori, The Timeless Human Spirit, 1988 When Montessorians talk about protecting the child's spiritual development, we are not

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” - William Blake Sometimes we catch it: a child intently staring at a flower bud or absorbed in the way the light comes through the trees above her. We might glance at the backseat to see our children staring thoughtfully out the window, and wonder what wild and beautiful thoughts are going through their minds. Sometimes they share them with

‘What are the conditions of the creative attitude, of seeing and responding, of being aware and being sensitive to what one is aware of? First of all it requires the capacity to be puzzled. Children still have the capacity to be puzzled.’ - Erich Fromm If you're expecting a fingerprinted free-for-all, the calm and attentiveness of the Montessori classroom may be a surprise. Where are the children exploring with art materials? Why aren't the walls covered in children's paintin

The human spirit, that human spirit that we should first and foremost consider when we think of education, is glorious, enthusiastic; it is luminous, daring, grandiose, and infinitely delicate; melancholy, mirthful, tragic, passionate; earthy and ethereal; inquisitive, contemplative; tender, sorrowful, and joyous. Above all it is robust. - Renilde Montessori, The Timeless Human Spirit, 1988 When Montessorians talk about protecting the child's spiritual development, we are not

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” - William Blake Sometimes we catch it: a child intently staring at a flower bud or absorbed in the way the light comes through the trees above her. We might glance at the backseat to see our children staring thoughtfully out the window, and wonder what wild and beautiful thoughts are going through their minds. Sometimes they share them with

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” - William Blake Sometimes we catch it: a child intently staring at a flower bud or absorbed in the way the light comes through the trees above her. We might glance at the backseat to see our children staring thoughtfully out the window, and wonder what wild and beautiful thoughts are going through their minds. Sometimes they share them with

‘What are the conditions of the creative attitude, of seeing and responding, of being aware and being sensitive to what one is aware of? First of all it requires the capacity to be puzzled. Children still have the capacity to be puzzled.’ - Erich Fromm If you're expecting a fingerprinted free-for-all, the calm and attentiveness of the Montessori classroom may be a surprise. Where are the children exploring with art materials? Why aren't the walls covered in children's paintin

The human spirit, that human spirit that we should first and foremost consider when we think of education, is glorious, enthusiastic; it is luminous, daring, grandiose, and infinitely delicate; melancholy, mirthful, tragic, passionate; earthy and ethereal; inquisitive, contemplative; tender, sorrowful, and joyous. Above all it is robust. - Renilde Montessori, The Timeless Human Spirit, 1988 When Montessorians talk about protecting the child's spiritual development, we are not

“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” - William Blake Sometimes we catch it: a child intently staring at a flower bud or absorbed in the way the light comes through the trees above her. We might glance at the backseat to see our children staring thoughtfully out the window, and wonder what wild and beautiful thoughts are going through their minds. Sometimes they share them with