Montessori teachers, focused on the daily, seemingly “routine” experiences and responsibilities in the classroom, sometimes lose sight of the larger purpose to which their activity is directed. Montessori environments for children reflect the creation of the new education upon which Dr. Montessori believed a peaceful and harmonious society could be developed.

Events of major world attention, such as the presidential elections in the United States in November, 1980, otter an opportunity for the Montessori community to examine its larger purpose with regard to the creation of a new society. To consider the idea of a new society, committed to the conditions of fundamental human dignity, effectiveness and adequacy for all seems naive and incredible in the midst of present world conditions of massive hunger and poverty, economic stagnation, threat of war and foreign domination, crime and violence. However, creating new conditions in society depends not on external reality, but rather on the humility of an individual.

Principles of Creativity

The source of creation is within the individual, and does not depend on external conditions. Creation occurs now in the moment from nothing and therefore, leaves no “trace” in the normal measures of time and space. However, evidence for created reality can be realized in the sense that such reality can be acknowledged and communicated; e.g., Montessori teachers can observe the normalized child becoming the new man, able to master detrimental conditions in the environment with courage, joy and satisfaction.

Realizing the New Society

Since the new society is a natural development of the new education, changing conditions in society serve as a validation of the creation of the new education. The teacher’s commitment to Montessori principles in the classroom naturally extends throughout society as normalized children communicate their true nature in society and as the teacher expresses her courage and commitment into areas of life beyond the classroom.

Montessori-A Laboratory

Montessori teachers perfect their creative abilities in the classroom through their engagement with the children from a commitment to Montessori principles. Therefore, the Montessori classroom represents a laboratory in which the creation of the Montessori environment communicates to society by creating the new education. In this same sense, the entire Montessori community represents a larger research into the use of Montessori principles in adult society. As the principles of creativity are discovered and communicated in the Montessori community, new generating forces are established which naturally and spontaneously emerge in a realization of the new society.

Anger in the Classroom

Dr. Montessori warned against anger and pride as the two most destructive qualities in teachers which must be controlled in the classroom. However, in controlling the harmful expression of anger in the classroom, teachers must work to acknowledge and express such feelings appropriately. Control of anger is not suppression or avoidance of anger.

Suppression of anger is not an effective means of resolving such feelings in the teacher. Suppression results in inappropriate teacher behavior such as physical force, manipulation, fatigue, insensitive remarks and lack of attention in the classroom.

Anger is appropriately expressed when such feelings are acknowledged and communicated responsibly. Shouting and other similar attention-getting devices are not necessary and must be controlled. However, teachers must permit the appropriate manifestation of anger, such as facial and voice tension and statements of feelings (e.g., “I am angry”). Responsible communication of anger knowledges the source of such feelings within the teacher, not the child.

The teacher herself is the aspect of the environment which may be most difficult to “prepare”. Nevertheless, a full commitment to the principle of “preparation of the environment” requires that teachers observe and control themselves, particularly with regard to feelings such as “anger”

Originally published in 1980 in Vol. 1, No. 7 issue of The Montessori Observer