Adults today, lacking a “normalizing”1 experience in a Montessori classroom in early childhood, cannot readily undo the psychic scars and damage resulting from traditional childhood upbringing. However, despite such lack of prior Montessori experience, adults (and older children) can nonetheless significantly benefit from the application of Montessori principles through the process of “adaptation”- the conscious realization of the individual’s perfect interrelated functioning with all humanity in one’s own time and place in society.
“Adapting the adult” envisions the application of Montessori principles to adults by a process similar to “normalizing the child” employed in a Montessori primary classroom. Such “adaptation” enables an individual to effectively engage and master adult society, despite the lack of Montessori educational experiences in early childhood.
The “Normal” AdultÂ
The “normal” adult, in contrast to the normal 6-12 year old child in the Montessori elementary environment, does not readily realize perfect adaptation to time and place in society. The typical complexity of life’s problems in society deters the adult from realizing life as it actually is-playing a role in the drama of life.
The Drama of Life
In the drama of life, each individual fulfills a unique “role” in accordance with an essentially unknown “script.” The adapted adult is able to acknowledge and recognize his unique role in society (i.e., his “personality”) and also to acknowledge and recognize the true author of the script of the drama of life—completely within one’s self, independent of outside forces and conditions.
The True Author
The true author of the drama of life is discovered and recognized within one’s self in the process of “adapting the adult.” Progress in such adapting process is evidenced by internal qualities, such as the enhanced experience of joy, power and satisfaction. To the extent that the individual asserts the true author outside or beyond one’s self, the experience of suffering and inadequacy persists.
Society as Classroom
Montessori education views the unfolding drama of life in society as a “classroom” in which adults, rather than children, are the students. The “classroom” of adult society ultimately includes the entire world as the “environment” and the entire human family as the class of students. Although “society” and the “classroom” are fundamentally similar, certain outward appearances readily obscure such similarity.
Distinctions in Society
Society appears outwardly quite distinct from a classroom. First, society seems rampant with “misbehavior” and disharmony on a massive scale. No classroom of young children was ever so unnormalized or apparently unmanageable. Secondly, the dominant forces and issues in society, such as law, government and economics, appear totally different from the normal areas of concern in a classroom of children. Thirdly, the magnitude of the world’s problems, such as nuclear armament and starvation, appear so awesome as to defy any effective engagement by a single individual. Lastly, there seems to be no “teacher” or “guide” responsible for such a “classroom.”
The “Teacher” of Society
Noting that society unfolds according to the “script” of the drama of life, the “teacher” of society is none other than the true author of such drama-completely within the individual. To the extent that the individual can discover and acknowledge within one’s self such “teacher,” society can be effectively engaged and mastered by such individual.
Confronting Society
The “teacher” in society confronts and engages problems in society in a similar manner to situations arising in the process of normalization of a Montessori classroom. Notably, the apparent differences of problems in society and the classroom belie the underlying reality that “adult” and “child” problems are identical in substance since the adult’s problems are, in effect, continuations of long-avoided and unresolved problems from early childhood.
Beginning
The beginning of “adapting the adult” is the individual’s commitment to the effective application of Montessori principles. Such a commitment inevitably leads to an acknowledgement of the true author of the drama of life, spontaneously expanding the adult’s adaptation to society.
Montessori Classroom
The Montessori classroom for young children provides the adult with the ideal opportunity to develop a commitment to Montessori principles since the young child’s spontaneous and receptive nature readily aligns with and supports the adult’s efforts on behalf of such a commitment. However, lacking such a classroom opportunity with young children, the adult is nevertheless able to achieve an adapted state by consideration alone.
Consideration
The “non-teacher” adult is able to engage in the process of “adaptation” by “consideration”-the thoughtful and conscious expression of the idea itself. Such a “consideration” can be achieved by ample communication and participation with the idea-commitment to Montessori principles. IMS supports such “consideration” through its various publications and programs for schools and individuals. Ultimately, IMS Montessori teacher training aims to serve as the primary means for communicating a commitment to Montessori principles.
Creating “Adaptation”
“Adapting the adult” is an integral and inevitable expression of creating the “new education” by Montessori teachers in the classroom with children. Such an educational process will inevitably create “adaptation” in adults as detrimental conditions in society are spontaneously engaged and resolved.
[footnote] 1. “Normalizing”-the fundamental process of the Montessori classroom by which the child’s nature profoundly shifts from misbehavior and domination by character defects to a sense of calm and satisfaction consistent with the child’s true nature.
Originally published in 1982 in Vol. 3, No. 1 issue of The Montessori Observer