Understanding International Relations Through Montessori Experience

Five upper elementary students representing Japan in the 2012 Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) Conference worked very hard during the last several weeks, not only on their normal classroom lessons and work expectations, but also composing and editing their Position Papers for the upcoming simulation. Their  documents have now been submitted to each Model UN committee for review by its dais. 

Below is the list of topics that the MMUN students learned of, discussed and wrote about.

• Protecting Street Children (UNICEF)
• The Voice of the Child and their Rights (UNICEF)
• Palestinian Refugees (UN Peacebuilding Commission)
• Current Problem in Sierra Leone (UN Peacebuilding Commission)
• Situation in Japan Following the 2011 Earthquake (UN Environment Programme)
• Improving the Quality and Access of Drinking Water (UN Environment Programme)
• Humanitarian Situation in the Gaza Strip (Gen Assembly, Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee)
• Land Rights of Indigenous People (Gen Assembly, Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee)

At the New York City conference in April, each committee will be comprised of students much like our own, drawn from grades 4 through 6 at more than 400 Montessori schools around the world. Their common educational background makes this mix work well -- as if the students have always known each other, even though they will meet for the first time in April and spend only three days together.

Last year, students came to the conference from Montessori schools in China, Jordan, Sweden, Puerto Rico, and many other countries around the world. Such international representation helps all of these students come to a realistic understanding about what it is like to work within an international body of people. Our students learn first-hand what it means to try to achieve peace in a world where people speak different languages and have different cultural traditions, beliefs and opinions. Compromising on their opinions as they debate students from China playing the role of U.S. diplomats and from Sweden representing Mexico, for example, really broadens their perspectives on international relations.

Often representing Member States with cultures that are very different from their own, the children acquire a sense of what it is like to work together in a collaborative effort to achieve peace in the world. While each individual committee's work simulates the UN experience, it also models our Montessori classroom in that mixed ages of students work together while a few Montessori teachers manage the sessions and help maintain a respectful, non-competitive approach as they do in their classrooms. Together, the students propose solutions to the issues raised and draft resolutions with the hope that their ideas might achieve consensus on final voting day in NYC at UN Headquarters.

The collaboration among AOCs MMUN students during this preparatory period has been remarkable. Without teacher interference in the process, those students who finished their papers first helped those who were required to publish a second paper for their particular committees. The students offered each other every type of assistance, from research and guidance on the topics to typing and editing, until all of the final submissions were polished and ready to go. I am very impressed with this hard-working group and their fine work! More importantly, it is clear that they feel a sense of accomplishment -- and not just because they finished two weeks before the deadline.

Once their spring drama performance is in the past, the students will be able to return to the next phase of preparation for the MMUN Conference -- speech writing and practice debating.

A Holiday Gesture of Kindness

Saying "we care about you" during the holiday season may seem commonplace, but when our elementary students recently presented a gift to a former teacher, it was filled with deep, heart felt meaning.

Their kind gesture was in the form of cookies...very special ones that every one of the 19 students in our class had helped to make, and a treat which they initially couldn't wait to feast upon themselves. It's a tradition in our class to carve fresh pumpkin and several weeks later use it for holiday baking. Scraping the flesh of the squash, spooning out the cooked vegetable, and then mashing it are all tasks that are organized by the children and performed in small groups. The final few students follow a favorite recipe as they cook up a huge batch of pumpkin oatmeal cookies overflowing with chocolate chips. By the time the project was completed this year, nineteen mouths were watering, eagerly awaiting their hard-earned treat.

But, just as the cookies were coming out of the oven, one short lesson about the Middle Ages and St. Augustine's work in Britain brought about a discussion of monastic life and a twist in our plans. It seemed a good time to share information about a similar current day lifestyle of sacrifice and a former teacher's decision to enter a contemplative monastery almost a year ago. Ms. Hurley, now known as Sister Hurley, is living a new lifestyle of prayer and hard physical labor with NO talking. This concept was difficult for the students to digest.

The children were stunned for a moment, but after questions, discussion and collaboration, they turned their surprise into a response filled with love. They asked if they could package up their pumpkin cookies and send them to Sister Hurley by overnight mail so that she and the other nuns at the convent might share them on their holiday table.

And so it was done...a caring gesture to begin the holiday season of giving and tender thoughts for a dear teacher and friend of AOC who remains in our hearts.

A High School Senior’s Tribute to Montessori

             On my first day of seventh grade, I was bewildered by the idea of sitting at a desk. Every classroom was filled with desks, carefully placed in straight, orderly rows. How strange middle school seemed, after spending ten years in a close-knit Montessori environment. The idea of a desk was fascinating and yet, disturbing – I now had my own, assigned space, but how was I expected to work with my classmates if we were separated? The desks seemed like they would hinder learning, rather than facilitate it. A strong contrast from Montessori school, this concept of desks triggered my concern with conventional education.

            At three years old, wearing an over-sized apron, I had used a yellow basin of water to determine which objects would sink or float. By seven, on my stomach with feet in the air, I had exhausted encyclopedias and organized note-cards for a research paper. I had wondered, discovered, and achieved in every physical position all over my classroom. Never had I been asked to listen to a lecture for forty-five minutes, or memorize dates, grammar rules, or names of countries for a test. Instead, I had learned the countries, capitals, and flags of the world before age eight by labeling maps with my friends.

            I have always been eager to explore and understand as much as possible about the world. I wanted to know everything, and that was that. Thoroughly researching and analyzing has always been my passion, never a chore. It was a shock to witness classmates in middle and high school complaining about homework. Advocates for the Montessori curriculum understand that it is natural for a child to enjoy learning. However, I soon realized that in conventional schools, teachers believe students need incentives to learn, like gold stars or good grades. My unconventional experience convinced me that traditional schools emphasize convergent thinking, leaving little room for creativity, exploration, and discovery.

            I have no doubt that the boy who fell asleep during physics class, and the girl who copied a few answers on the history homework were once excited by the prospect of learning. Montessori theory demonstrates that it is possible to learn effectively and still maintain an interest in the world.  Though I have often heard my classmates insist that they will never understand this or that concept, I believe that everyone possesses the ability and motivation to reach an answer. I owe my inextinguishable curiosity and views about education to my Montessori experience.

            Throughout my college search, I have sought a school that will encourage me to ask questions about so-called norms. Why do most schools suppose that children learn best when sitting at a desk? Can learning and freedom of movement not go hand in hand? While I have adapted well to conventional education and deeply respect my teachers, I often recall my Montessori education with longing. We learned by asking questions. We absorbed information by examining and analyzing. We understood that experience is not acquired behind a desk.

A Gathering of Heroes for Halloween

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates tried very hard to program things when we sat down to our meeting this morning. Abe Lincoln tipped his hat to Wyatt Earp and Stonewall Jackson, who were determined to keep everyone in line. They were trumped by Hillary Clinton, though, who reminded us that Sitting Bull’s position is now set in stone. Things would have been just fine if Julius Caesar and George Washington hadn't vied for a leadership role in the process. Fortunately, Paul Revere warned us that trouble was on the way. Thomas Edison figured everything out while Amelia Earhart and Ponce de Leon navigated the room. Thanks to Clara Barton everyone remained in good health throughout. Good thing, because for a moment we thought we were seeing double when Martin Luther King Jr. showed up twice, but Helen Keller clearly knew what was going on! Little did modern day Bindi Irwin realize that she and Donald Hayes have something in common...they both are passionate about frogs!

Hope you can tell that we had a great day!