So, a three year old runs and hugs you like there’s no tomorrow. Gives you an enormous ear to ear smile, his eyes gleaming, seems like saying, “you are my hero.” That’s the kind of welcome I get each morning from each of my students. Their warmth and passionate touch brings me to reality, jolts an energizer in me and keeps me young at heart.
My work in itself is a joy. It reminds me of the gigantic responsibility each one of us have as an adult. Our prime goal to suffice in this world with our positive contribution to it. As an educator I thrive to achieve this target on a daily basis.
At times its utterly challenging to keep doing what I believe is fruitful in my objective. And yes, it collides with those of my co-workers and most of all parents and guardians of my little ones. The only happy medium between this entire tug is the look in these children’s innocent faces and we give in with all our love, open arms and smiles. This world is then a much happier place.
Love is what makes it all worthwhile. It is that exact kind of guidance and nurturing children need at all ages to be able to follow their dreams. To be able to believe in themselves. To be able to draw their own understanding and comprehending at their own pace without being unnecessarily pushed around. To be able to be comfortable with their thought trail and where ever it may lead to in their own imaginary world without being held back by adults prejudices.
This kind of nurturing can be found in a Montessori environment, where children themselves, hold the key to exploration. Here, they have the freedom to learn with their own pace. Age is merely a number in this kind of environment and children’s progression is usually based on their individual abilities. Therefore, if one observes, it would be an astonishing treat to his senses to easily witness many four year olds reading first grade level books or doing addition problems and beyond. Many of them even helping their much younger peers.
Such a practice is one of the many common grounds upon which a Montessori environment functions. It is undoubtedly interestingly mentally stimulating, where children are intrigued and challenged with the aid of the Montessori materials. It allows them to thoroughly understand a specific concept in a more sophisticated, defined manner by working with it, rather than a teacher trying to explain it periphrastically. Hence, Montessori teachers are just eager passive guides whereas the children are the active participants. It is more of a learner based environment than a typical teacher directed classroom. By: Ifra N. Khoso
