Question

How to find a balance between the new found freedom and responsibility behaviour??

Answer 1

Discipline in a Montessori classroom is so much different from the discipline imposed on children in a conventional school setting (which most of us experienced when we were growing up).  First, let me tell you what it is not: it is not the adult controlling the child’s behavior – that’s the conventional method.  That method is usually only partially successful and doesn’t nurture self-discipline.  Let me share some thoughts about how discipline works in Montessori.

 

First of all, in a Montessori environment, we allow the child liberties that nurture their independence.  These include the liberty to choose a material with which to work, to explore a new material or concept, to concentrate without interruption, to go at one’s own pace, to move, to observe others work (as long as it’s worth observing and is done quietly), to use all of one’s independent skills, to communicate, and to express oneself freely.