more "from the mouths of parents"

It's one of my privileges to meet with prospective parents after their first observation in a Montessori classroom, get their impressions and answer their questions.

Their observations? "It was so quiet and orderly!" "There was such a variety of activities!" "The children are so independent!" "The adults are so calm and graceful!"

Their questions? "Who is motivating them and how?" "How do you keep track of so many children doing so many different things?" "What's with the mixed-age group?" "How do they make the transition to traditional school after Montessori?"

Today I met with the mother of a 4-year-old, observing in Montessori for the first time. She started out talking about what a surprise it was, what a contrast to the traditional education she's used to. But as we talked, she got more and more excited. As I answered her questions each subsequent response seemed to resonate more than the last.

Finally she commented that she'd noticed that we used real china plates, real glass vases. Why do we do that? What happens when one breaks?

I answered, of course, that a child doesn't have the opportunity to learn to refine movement when using plastic; that if something breaks, the child will simply clean it up.

She was overjoyed. "At last I have found a place for my child where she won't be insulated from real things."

Sometimes the profundity of parents simply amazes me.