This is a tribute to all the people who made a difference in my journey as a Montessorian. I Have to start with my mother, who is a Montessorian at heart. She allowed the flowering of her children the way they wanted, showing the way and then setting them free-me included. There were times she got caught with anxieties natural to a mother, but was willing to listen and accept others point of view. This nature of hers has helped me to be the same kind of mother to my children and also a director in the House of Children where I could allow the child to follow his will, and also the strength to stop them when necessary.
Next I have to mention Mrs Sunanda Naganand, a friend, philosopher and guide in the true sense. She introduced me to the Montessori Method when I first went to Sishu Griha for admission for my son 24 years ago. She patiently explained what Montessori was all about, and literally introduced the method for the first time to me. She (my first and only boss) helped me follow the child and also gave the freedom in the environment(a Montessorian as a boss too) to follow the method, and still be there in case we stumbled. And she also helped me realize Montessori can happen even in an environment with less than full complement of material, following the principles is more important than all the material in the world. And that when it comes to the crunch, it’s people that matter.
The next person who impacted me was Mrs Meenakshi Sivaramakrishna, my trainer in the Montessori course. Being with her I learnt how important it is to be particular in following rules in the Montessori Method. She was the one who emphasized about Montessori being a Method as opposed to being a System-which does not allow any flexibility. Practically all the knowledge I have about Montessori can be attributed to her directly or indirectly. I either learnt from her lectures, discussions with her or the Questions that she shot at me to help me find Answers;-). I’m proud to say that questioning has become easier for me(so has trying to answer her questions).
Mrs Radha Nagraj, Mrs Lakshmi Krishnakumar and Mrs Jagannath were the people who answered my questions with patience. They also used to share their experiences of working with children and gave me an intriguing view of the children and the Montessori world. It was an affirmation of my determination to work in a Montessori environment, and not to go off to some other school where they would have paid me much more.
Mrs Susan Koshy, the gentle Montessorian, was my mentor at work. Ever ready to help with whatever doubts we all had and offer assistance when she saw us bumble (I’d still be counting the days children were present if she had not pointed out that it would be easier to count how many days the child was absent) from such simple things to telling stories and offering a guideline for presentations to the children which was(still is for newly trained adult) a major source of anxiety. The best lesson she taught me was that I did not have to present ALL the activities to ALL the children, it’s more important to see that the child is ‘aided for life’ that included a questioning attitude and the Joy of learning.
Last but not the least, there are scores of like-minded people with passion for Montessori(even untrained but knowledgeable friends whose clarity helps me see, when I do not notice in my subjective frame of mind)who have helped me with new thoughts and I hope I too have helped them in turn. I especially hold precious the discussions we have about the method, the children, what’s right/what’s not and so on. Now as I continue my journey in the world of Montessori and otherwise, I share with others what they shared with me.
