"All Work is Equally Valuable"

                                "All work is equally valuable." Maria Montessori

This is surely one of Dr. Montessori's more memorable quotes because it is so short.  I remember hearing this for the first time during my training.  It, among other words of wisdom, went into the beaker full of the rest of the Kool-aid that I was unable to immediately consume as I did not fullly understand it, nor believe it.  I began my work with the children trusting that this as well other bon mots of Maria's would eventually resonate.  I soon recognized it's truth in the microcosm of our Prepared Environment.  I radically embraced the notion that floor scrubbing is as valuable as multiplication in the sense that one child would find their way to Normalization through Practical Life and another child would find it in Mathematics at any given time in their individual development.  But there are jobs and there are careers, right?

Initially I found myself at odds with the idea of all work being equally valuable because that was counter to my upbringing and what I thought I knew about the world.  Surely it's better to be a doctor than a ditch-digger.  Surely an advertising executive for Pall Mall cigarettes is the lowest form of life.

As I pondered this over the years, I decided that there were probably fewer ridiculous occupations in Dr Montessori's day.  See, there I go judging again, which is diametrically in opposition to the point of my article today.  In fact, though, manual labor was more highly respected in the past than in modern times.  An honest day's work for an honest day's pay and all that.  I have seen photographs of the workers of the Works Progress Administration during FDR's New Deal.  Their exuberance and pride as they held high their picks and shovels leaps off the image.  And today, there is a resurgence of interest in the trades. There is a realization that not every young person needs a university education and the world's needs are very diverse, requiring a diverse work force.  

As I joyfully greet the delivery person bringing me my precious goods that I was too scared (and wise) to purchase in a store, I realize how desperately I need the service this guy is providing.  As I pick up some take-out food, so looking forward to eating something not prepared at home, I cannot help but thank the server for working during this crisis.  I am so grateful!  I am humbly indebted to the grocery store cashiers, the train conductors, the now-unemployed army of hospitality workers, the farmers, servers and manufacturers that I have taken for granted until now.  I truly never appreciated the legions of people who support my life and my lifestyle until so many of them vanished from my life.  Maybe the movement for a higher minimum wage signifies that many other folks had been valuing these workers all along.

These jobs  are not glamorous nor prestigious, but I think people can see now, more than ever, that they are absolutely vital, "essential", as they say and that many more high-status positions are, in fact, not.  But embracing the theme, these non-essential occupations are also, equally important.  Perhaps they create beauty, entertain us, bring us comfort, create more jobs, add to the collective understanding or otherwise enrich our world. In any case, this crisis has brought me one step closer to understanding Dr. Montessori's wisdom, expressed in that simple quote, "All work is equally valuable."  I am committing now to sustaining this feeling of gratitude towards the workers of the world - paid and unpaid- in good times and bad.  I'm sorry it took a pandemic to awaken me.  

What Do We Tell the Kids?

Dearest Guide,

My mate and I are struggling with what to tell our young kids about Recent World Events.  We don't want to overwhelm or worry them, but they see the masks and our elaborate disinfecting routines and have questions.  How much should we tell them when we don't know all the answers and the answers seem to change every day?

Sincerely, Information Overloaded

Dear Overloaded,

Since we are now, what, close to 2 months into this ( I go by the date of March 12, when the schools were closed) I sincerely wish I had addressed your concern earlier.  By now, you have probably found just what to say to your little ones regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.  But our other readers, Gentle Parent, can still benefit from such a topic because this is surely not the last World Event we will have to get through whilst rearing our children and not the last difficult topic we will need to address.

Whether it is a pandemic, violence, war, poverty, injustice and inequality, marital discord at home, bigotry, sex and gender issues, folks with special needs, religious differences, death or cruelty, stuff happens.  Kids are exposed.  They have questions.  My best and most general advice is to answer those questions, but that's all.  By their questions, your children will tell you what they need to know to make sense of a situation.  Just satisfy their needs without giving them more information than they are asking for.  We want to avoid giving them more than they can handle.

More questions will arise.  Answer them as they do. I also advise parents to be honest with a child when they don't have a ready, well-thought-out answer.  It is preferable to organize your thoughts, beliefs and what you really want to transmit to your child than to slop out an immediate reply.  It is wonderful to say, "I appreciate your question.  It is an important one and I want to give it some thought before I answer.  I will get back to you soon to discuss this."  Then be sure you do collect your thoughts and prepare your presentation.  I remember a fantastic mom who was put on the spot when her child was asking loudly about someone's physical disability who was a fellow passenger on the bus the mother and child were riding.  She was at a loss and embarrassed.  That might have been a time to employ the above tactic.

Sidenote:   I have also heard a wonderful speaker at a Montessori conference who would advise this mom to respectfully ask the passenger if he/she would mind if her child asked about their situation. The speaker was a fellow teacher and when she went out with her elementary students on the outings that 2nd Plane Montessori students organize themselves, the students would show interest in some of the people they encountered, people lacking housing, for example.  And she guided them in how to engage a stranger in a meaningful exchange, if amenable to both parties.

But back to your query, Gentle Parent, about this Recent World Event - the pandemic.  I would answer your children's questions as honestly, simply and briefly as possible.   Verity, clarity, brevity, levity is my motto!  Sometimes the levity doesn't work too well with pre-schoolers as they are so literal, but it rhymed so nicely!  Maybe just stick with true, clear and brief.  I am grateful for your question, Gentle Reader and hope I didn't give YOU more than you asked for, but heeded my own advice.  Wishing your family the very best in this difficult time, I remain,

Your Guide,
Doni

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Gentle Parents,

Are you and your gang having enough fun?  Just checking.  I'm worried about you.  Let's just go down my fun checklist, okay?

     * Have you visited the Benton County Library website?  There are many forms of entertainment available there, even for those who do not have a library card.  One of the older boys in our class has been listening to lots of audiobooks and his parents tell me that it is a point of focus for him and that he retains so much of what he hears.  I also think an entire family all sitting around listening to a story together makes for a cozy and relaxing way to wind-down.   And there is much more available on the website.

     * Did you know that Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR is still open?  Remain safe and comfy in your vehicle as you drive through and see the animals in (and out of!) their enormous enclosures.  Forgive the teacher in me for saying there could be some great work leading up to and following such an excursion.  One could research an animal they were keen on seeing there and write a report or make a booklet of pictures and labels depicting and identifying a handful of animals expected to be seen on the safari.  One could write a haiku and leave it there for the cheetahs to enjoy:

                                                   Cheetahs run and leap
                                              You never hear them coming
                                                     until it's too late
     
     * Every song you might ever want to karaoke is available on YouTube!  Search like this:  YouTube Karaoke Foo Fighters Learn to Fly or YouTube Karaoke Keep on the Sunny Side.  They are ALL THERE!  It's so much fun! Your kids can sing songs they already know without needing to  be able to read the lyrics and they will really enjoy seeing Mamas and Papas get so silly as they belt out their favorites.  Best of all, when you come to the part of the song you don't know at all, you can just stop and pick another song you might know. You don't have to stand up there helplessly, knowing that you are over your head while everyone in the karaoke bar judges you.

     * Have you painted rocks and left them out in your neighborhood to delight others?  This is best done with acrylic paints which you can purchase over the phone with your credit card at Michael's and they will bring it out to you for curb-side pick-up.  You might want to stock up on pipe cleaners, tissue paper, Elmer's glue, Tacky glue and a couple of watercolor sets while you are at it.

Okay, Gentle Parents, if you have done all of the above and the dipstick is still registering "low" on your fun tank, someone, (not me!) should set up a Zoom cocktail party for all of us.  Maybe we can come up with more ideas if we put our collectively addled brains to it!  Busily planning more fun YouTube videos for you, I remain,

Your Guide,
Doni

It Takes a Technician!

Gentle Readers,

Please indulge me as I write this post to effusively thank my husband, Andy Cyrus, for all his help during our stay-at-home period.  Without his help and patience, there is no way I would be able to join you on the Zoom class meetings or post all these videos on our Philomath Montessori YouTube channel.  Believe me, I am not exaggerating my incompetence in this area.  I have cried real tears of frustration more than once in trying to figure all this out.  I lack ability and patience in this area, for sure.  Jessica is of tremendous help, but she is remote, of course, and guides me as best she can on the phone.  But I  don't just need technical support.  I need real-time, hands-on rescue!  Andy has been my savior many times in the last few weeks.  (Although he has threatened to withdraw his support if I can't muster up a better attitude. I do get understandably cranky at such times.)  Andy has also been doing the weekly grocery shopping for 3 of our elderly neighbors, so I am not the only one in his fan club right now.

Thank you, Andy, from me, our neighbors and my school, for all you are doing to support us in our time of need.

Your Guide and Andy's Grateful Wife,

Doni

Print Alphabet for First Grade

Dearest Guide,

Don't you usually help the 3rd year students transition from your cursive alphabet to the print alphabet they use in all the public schools?  What am I to do to prepare my 6 year old for first grade?  I don't know how to do that!

Sincerely,  Scrabbling and Scribbling


Dear Scrabbling,

You are absolutely right, Gentle Parent. We do typically spend the last month of the school year offering the graduating children the opportunity to practice the formation of the print alphabet.  They are already very familiar with the letters from having read, almost exclusively, words in print, but haven't written them much.  We offer them handouts with letters to trace and copy, which, using arrows, indicate the proper path the pencil should take in forming the letter.  The children are usually very excited about this rite of passage and eagerly practice on the handouts.  For all of our parents whose children are moving on to another school system, I encourage you to provide such penmanship practice for your child no later than one month before the new school year begins.  That should offer plenty of time to master the formation of these letters.  If you or your child wish to get cracking on this earlier, that is absolutely fine, too.  At this point, under these circumstances, I am perfectly willing for your child to begin this transition at any time now.  There will be handouts available to download, print and practice on from our Distance Learning tab at our PhMS website.  I'm sure other parents had this question nagging them at the backs of their minds as well, Gentle Parent, so thank you for your inquiry.  It is my hope that the children continue to use both alphabets as they progress. A hand-written letter will always contain more of the soul of the writer than one tapped out on a keyboard and a fine cursive hand represents a well-rounded education and a certain panache.  I hate to think of these awesome kids living without panache!  It haunts me!   I remain,

Your Guide,
Doni

Little Kid Activities

Dearest Guide,

The 3 R's are great for the older kids, but what can you suggest for my little guy, nearly 3, who loved his Montessori classroom so much and was so satisfied by his work there?  What can we do to help him feed his little soul, mind and body here at home?

Signed, Doting Mom

Dear Doting,

Hooray for our little guys, right?  I hope he is having a great time at his home.   Here are some  ideas your special fella may enjoy:

* Trim the grass at the edges with a pair of blunt children's scissors.
* Sidewalk chalk
* Wash the sidewalk with a bucket and scrub brush.
* "Paint" a fence, deck or house with a housepainter's brush and a bucket of water to dip it in.
* Bubbles
* Tub toys outdoors in a big tub of water, such as a storage bin.  A child can easily drown in such a tub.  This must be continuously supervised.
* Dig in the dirt.
* Move a stack of firewood or heavy rocks from one area to another.  Use a STURDY bucket, little wheelbarrow or gloved hands alone.
* Wipe the baseboards with a damp rag.
* Make pinecone birdfeeders with peanut butter and sunflower seeds.  Wash your hands afterwards.
* Scrub the birdbath.  Wash your hands afterwards.
* Make musical instruments by putting gravel in one cottage cheese container and rice in another.  Hear the difference?
* Find all the squares he can in his home.  Say "square" each time.  Now do the rectangles.
* Wash bikes, trikes, scooters and car wheels with a bucket, scrub brush, bar of soap and sponge.
* Play "Run and Touch."  Say, "Run and touch something shiny" "something wet" "something heavy" "something round"  "something near."  Great way to learn adjectives and get your heart rate up!
* Play "The Preposition Game." Say, "Stand next to Dad."  "Sit in front of the fireplace."  "Run around the shed."  "Get behind the sofa."  Prepositions are the words that tell us where things are in relation  to other things.
* Cut out pictures from old magazines together.
* Invite him to "sort" those pictures.  I wonder what categories he will dream up?
* String macaroni. It's a necklace!  Glue it on a carton of Stash tea. It's a jewelery box!  Cook it.  It's dinner!

Gentle Parent, I hope this list provides some fodder for your whole child: mind, body and spirit. Thank you for writing as I'm sure others are glancing about for potential activities for their wee ones as well.  Wishing you and your little tyke many hours of enjoyment, I remain,

Your Guide,
Doni

Ramadan is here!

Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic year is upon us, beginning at sundown tonight.  At today's online class group meeting, I will inform the kids.  It is a complex holiday with many traditions and revealing insights into the foundations of the Muslim religion.  It is wonderful that it lasts one whole month, which will allow me to tell short stories each day we meet, gradually sharing all the richness of Ramadan, finally ending with  the breaking of the fast, the joyous Eid-al-Fitr.

At Easter time, for the past few years, The History Channel has broadcast an excellent mini-series, "The Bible."  It's sophisticated production really brought to life all the Bible stories I grew up hearing as a child. I have re-watched it several times. When I was a kid, the Bible was everywhere.  Most of my knowledge of the Good Book probably came from my doctor's office waiting room, where they had copies of the "Children's Illustrated Bible" along with "Highlights" for our entertainment.  I was fascinated by the story of the Flood and the graphic illustration of the poor sinners pounding on Noah's Arc as the waters rushed up around them, sealing their doom. Even though we were very inconsistent in our church-going, I absorbed a lot of the Christian tradition and oral history just through living in these United States. I happen to know more Bible stories than some of my Catholic friends who went to church "religiously" and learned all their catechisms and such.  My point is, back in my day, even the non-religious among us were exposed to a lot of Bible stories.  Quran stories, not so much.  (Case in point, spell-check did not know what to make of the word "Quran."

Ever since I first enjoyed that wonderful presentation of "The Bible" on The History Channel, I have thought how great it would be if they could produce one entitled "The Quran."  That's the book that non-Islamic Americans know so little about, but that is so important to a near-majority of the world's faithful.  29% of the world's people declare themselves to be Christian, 24% to be Muslim and 14% are Hindu. Islam is the world's fastest-growing religion. Yet everyone knows about Noah and Jesus and Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt.  We know about doves and olive branches and rainbows and fatted calves and prodigal sons even if we aren't Christian.  It is part of the culture and we don't find it threatening. But many people seem to feel threatened by Islam.  They seem to know a couple of concepts about the religion that do not suit them (veiling comes up a lot) and write if off as inferior to their own.  Or inferior to having no religion at all.  That is why we need a great blockbuster production of "The Quran" to make this holy book come alive for the general populace as well.  These are the stories we don't know.. Or do we?

Many people don't realize how much Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common.  They are all 3 Abrahamic religions, stemming from old Abraham's first encounter with God.  The Quran recognizes and tells stories of many of the same people as the Torah and the New Testament - Jesus, the Angel Gabriel, John the Baptist, Jacob, Elijah, Moses, all the heavy-hitters.  They have the story of the Flood, the plagues of Egypt, the Exodus, and others that are shared, with their own twists, to be sure, with the other Judeo-Christian religions.  My point is, it is our ignorance of Islam that creates suspicion.  That and a few yahoos doing unspeakable things and declaring it to be done in the name of Muhammad. This is a terrible blow to Islam.

So, if you know any Hollywood producers, please put the above bug in their ear.  I think Westerners would shell out $10 to satisfy their curiosity about this religion (without having to read the whole Quran) and would be better world citizens at the end.  Mark Burnett, the producer of  the CBS show "Survivor" and his wife, actress Roma Downey (who played Jesus' mother, Mary, beautifully) produced "The Bible,"  out of their own religious devotion.  I think it would serve humanity even more to elucidate us on the fascinating stories of this other, less-well-known-to-some-of-us religion.  Dr Montessori reminded us that we can only love that which we know.  Let's all get to know Islam a little better.

Your Guide,
Doni