Nature makes many eyes shine

"If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future"

- Maria Montessori

What is the first goal of teaching young children? Is it academic standards, or nurturing the heart. In The Tao of Montessori, Catherine McTamaney asks the question why we put so much emphasis on reading and math. "... what kind of adults are we preparing them to be, if we are always telling them that what they know is more important than how they behave?" What comes first? Do we sacrifice the heart in exchange for the mind?

At our preschool, we take our children on regular "treasure walks" through our preschool garden. Only the other day we found, in the time frame of fifteen minutes and an area of only a couple of square meters, several fascinating "miracles". We found fungus growing on pine cones, worms digging under a rock, acorns sprouting out of the ground, spiders hiding under a log.

We looked, we marveled, we carefully touched, we shared and delighted in the experience. The children were mesmerised and fully embraced the sweet and short moment of stillness and wonder. A powerful moment for both of us. As a teacher I am expected to teach our children their sounds and letters, build words and read books, I am expected to teach them numbers, to tallycount and perform mathematical operations. But what we were experiencing at this moment was something very different.

The children at our preschool are exposed to a rich language and math curriculum, but just as important, if not more, is the nurturing of their heart. By taking them out on nature walks, exposing them to the earth, connecting them with nature first hand, the children learn about the interconnectedness of all living things and the great responsibility each of us shares in the ecosystem. As a teacher of young children it is my responsibility to nurture the mind, the hand and the heart.

"When you are facing the child whose heart is open and overflowing, find yourself in that child. Remember the adult you loved dearly. Respond as you wish that adult had responded to you. When you are facing the child whose heart is locked away, find yourself in that that child, too. Remember the adult who you feared. Respond as you wish that adult had responded to you."

- Catherine McTamaney (The Tao of Montessori)

Feeding the heart of a young child is an important task. There is no second chance, there is no "money back guarantee", no warranty, no exchange. So how do you know you are doing the right thing?

Benjamin Zander, whose famous 2008 TED talk about Music and Passion I have written about before, talks about the conductor of an orchestra, who doesn't make a sound but depends on his power to make other people powerful. It is our role as early childhood teachers to empower the children in our care. Zander mentions the "shining eyes".

"To awaken possibilities in other people, look at their eyes. If their eyes are shining, you know you are doing it. If their eyes are not shining, who am I being that my children's eyes are not shining?"

- Ben Zander

This is what I believe, we as early childhood teachers, need to be doing more. When we are creating new footprints on our children's heart, we should be looking at their eyes. Can we see any shining eyes? Maybe it is time to take the child outside, to introduce them to the ladybugs in the garden, the butterflies on the flowers, the worms in the soil, the grass underneath their feet. And when you do so, look at your children's eyes. Nature is bound to make many eyes shine.
- Anja

The Tao of Montessori. Reflections on Compassionate Teaching (2005, 2007) by Catherine McTamaney, Ed.D. iUniverse Star. Lincoln, NE