Nature, an inspiration for all learning

Our outdoor area at both Tawa Montessori Preschool and Little Earth is an integral part of the indoor classroom. It is not just a retreat to go to for a rest, or just another place to sit down with an indoor activity. Instead, it is a carefully prepared environment which is set up to meet the needs of the child.

Care plays an important role in the prepared environment. It is through care our children learn respect and compassion for all living things, including themselves. A key element of our preschool programme is to show our children what caring means. Role modeling and supporting them in their efforts is a much more meaningful experience than just written words.  We focus on observation, patience, and respect for all living creatures, in and outside the classroom.  We do this not only through teaching our children to respect Nature, but also through giving them experiences in the virtues of stillness, wonder, and calmness.

“Not too long ago it was assumed that clean water's not important, that seeing the stars is not that important. But now it is. And now I think we're realizing quiet is important and we need silence. That silence is not a luxury, but it's essential.” 

- Gordon Hempton

We learn about stillness, appreciating the quiet moments to imagine, to  question and to dream, to be alone with our own thoughts. Silence often connects us with our inner selves, something we often forget about. We often sit down with the children in our garden in silence and let them make their own discoveries.

“If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder … so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years.” 

- Rachel Carson

Today's life is hectic for adults and children. At preschool, we show our children how to take a deep breath, slow down, and wonder at the beauty of Nature. Children are curious by nature. To them, everything is a wonder. We encourage our children to stop and look at something with attention and to marvel at the miracles of Nature, be it a spider web, an emerging butterfly or an earthworm.

"Children are not the people of tomorrow, but people today. They are entitled to be taken seriously. They have a right to be treated by adults with tenderness and respect, as equals. They should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be - The unknown person inside each of them is the hope for the future." 

- Janusz Korczak

Calmness is an important part of being peaceful. Calmness is nurtured through a harmonious and beautiful environment based on the principles of freedom of choice, respect for ourselves, others and the environment, and cooperation. We give our children full attention in an outdoor environment where they are able to move freely, and engage in activities for unlimited time without being hurried to move on to the next activity.

Just like Maria Montessori believed in the power of Nature, we too believe that Nature is a source of inspiration for all learning. However, at our preschools we believe that Nature is not just to be seen as a classroom. Indeed, Nature is part of who and what we are. Nature is our own being and we should treat it with uttermost respect, just like we treat ourselves. Nature is not a place to visit now and then, Nature is not a far away land. Nature is here, right where we are. It is our role to give our children awareness and sensitivity to the importance of Nature and the interconnectedness we all have.

- Anja

Why Nature with Capital N - To demonstrate a powerful symbol of the shift in thinking - from a view of nature as simply a source of resources to be extracted to gain capital of the monetary kind, to one of Nature whose natural capital supports life itself, deserving the utmost admiration. For more information see the Earth Values Institute's The Capital N in Nature Campaign.