Montessori International Happy Holiday Wishes 2025
I hear, from people around the world, that it is fun to “travel” with me through social media and this blog. So, to celebrate the 2025 holiday season I am sharing more and hoping you enjoy it.
In 2011 our family created a song/video celebrating Earth and some thoughts on the meaning of Christmas. We called it “A Christmas Prayer for the Earth.” Here is the link to an updated version of that video, CLICK: Video
The original YouTube version has received over 8,000 hits and has been translated into several languages, and every December travels the world. This pictures shows bread-baking in a Montessori IC (Infant Community) for ages 1-1.5 in Sweden, and one slide from the Czech translation of the video.
More pictures from the video:
In a Montessori primary class, a knobbed puzzle map of the world is a favorite piece of material. Along with enhancing visual discrimination, eye-hand control, and concentration, this begins a pleasurable journey of belonging to, and caring for, the whole earth. The picture is from a Montessori class in the Netherlands.
High in the Himalayas there is always snow. This picture was taken after work in Nepal, on the way to visit the School for the Blind in Lhasa, Tibet. For more information on this trip, CLICK: Tibet
In a Montessori primary (age 2.5-6.5) class in Moscow, Russia. Year around, in all Montessori schools, there will be flowers to touch, smell, take care of and use for flower arranging.
The wall dividing Israel from Palestine was calling out for my colleagues and I to paint a peace symbol and we were happy to oblige. More information on that work here, CLICK: Montessori in the Middle East
On a walk through the woods with my grandson I watched him repeatedly touch everything, study with great attention the wonders of nature, and then ask for the names of his favorites so he could share back at home.
How does the child assimilate his environment? He does it solely in virtue of one of those characteristics that we now know him to have. This is an intense and specialized sensitiveness in consequence of which the things about him awaken so much interest and so much enthusiasm that they become incorporated in his very existence. The child absorbs these impressions not with his mind but with his life itself.
—Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
Even during the first week of the first AMI Montessori class in Bhutan the results astounded the parents of the children who were peering in at the window. It happens very quickly that when the activities offered to a child meet the mental, physical, emotional needs, and when the resulting concentration is protected from being interrupted, a love of the environment and a desire to be helpful to others always follows.
Western culture has brought difficulties to many places around the world, including Sikkim, the 22nd state of India. Materialism, TV violence, daily stress, violent action and discourse, teenage problems, etc. I was part of a group of people invited to address these problems and suggest solutions through Montessori. For more information on this amazing trip, CLICK: Sikkim
Not far from our house here in the northern coastal area of California, there is a redwood grove where one looks up into the towering branches to the sky above. It is very much like a church, and we call it the Cathedral Grove.
What I have learned since creating this video in 2011
Following 40+ years of joyful Montessori teaching (ages 2-18) I have continued to travel and help others create successful teaching experiences. However, I believe only about 5% of what is called “Montessori,” has anything to do with true Montessori practice. There are many reasons: lack of time and money for teacher training is one. But sadly, the internet (especially since Covid) has created a situation where people are misguided into buying toys and teaching materials, books, and even teacher-training programs, labeled “Montessori” have no real value; and where even people with no successful Montessori teaching experience can call themselves experts, and “train” others.
Those who can, do; those who can’t teach.
—George Bernard Shaw.
Maria Montessori, MD, was a scientist and her methods are scientific, requiring the adult to have practiced all of the 1:1 lessons (in a primary class for example) with other adults (not children) so they are accessible just when a child is ready for a particular lesson. Teachers carry out many hours of educated observation, so they can offer a child just the right activity at the right moment. Today’s situation is like the early 1900’s when Montessori practice was spreading rapidly; there was a rush to train teachers more quickly that required many compromises. The results? No longer were people seeing the “miracle” results, because teachers gradually returned to the non-Montessori “traditional” methods: grouping children by age, lessons given in groups, daily circle time (CLICK: Circle Time), rigid scheduling of the activities of the day, and too many adults. The children were learning to wait for direction, to obey, rather than to think and act for themselves.
To correct this situation and ensure results like such as those seen in the first casa dei bambini in Rome, Montessori formed the Associaion Montessori Internationale (AMI) to standardize teacher training. Today this organization is in continually being assessed and improved, in touch with the needs of the modern world. The positive results of this intensive teacher-training backed by increasing scientific research. To be prepared to train teacher there is a 10-year PhD-level program and it is in demand worldwide, fulfilling Dr. Montessori’s hopes for true Montessori practice. For more information, CLICK: AMI
What I do to help & the Christmas Prayer for the Earth
I continue to help in every situation where I am invited to do so, even those places where there are no trained Montessori teachers, if the hearts and souls and the true intentions of the people who invite me are pure. In each place these new colleagues, the parents, and the children continue to teach me the best ways to explain (in my books) how to move closer to authentic Montessori practice, to help children learn to explore, to trust themselves, to concentrate, to respect and desire to help others, and to be happy.
When individuals—at any age—have daily experiences of deep concentration found in a true Montessori situation there is a natural result of joy, calmness, curiosity, strength, love and care for themselves, for others and for the earth. Through daily practice, brains become firmly wired to these ends and individuals carry these skills into the rest of the day, into the home and community, and into the following years of life.
This is the basis of a Christmas Prayer for the Earth.
As I continue to learn from the needs of others I work with, I keep writing and improving what I have written before, because learning never stops. Here are two sources of reviews and information about the books that result from this international work:
From Vietnam, CLICK: books
This list on this blog, CLICK: books
You are welcome to sign up for future blog posts, and to share anything you find here.
Happy Holidays,
Susan
Home page, CLICK: Susan