Organized mind

Image taken from the AMI website

Is the Montessori order good for everyone? Are those of us who thrive in chaos better off in an environment that allows for that, away from rules, order and attention to detail encouraged by the Montessori method?

I received this question recently from a like-minded parent who chose to homeschool her daughter. I could immediately relate to the concern.  Yes, this is how my mind functions and how I thrive: chaos, high-pressure, thinking on my feet. I excel at a fast-paced dot com start-up and wilt in a corporate structure with pay grades, strict authority hierarchies and well-defined job descriptions.

Yet, the answer is quickly apparent to me - YES!  Montessori is the best way to raise and educate a young child. 

In her writings, Maria Montessori explained her belief that an organized environment shapes a well-organized mind. I know that my own thought process is haphazard and have learned to do quite well with it. When writing software (that's what I do, by the way!) I find it impossible to go by the standard architecture => design => implement paradigm.  Instead, I open a terminal window and start typing.  I am fast and though my method results in frequent false-starts, and my software wears out faster - I can still beat the vast majority of programmers out there in the final product.

But is my ability to be creative mutually exclusive with ordered thought? Over the years, I have worked hard to improve my long-range vision, ability to concentrate, attention to detail.  Those qualities have enabled me to become more productive and, I can attest, did not hinder my extreme creative drive. Yet, every step along that path is arduous: seeing the field far enough ahead in great detail is something that requires extreme level of thought organization.  I might see shapes even farther than most - and see opportunities or avoid pitfalls - but they come as snapshots, where the big picture is often missed.

Having struggled to tame my unruly mind, I have become enamored with Montessori ideas of helping a child go down this road naturally, while it's easy and obvious.  

I have two children: a thoughtful, methodical and cautious Alex (4) and a wild, unruly, risk-taking and creative Lily (2). Not surprisingly, if you think about it, I have seen the greatest positive effect from a Montessori environment on the one who needs it most: Lily.  As soon as she started attending school, she calmed down, became focused, her tantrums diminished and it became far easier to reason with her. Most interestingly, prior to starting school, she often said, "I can't figure out what my job is!"  What that meant in a child that young isn't completely clear - except that she was obviously lost and confused.  Just three hours a day where her function is clear have brought her around and helped her cope with her crazy two-year-old emotions running wild.

I cannot create a real Montessori environment in my home.  Forget organization and harmony - just keeping it a step above a filthy mess takes all the organizational skills I personally possess.  I have learned to accept that about myself. But I treasure what the Montessori school gives my kids - not the academics, which I would excel at myself - but the sense of order, purpose and harmony.