Riverbend Montessori Spring 2018 Newsletter (3)

MINDFULLNESS
IN THE
MONTESSORI
ENVIRONMENT
B Y S U S A N H Y L T O N
Recently the teachers and staff of Riverbend Montessori
had an opportunity to attend training on Mindfulness in
the Montessori Environment. During the daylong session,
we were able to learn a number of mindfulness practices.
What struck me as the day progressed were the inherent
similarities between mindfulness practice and that of
Montessori education.
Central to both mindfulness practice and Montessori is
concentrated attention. Dr. Montessori believed that
concentration led to what she called “normalization”
which is when a psychologically healthy state is achieved.
In the classroom, that state is observed when a child is
being constructive and kind in their behavior. When a
child is routinely engaged in focused work they will be in
a normalized state.
In our classroom, students are given lessons on how to
interact with and move in their environment. Children are
shown how to walk carefully and to not run or skip in the
classroom. They carefully bring a rug to the floor to
work and are asked not to walk over another’s rug.
Children learn how to set up their own work and when
finished how and where to restore it. These are not
simply good classroom management techniques but rather
these are life skills of grace and courtesy. The children
are learning how to be mindful of their actions.
Bringing attention to the tasks of everyday living is
another important aspect of mindfulness practice. And
so it is in the Montessori classroom. The work of
practical life is found throughout the school. Toddlers
learning to sweep up crumbs and clean their dishes.
Primary children polishing brass and scrubbing tables and
older children tending to their gardens throughout the
year are but a few examples. In conventional school
environments, there is precious little opportunity to turn
away from abstract academic pursuits.
In our classrooms, we have what are called "uninterrupted
work periods" that support the development of deep and
sustained concentration. Children have enough time
during the work period to absorb fully the knowledge
made available to them in various pieces of work. In a
conventional school environment, you typically have
shorter periods of work driven by the external stimulus
of the teacher. (Lillard, 2011)
The sensory environment of a Montessori school is very
much like the particular attention paid to sensory
experience in mindfulness practice. Our toddlers and
three-year-olds spend a great deal of time learning to
differentiate between smells, colors, tastes, sounds, and
textures. We even play a game called “The Silence
Game”. When the teacher chimes her bell, the entire
class will become silent with the aim of becoming fully
aware of their surroundings. When the teacher again
chimes her bell, the students will discuss what they
experienced and heard. Another game called “Walking the
Line” requires the child to turn their concentration
inward and to become aware of their body in relation to
the environment.(NAMC, 2012)
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