Fátima Reyes, Grade 11
UWC Costa Rica
Many have been the men who, throughout history, have significantly influenced the concept of education and made great contributions that shaped the modern education system. Sociologists, teachers, doctors, psychologists, philosophers and educationists have all taken turns in the classrooms to transform the way we understand and teach the unstoppable little minds full of creativity and amazement that fill our playgrounds and toy stores. From John Dewey to Jean Piaget, from Spain to Russia, from university halls to daycare centers, many are the men who have signed their names in history as the founding fathers of modern pedagogy.
Amongst the beards and suits stands out a brilliant Italian woman. Her legacy still lives on today in the names, philosophies and mission statements of countless schools around the world. In a time where women were trusted with barely more than the household chores and care of their children, she was brave enough to defy these expectations and forever changed the role of women in education, and education itself.
Her name was Maria Montessori, and I had the privilege to pretend this interview with her, one of the women I admire and aspire to be like the most.
Fáima: Buongiorno, Ms. Montessori. It is a great pleasure to sit with you today. There are many things I would like to ask, but I was wondering if you could start by briefly introducing yourself to those readers who might be oblivious to your life.
Maria Montessori: Sarebbe un piacere, grazie (it would be a pleasure, thanks). My name is Maria Montessori. I was born in 1870 and raised in Italy. The daughter of a strict militar and faithful catholic father, I was not expected to pursue any sort of formal education, usually reserved for the men. Nonetheless, my mother encouraged me to educate myself, as she was a well-versed woman. I spent my youth years studying to develop my pedagogical method -now recognized as the Montessori method, I believe. I eventually moved out of Italy to promote my pedagogy in the rest of Europe, America and even India. I died in the Netherlands at age 81, a single mother and outstandingly accomplished scholar.
Indeed you were Ms. Montessori. I believe some of the facts you share with us lead me to my first question of the day. What was the driving force that pushed you to break all these barriers that were placed on you as a woman at the time, and how was it that you came about it?
As I stated before, my father loudly opposed my pursuit of education, but I was lucky enough to have a mother that supported my goals. From a very early age, I was interested in the sciences, and after finishing public elementary school, I enrolled in an all-boys technical school in the hopes of becoming an engineer. And, although I did excel at mathematics and other sciences, I turned to an even less likely aspiration for women at the time - medicine. I was the first-ever female medicine student at the University of Rome, where the hostility of my male peers and professors didn’t prevent me from graduating in pediatric medicine and psychiatric.
The path from medicine to education seems like an unusual one. What took you from hospitals to young children’s classrooms?
Well, I always intended to work with children in the medical field, and from there to their classrooms, the gap wasn’t such a long one. I began working with children who had some degree of learning impairments or mental disability as a physician and researcher. I quickly realized the need to create special learning environments for these children and subsequently gained a great interest in pedagogy. I became very well acquainted with the most prominent educationists of the past 200 years -of 100 years ago, that is. *Laughs* Their philosophies influenced my own and motivated me to strive for equality within the classroom, in particular for these mentally disadvantaged children. Later in my career, I started implementing my methods on neurotypical children as well because I believed they could be very beneficial to any young person.
And we keep thanking you for your work even to this day. We probably wouldn’t have made-to-size chairs and tables or usual outdoors activities if it weren’t for your interventions. What would you consider your greatest contribution to modern pedagogy?
Well, I thank you very much, signorina. I am not sure how much I truly contributed to the good of our children, but I am certainly delighted to see how my influence has improved the educational experiences of students, even those outside of Italy. I do not credit myself as much as I do the children. My observations, I believe, only revealed what has always been true about children. They, like adults, are individuals and deserve to be treated and respected as such. They are as intelligent as adults but superior to us in their creativity, innocence and greater potential for the future. I was always an advocate of their right to learn freely and independently, but not without the love-based companionship of the teacher.
An advocate, indeed you were Ms. Montessori. Yet, you advocated for so much more than proper in-classroom treatment for young kids. Would you care to talk to us a little bit about this?
Both internally in Italy and abroad, I fought for women’s rights to education. I had been lucky to get the education only gentlemen got at the time and desired for more women to have these opportunities. Also, as I’ve stated before, as a physician I was a witness of the often unfair treatment that disabled children were victims of and worked to include their necessities in the traditional education system to get them the education they deserved. For these efforts, I was honored with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. To these, I responded with gratitude, but reminded the academia that establishing lasting peace is the work of education; as all politics can do is keep us out of war.
And I am sure if more people had followed your advice during the first half of the century, at least some of its many tragedies could have been prevented.
It has been a great pleasure talking to you, Ms. Montessori. There’s nothing left for me to do than to express my most sincere admiration and appreciation for your achievements as an educator, an activist and a woman. Do you perhaps have any advice for a young 21st century girl like myself who, one day, aspires to have as much of an impact as you did?
As different as your world is from mine, ragazza (girl), and as much improvement has been made to women and children’s opportunities, it is not a less complex or difficult one to navigate. The children you will raise will not have the same needs as the ones I raised, and the challenges they faced and will face differ greatly too. All I can wisely advise you is to be a careful observant of the world and the people around you. Don’t be afraid to stand for love and justice, and remember that if salvation and help are to come, it is through the child.
It has been lovely to chat with you bambina (child). Grazie mille (Thanks so much), and best of fortune.
Amongst the beards and suits stands out a brilliant Italian woman. Her legacy still lives on today in the names, philosophies and mission statements of countless schools around the world. In a time where women were trusted with barely more than the household chores and care of their children, she was brave enough to defy these expectations and forever changed the role of women in education, and education itself.
Her name was Maria Montessori, and I had the privilege to pretend this interview with her, one of the women I admire and aspire to be like the most.
Fáima: Buongiorno, Ms. Montessori. It is a great pleasure to sit with you today. There are many things I would like to ask, but I was wondering if you could start by briefly introducing yourself to those readers who might be oblivious to your life.
Maria Montessori: Sarebbe un piacere, grazie (it would be a pleasure, thanks). My name is Maria Montessori. I was born in 1870 and raised in Italy. The daughter of a strict militar and faithful catholic father, I was not expected to pursue any sort of formal education, usually reserved for the men. Nonetheless, my mother encouraged me to educate myself, as she was a well-versed woman. I spent my youth years studying to develop my pedagogical method -now recognized as the Montessori method, I believe. I eventually moved out of Italy to promote my pedagogy in the rest of Europe, America and even India. I died in the Netherlands at age 81, a single mother and outstandingly accomplished scholar.
Indeed you were Ms. Montessori. I believe some of the facts you share with us lead me to my first question of the day. What was the driving force that pushed you to break all these barriers that were placed on you as a woman at the time, and how was it that you came about it?
As I stated before, my father loudly opposed my pursuit of education, but I was lucky enough to have a mother that supported my goals. From a very early age, I was interested in the sciences, and after finishing public elementary school, I enrolled in an all-boys technical school in the hopes of becoming an engineer. And, although I did excel at mathematics and other sciences, I turned to an even less likely aspiration for women at the time - medicine. I was the first-ever female medicine student at the University of Rome, where the hostility of my male peers and professors didn’t prevent me from graduating in pediatric medicine and psychiatric.
The path from medicine to education seems like an unusual one. What took you from hospitals to young children’s classrooms?
Well, I always intended to work with children in the medical field, and from there to their classrooms, the gap wasn’t such a long one. I began working with children who had some degree of learning impairments or mental disability as a physician and researcher. I quickly realized the need to create special learning environments for these children and subsequently gained a great interest in pedagogy. I became very well acquainted with the most prominent educationists of the past 200 years -of 100 years ago, that is. *Laughs* Their philosophies influenced my own and motivated me to strive for equality within the classroom, in particular for these mentally disadvantaged children. Later in my career, I started implementing my methods on neurotypical children as well because I believed they could be very beneficial to any young person.
And we keep thanking you for your work even to this day. We probably wouldn’t have made-to-size chairs and tables or usual outdoors activities if it weren’t for your interventions. What would you consider your greatest contribution to modern pedagogy?
Well, I thank you very much, signorina. I am not sure how much I truly contributed to the good of our children, but I am certainly delighted to see how my influence has improved the educational experiences of students, even those outside of Italy. I do not credit myself as much as I do the children. My observations, I believe, only revealed what has always been true about children. They, like adults, are individuals and deserve to be treated and respected as such. They are as intelligent as adults but superior to us in their creativity, innocence and greater potential for the future. I was always an advocate of their right to learn freely and independently, but not without the love-based companionship of the teacher.
An advocate, indeed you were Ms. Montessori. Yet, you advocated for so much more than proper in-classroom treatment for young kids. Would you care to talk to us a little bit about this?
Both internally in Italy and abroad, I fought for women’s rights to education. I had been lucky to get the education only gentlemen got at the time and desired for more women to have these opportunities. Also, as I’ve stated before, as a physician I was a witness of the often unfair treatment that disabled children were victims of and worked to include their necessities in the traditional education system to get them the education they deserved. For these efforts, I was honored with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. To these, I responded with gratitude, but reminded the academia that establishing lasting peace is the work of education; as all politics can do is keep us out of war.
And I am sure if more people had followed your advice during the first half of the century, at least some of its many tragedies could have been prevented.
It has been a great pleasure talking to you, Ms. Montessori. There’s nothing left for me to do than to express my most sincere admiration and appreciation for your achievements as an educator, an activist and a woman. Do you perhaps have any advice for a young 21st century girl like myself who, one day, aspires to have as much of an impact as you did?
As different as your world is from mine, ragazza (girl), and as much improvement has been made to women and children’s opportunities, it is not a less complex or difficult one to navigate. The children you will raise will not have the same needs as the ones I raised, and the challenges they faced and will face differ greatly too. All I can wisely advise you is to be a careful observant of the world and the people around you. Don’t be afraid to stand for love and justice, and remember that if salvation and help are to come, it is through the child.
It has been lovely to chat with you bambina (child). Grazie mille (Thanks so much), and best of fortune.
Bibliography:
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/34106.Maria_Montessori
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/34106.Maria_Montessori
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori
www.unitedworldwide.co