I took a very wonderful class from Lori at USA Montessori on Peace Education.
(http://www.usamontessori.org/) I highly recommend it.
Lore believed that the preparation of the teacher was as important as fulfilling the other academic requirements of the Montessori Education. In one of her modules was a quote of Maria's:
"Spirituality implies a sacred connection with all of life and a oneness with the universe. This means that every act of carelessness, selfishness, indifference, hatred and violence toward nature or toward other human beings is actually an act against ourselves, our families and our culture. Therefore, spirituality summons us to the highest of human virtues, such as love, caring, generosity, responsibility for our actions, forgiveness, compassion and openness for one another. It leads us to sharing rather than accumulating, to cooperation rather than competition and to peace rather than violence."
--Nurturing the Spirit in Non-Sectarian Classrooms by Aline D. Wolf
I think of this quote because I have met several fellow Montessorians (and people in general) that seem somehow detached from the big picture Maria had for future unity and peace on earth. These types of experiences have always puzzled me and I have always felt a need to somehow seek an answer to what lies within the human spirit that we may be so detached from the feelings and needs of others.
Today in the organizing of thoughts, advise, materials and links to share, I ran across a profound quote that I feel satisfies this question and I hope that I may have a better understanding to this detachment I pondered in others:
"When an obvious truth cannot be seen, we must retire, and leave the individual to mature. A struggle 'to bring about perception for evidence' would be bitter and exhausting."
-Spont. Act. in Ed. p.237
There has been many discussions on just how long will it take for Montessori to mainstream itself into the world that we may finally see the fruits of Maria's labor...I do so wonder, if it was already there......would we have the ability to recognize it?
