In Celebration of Maria Montessori! We celebrated the anniversary of Montessori’s 151st Birthday in 2021 and we look forward to celebrating 115 years since the founding of the very first Casa dei Bambini on January 6, 2022.
As August 31, 2021 marks the 151st anniversary of
and intuitive understanding of his mother’s work and approach,
Dr. Maria Montessori’s birth, I wanted to remember her
put him in the international world of education for his entire
with gratitude for all she has given us. She certainly was a
professional life.” He worked closely with her throughout her
remarkable woman, always pushing forward to ensure peace,
lifetime and carried on their work after her death on May 6th,
justice and equality for all.
1952. (On a personal note, as a young teacher at Ravenhill
We know Dr. Montessori mostly for her discoveries of
Academy in Philadelphia, Pa. I had the pleasure of meeting
how children learn best and we continue to be grateful to her
Mario who was a frequent visitor to our school. He came to see
for opening the very first Casa de Bambini in the San Lorenzo
Mother Isabel Eugenie who had been trained by his mother.
Quarter, outside of Rome, on January 6, 1907. (This school
Happily, Mother Isabel hired me after I finished my Primary
continues to exist today, 114 years later).
Montessori training in Washington D.C. and thus I had the
Within a very short period of time, Dr. Montessori not only
opportunity to meet him. Mario, a family man, was an
transformed the lives of the children, but of their parents as well.
interesting person and deeply committed to his mother’s work.)
She shared her ideas with those closest to her, and eventually,
with the whole world! Personally, her life and works gifted me
wanted her to help his cause, through the children. Montessori
with my life’s work. For that I am eternally grateful!
said “NO” and paid the price as he closed all of her schools in
Italy. When she received the same request from Hitler and said
Dr. Montessori was a woman of great principle, tenacity and
When Dr. Montessori’s schools were flourishing, Mussolini
strength. She bucked the system early on by attending an all boys technical school with the hope of becoming an engineer. She excelled in math and physics. Her second foray into a male dominated field was when she decided that she would prefer to be a doctor and entered medical school. As the only female student, Dr. Montessori was subjected to ridicule, pranks and the very clear message of “we don’t want you here” by the male students. Her disapproving father disowned her the day she entered medical school. (Thankfully, they reconciled years later, when one of her father’s friends told him that
“NO”, he closed all her schools in Europe. During World War II,
she was giving a lecture and invited him to join him. Luckily, her
Maria and Mario were interned in India, where they remained
father accepted that invitation which began their reconciliation.)
for several years. While there, the idea of Cosmic Education
Another sadness for Dr. Montessori was having to make the
was born which is our Elementary program! She also gave 30
heart wrenching decision to have her son, Mario, who was born
lectures on the first 3 years of life, which became the Primary
on March 31, 1898, be raised by another family. The norms of the
Program. She wrote her ideas in two books: Education for a New
time dictated that had she married his father, she would not, as
World (about 3-6 year olds) and To Educate the Human Potential
a married woman, be allowed to work. As she knew that the work
(about 6-12 year olds). They are good books for you to read and
she was called to do was unfinished, she chose not to marry.
can be purchased at Barnes and Noble or on Amazon. After
Happily, When Mario was 15; he was reunited with his moth-
World War II ended, Dr. Montessori settled in the Netherlands
er and began working with her. It is written of him “Although
because it had been a neutral country during the war.
Mario had no formal training as a teacher, his love of children
Maria Montessori lived what she believed and we are all
VOLUME 23 ISSUE 1 • 2021 | WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG/IMC | ©MONTESSORI LEADERSHIP
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