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Renilde Montessori Speaks at Teachers College, Columbia University

Montessori presented "Children in the Eye of the Storm" at Teachers College, Columbia University on Monday, February 8, from 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.
New York, NY -"Never in human history has education been so incandescent a source of discussion as in the last hundred years,"says Renilde Montessori, youngest grandchild of Maria Montessori, who founded the Montessori method. "Education should be about children, first," she says. "Storms of bureaucratic controversy have raged during the last few decades while the children, quiet, patient, sit in the eye of the storm, waiting,"

Montessori presented "Children in the Eye of the Storm" at Teachers College, Columbia University on Monday, February 8, from 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. She addressed the child-centered themes upon which the Montessori method is based and draw upon her recent work as the General Secretary for the Association Montessori Internationale Head Office in Amsterdam and as a representative of AMI at the UNESCO in Paris.

Montessori and the Environment

Montessori spoke recently at the U.N. about The Child and the Environment. "A common misconception is that children are destructive," she said. "Their natural, unconditional tendency is to care for their world…to assume such responsibilities as their age and maturity permit; to acquire the independence that will allow them to take care of themselves, their environment and others." She also said that it is vitally important for children to interact with their environment in order to build intelligence and develop a sense of humanity.

One of the key concepts of the Montessori method is respect for oneself, others, the environment and life in order to develop a caring attitude toward all people and the planet. The aim of Montessori education is to foster competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers. In an inquiring and nurturing atmosphere, learning is encouraged through self- and teacher-initiated experiences that stimulate the senses and provide interaction with others.

A Lifetime of Preparation

As a child, Renilde Montessori lived and traveled with her grandmother, who founded the first Montessori school in Rome in 1907. After attending Montessori schools, she finished her secondary studies in the Montessori Lyceum of Amsterdam. In 1968, she joined the Montessori movement as personal assistant to her father, Mario Montessori. She obtained her primary Montessori diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute in 1971and has since been dedicated to Montessori education as lecturer, trainer and AMI examiner. From 1989 to 1995 she was Director of Training at the Foundation for Montessori Education in Toronto.

Published Wednesday, Jun. 26, 2002

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