The Spirit
Goal: Spiritual Preparation of the Adult
Dr. Montessori spoke of the “spiritual preparation” of the teacher. This preparation allows the teacher to better serve the student in their care. As Montessorians, we consider the whole child, but we must also consider our ‘whole selves”.
Montessori noted, “The vision of the teacher should be at once precise like that of the scientist, and spiritual like that of the saint. The preparation for science and the preparation for sanctity should form a new soul, for the attitude of the teacher should be at once positive, scientific and spiritual.
Positive and scientific, because she has an exact task to perform, and it is necessary that she should put herself into immediate relation with the truth by means of rigorous observation...
Spiritual, because it is to man that his powers of observation are to be applied, and because the characteristics of the creature who is to be his particular subject of observation are spiritual” (The Advanced Montessori Method).
Spiritual preparation allows the teacher to
Not get frustrated when things don’t got well
Communicate clearly with teammates and students
Observe without bias
Be joyful in interactions
Prepare the environment with love and excitement
Spiritual preparation looks different for all teachers but includes methods that help relieve stress.
Ideas include
Daily journaling
What went well?
What needs work?
What did I learn?
Participating in hobbies such as art, reading, music
Getting enough sleep and food
Exercise
Talking things through with your teammates - you aren’t alone.
Reflective Challenge
Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of the day preparing yourself to serve the students
Spend 5 minutes at the end of the day to reflect back on your day
What went well today?
Was I spiritually prepared today?
What can I learn from today?
How can I do better tomorrow?
Want to learn more about the spirit preparation of the adult? Check out this article.
