There is a level of
transparency that teachers can create with their students that allows for real
and meaningful relationships to develop – a way of being with children that
offers Truth a seat at circle. This is no small invitation, for such a guest
asks for consistency in practice and humility in spirit.
Montessori
educators strive to build spaces that allow children to discover themselves
unencumbered by the druthers and opinions of the adults around them. It is the
structure inherent to a Montessori classroom, the integrated curricula, the
specialized materials, and a holistic view of human development that speaks to
the children – not necessarily the beliefs of the guides present in the
environment.
* * * *
This year, on
Constitution Day and later on Veterans Day, I was moved and troubled by our
practice of one of the most hallowed habits of an American public school: the
Pledge of Allegiance. Each day, from classroom to classroom, students stand and
face the flag with a right hand over their heart and recite the Pledge along
with children’s voices coming over the PA.
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all."
In my observations,
often the children’s corporate recitation is out of sync with the guiding
tempo. In some classrooms, children mumble or mouth half of the words. In others,
children visit with their neighbors during the fifteen seconds or so needed to
say the Pledge.
As professional
educators, if we witness confusion, lack of enthusiasm, or disrespect following
a lesson we know to first look inwardly to examine our own teaching practices:
Was it the right time? Was it the correct group of children? Was the content
appropriate and resonant? Was the material delivered in a way that suited the
learners?
In the case of my
witnessing children reciting the Pledge I wonder if we need to add an
additional question to our meditation:
Should we be doing it at all?
There
are routines and patterns that schools develop to create a sense of community
and purpose. These are built to be in line with the institution’s grounding philosophy,
so to underscore and emphasize what is held as important and meaningful and
real. In Montessori classrooms we scaffold our practices - from walking on
line, to the gathering of materials, to working with others – in a way that
allows for the personal integration of a practice. These routines become held
dear because the children can feel their importance – for themselves and for
the care of the community.
I
recognize that in the lives of public school children the Pledge is a mandated
daily activity. I believe, however, that we need to think clearly about how to
frame this part of our day; in fact, to create teachable moments using it as a
centerpiece: word study, history of the Pledge and the changes to its text over
time, nationalism vs. patriotism, civil rights, etc.
In
reciting the Pledge:
- What is the educational aim?
- How else might we practice our patriotism?
- In what other ways could we be demonstrating good citizenship?
When it
comes to the Pledge of Allegiance, I believe that there is something
fundamentally wrong with teaching kids to recite a promise, the meaning of
which they do not fully understand.
I
believe that in having children participate in the Pledge without an attached
frame of reference we are modeling for them that it is okay to just do, and not
think about why. I worry that we are engendering a practice of not asking
questions, of following directions without disobedience – of being seen but not
heard. True learning, of course, happens when we stop and look twice – when
what we thought we understood is laid open for further review.
* * * *
Authentic
Montessori programs work tirelessly to integrate Peace Education into the
children’s day, as well as the running of the school; it is part and parcel of
what such schools stand for, it is who they are. We need to remember that this
is a curriculum of action. It is much more that creating a feeling. It is about fostering
an outward way of being grounded in a powerful sense of oneself and one’s
connection to the universe.
Our job, as
peacemakers, is to do and say the difficult things. It is to question the
status quo and hold it up to the light of Truth.
