Quantifying Growth

Today, people are well connected that it appears as everyone is installed with a GPS and a CCTV on their buttons. When a child is entering the school life, it is quite natural for us to get curious to know about what happens in those few hours in our child’s life. We try conversing with our child, but hardly get any information. It becomes easy to stay calm with children attending traditional school as we are all connected with their learning through their home-works. But it is a very difficult task for a parent who has enrolled their child in a Montessori school. When we question, “What did you do at school?”, the child might share “Nothing” or the same activity everyday. As a parent we really are so curious to know what’s happening to my 3 year old.

“I sprinkled 3 seeds in a fertile soil with some distance between each. I also ensured that the place has enough sunlight. I sprinkled enough water every day. Suddenly one day, a seed started sprouting. The little green leaf is so lovely to watch. I continue to take care of that sprout as well the two seeds in the same way. At the same time, I was so curious to know what’s happening with the other seeds. Not able to control my anxiety, I tried digging the place to see what’s happening with the second seed. Immediately I had my friend stopping me from harming the seed’s growth. But I was too late. In a couple of days, the third seed started sprouting. I waited for few more days to realise that my second seed was never going to sprout “
Every seed has the potential to sprout out, but it is hard to precisely observe and quantify the work of the seed.
Similarly, every child has the potential to learn everything from their environment. They learn by socializing, working, listening or observing. Some children exhibit their growth much earlier while some children stay in their cocoon for a while before flying high.
In a Montessori classroom, on somedays, the child will work alone with so much focus undisturbed. On somedays, he will be brimming with the need to socialize and hence go around the class talking with everyone. On somedays, he will be very calm, sitting alongside his friend and observe his work for a long time. To us, the child has worked hard for his development on all the days. But it is impossible to quantify his work.
Observation has been the hall mark of the montessori method. Montessori directress rely on their power of observation daily to understand the intellectual needs of the child, to be sensitive to their unspoken emotional needs, to address to an impending crisis the child may go through. The tools of observation are their eyes, perceptiveness and the interpretive skills.
Though we highly rely on such observation power of the directresses in the environment, sometimes it becomes difficult to communicate these observations in words to this “Quantify Everything” world.
Understanding the parent’s anxiety on one side, and the child’s natural growth on other side, it is always recommended, the parent meet the directress handling your child to know more about your child. Also, the parent practicing to share their daily activities with the child, with encourage the child to share things he did. What a happy day it would be to hear from the child on how their day was at school!

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