Grace and Courtesy
“Help please,” said a child as he pointed to his container at the lunch table. Before a teacher could make her way over, another child proudly offered, “I can help you!” She carefully unlocked his container and handed it back to him. “Thank you,” he said. “You’re welcome,” she replied with a radiant smile. It is the special moments like these when we, as teachers, feel so incredibly proud.
Grace and courtesy are a vital part of the Practical Life curriculum in the Montessori classroom. The children are taught to treat each other with respect by using kind and polite words and phrases. With ongoing Grace and Courtesy lessons, we are able to give children tools for resolving conflicts peacefully and ways to cultivate a peaceful and productive environment for learning.
“An adult can assist in shaping the environment, but it is the child that perfects his own being.”
-Maria Montessori
