Montessori and the Beauty of Work

Dr. Montessori’s writing and methodology are striking in its acknowledgement that work is an essential part of growth, and that, while “unremitting,” toil is its own reward.  When work becomes our joy, we are fulfilled on the deepest level, finding purpose, activity and meaning in every moment.  

This is central to our identity as a Montessori school.  From the reverence that is displayed in every aspect of the learning process–the selection of task, the designing of a defined workspace, the thoughtful execution of the work, the careful recordation–to the cultivation of the curiosity and creativity that is endlessly generative, the dynamic relationship between work and fulfillment is built and practiced here at Montessori Community School.  

The notion of purposeful and absorbing work is a compelling one.  When I was still an undergraduate at Yale in the late 1970’s, I was fortunate to be invited to a presentation by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi who was developing his theory of “flow,” a state of optimal learning and work characterized by being fully immersed in a task, with a feeling of energized focus, complete absorption and enjoyment.  Dr. Csikszentmihalyi posited that “flow” and the intrinsic motivation that it engendered, were key components distinguishing individuals who considered themselves happy in life.  

Our MCS classrooms are the settings for many examples of the kind of absorption described by Montessori, Csikszentmihalyi (and every sportswriter who has ever described an elite athlete as being “in the zone”)

• Our youngest students completely engaged in the knobbed cylinders

• A Lower Elementary student absorbed in a grammar layout

• An Upper Elementary student exploring square roots

Learning for its own sake, endless in its ability to engage, gratify, and delight.