040: Debunking the 3 Hour Work Cycle with Jana Morgan Herman

Over time, as more interpretations are overlaid on top of older theories, sometimes we can lose track of the actual meaning behind the source material. And when it comes to the 3 hour work cycle as applied in a Montessori setting, this seems to be the case.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Jana Morgan Herman, national director for Endeavor Schools and former teacher trainer for the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. We talk about how Maria Montessori never actually implemented a strict 3 hour work cycle, and where that misunderstanding might stem from.

We also discuss how much of what we consider “work” has been narrowed, leaving out more physical and practical activities, how we might go about implementing a more faithful version of the schedule Maria Montessori originally envisioned, and why expanding our view of academic or intellectual work should include more outside time as well.

What’s in this episode:

How over time, interpretations of Maria Montessori’s work, have strayed from the source material

The actual schedule that Maria Montessori laid out in her work (and it’s not a stringent 3 hour work cycle)

How what is considered “work” has become more narrow over time, instead of including passive activities and movement as well, and how to expand our definitions again

How to gently progress from physical and practical life to intellectual activities and how those initial practical life activities are relevant even to older children

Why the focus should always be on enticing children into more intellectual activities, instead of forcing or coercing them into something they aren’t interested in

Why spending time in nature is one of the best ways for children to learn and develop intellectually and how to implement outdoor time even in more crowded urban areas

Why Montessori organizations might want to reconsider their program scheduling

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:

https://www.trilliummontessori.org/debunking-the-three-hour-work-cycle/

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

1946 London Lectures by Maria Montessori

The Advanced Montessori Method

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