April 21, 2025 • 34 mins
The remarkable journey of Dr. Maria Montessori reveals a woman who defied every boundary placed before her in 19th century Italy. This episode of HerStance explores how this determined pioneer transformed from a girl who wasn't considered exceptional in early grades to becoming one of Italy's first female physicians—facing hostility and harassment every step of the way.
Dr. Montessori's revolutionary educational method was born from her work with marginalized children in Rome's slums, where she created child-sized environments that put learning directly in children's hands. What began as an experiment with "practically feral" children blossomed into a global movement that continues to shape education across continents today. We trace her fascinating path from Italy to Spain to India, including her complex relationship with Mussolini and her eventual exile for refusing to compromise her beliefs about peace and education.
Beyond her educational innovations, Montessori developed a profound philosophy linking peace within individuals to peace in society. "Establishing lasting peace is the work of education. All politics can do is keep us out of war," she famously declared. Her vision resonates with ancient wisdom traditions and modern psychology that recognize the connection between inner harmony and outer peace. Join us for this captivating exploration of a truly revolutionary woman, and discover a special 30-day mindfulness challenge to help find your own inner peace. Ready to change your perspective? Subscribe, download the free worksheet from https://theleap.co/creator/herstance, and share your mindfulness journey with us!
https://www.facebook.com/sandra.koelle/
www.linkedin.com/in/positivitymindsetgrowth
https://theleap.co/creator/herstance/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Welcome back to Her Stance.
I'm your host, sandra Cayley,and I've got another great
episode for you today.
A true pioneer, a woman who hadto fight to be in fields where
women just weren't generallyseen.
She was a mathematician, aphysician, a psychiatrist, a
(00:42):
peace activist and a woman'srights advocate.
She was born in Italy, livedand lectured in Spain, traveled
and set up schools and trainedteachers around the world, then
died in the Netherlands.
Who am I talking about?
Maria Tecla ArtemisiaMontessori.
Now, before we get into thedeets of her story, let me
(01:06):
remind you that you can see pastepisodes of Her Stance episodes
1 through 11, on YouTube at HerStance.
They are in video format andyou will find courageous women
there, like Eve and MaryMagdalene of the Christian Bible
, medusa from Greek mythologyand the real story of Pocahontas
(01:31):
.
So check those out andsubscribe there.
Now, at the end of each of ourepisodes is a Her Stance
Challenge, so stick with me.
Then go to my product store attheleapco slash creator, slash
her stance for a freedownloadable worksheet, to
(01:52):
continue the fun and to sign upfor my newsletter.
Issue one is out this month.
It offers great ways to beengaged in today's women's
rights movement, so pleasesubscribe, give me a rating,
make a comment, share with yourbestie.
I appreciate it all.
Now let's get back to ourregularly scheduled programming.
(02:18):
I'm pretty sure that mosteveryone has heard something
about the Montessori method ofearly childhood education, but
for those who may not quite knowwhat it's about, here's a
little primer.
The Montessori method putschildren in the driver's seat of
their learning, with teachersacting as keen observers.
(02:39):
It's all about creating alearning environment that's just
right for a child's development.
Plus, it emphasizes how muchkids learn by being active and
doing things, making abstractideas and practical skills
easier to understand.
There are lots of learningopportunities throughout
(03:03):
different activity centers inthe room, outings to nature,
chores that encourage problemsolving.
And it discourages competitionand emphasizes collaboration and
supporting one another.
Now, that's the method.
So who was this woman?
(03:23):
Now that's the method.
So who was this woman?
Dr Montessori had an upbringingof challenges in the 19th
century.
She was born in 1870 inChiaravalle, italy, a small town
along the Adriatic Sea.
Her father was an official ofthe Ministry of Finance, working
(03:43):
in the local state-run tobaccofactory.
Her mother, renilda Stoppani,was well-educated for the times
and was the niece of Italiangeologist and paleontologist
Antonio Stoppani.
It was her mother who readilyencouraged her, and although she
(04:04):
had a loving relationship withher father, he disagreed with
her choice to continue hereducation.
She wasn't discouraged.
Her father's work took thefamily to Florence and then Rome
, which was probably fortuitousfor her education.
Probably fortuitous for hereducation.
(04:28):
She wasn't consideredexceptional in the early grades.
But for so many of us women, wehave to find the fire within
ourselves to be seen and heard.
At the age of 13, mariaMontessori entered an all-boys
secondary technical school, anall-boys secondary technical
(04:49):
school, regia Scuola TecnicaMichelangelo Buonarti, where she
studied Italian arithmetic,algebra, geometry, accounting,
history, geography and sciences.
She graduated in 1886 with goodgrades and examination results
that year.
At age 16, she continued at theTechnical Institute Regio
(05:11):
Istituto Tecnico Leonardo daVinci, studying Italian,
mathematics, history, geography,geometric and ornate drawing,
physics, chemistry, botany,zoology and two foreign
languages.
I'm stressing here that thiswoman is an achiever right.
(05:33):
She did well in the sciencesand especially in mathematics.
Initially, she intended topursue the study of engineering
upon graduation.
Initially, she intended topursue the study of engineering
upon graduation, an unusualaspiration for women at the time
.
(06:05):
By the time she graduated in1890, at the age of 20, with a
certificate in physics,mathematics, she had decided to
study medicine, a more unlikelypursuit given cultural norms at
the time.
Naturally, while highlyqualified to enter the
University of Rome MedicalSchool, she met with much
resistance, in fact hostilityand harassment, because her
attendance of classes with menin the presence of a naked body
(06:27):
was deemed inappropriate.
She was required to perform herdissections of cadavers alone
after hours Prize in her firstyear, and in 1895, she secured a
position as a hospitalassistant, gaining early
(06:56):
clinical experience.
In her last two years shestudied pediatrics and
psychiatry and worked in thepediatric consulting room and
emergency service.
Becoming an expert in pediatricmedicine, she graduated from
the University of Rome in 1896as a doctor of medicine.
Her thesis was published in1897.
She found employment as anassistant at the university
(07:23):
hospital and started a privatepractice, all of this by the age
of 26.
She worked with and researchedchildren with cognitive delay,
illness and disability, and shebegan to travel, study, speak
and publish nationally andinternationally, coming to
(07:46):
prominence as an advocate forwomen's rights and education for
children with learningdifficulties.
Her life took a little bit of aturn here when, in 1898, maria
gave birth to a son, mario.
She had had an affair with afellow doctor.
And here she had to make adifficult decision.
(08:10):
If she married, she would beexpected to stop working and be
a full-time mother and homemaker.
But as a driven woman with apassion for children's education
and advancing other causes, sheopted for her work in studies.
She wanted to keep therelationship with her child's
(08:32):
father secret, under thecondition that neither of them
would marry anyone else.
But when the father of herchild was pressured by family to
make a more advantageous socialconnection and subsequently
married, maria was left feelingbetrayed and decided to leave
(08:54):
the university hospital.
She was forced to place her sonin the care of a wet nurse
living in the countryside,distraught to miss the first few
years of his life.
The good news here is thatlater she would be reunited with
her son in his teenage years,where he proved to be a great
(09:17):
assistant in her research.
All this while she continuedwith her research at the
University of Rome's psychiatricclinic in a voluntary position.
Psychiatric clinic in avoluntary position.
As part of her work, shevisited asylums in Rome where
(09:38):
she observed children withmental disabilities.
These observations werefundamental to her future
educational work.
She studied and began to focuson children with learning
disabilities.
She felt that society had aresponsibility for juvenile
delinquency and she beganspeaking and writing on the
(10:03):
subject, as well as urging thecreation of special classes and
institutions for children withlearning difficulties, as well
as teacher training for theirinstructors children with
learning difficulties, as wellas teacher training for their
instructors.
As she continued to study alltypes of psychology, education,
(10:23):
anthropology, she began to adapther methods of educating
children with learningdifficulties to mainstream
education.
Casa dei Bambini, the children'shouse, was conceived in 1906,
and this was the incubator fromwhich the first of her
classrooms was developed.
This is a crazy story.
There was a failed housingexperiment in Rome called
(10:49):
Quartiere di San Lorenzo.
In Rome called Quartiere di SanLorenzo, a large number of
homeless had set themselves upin this abandoned structure, and
it was known as the shame ofItaly.
Something had to be done, sothe city governors decided to
provide for a number of couplesthere, and to those couples
(11:14):
there were about 50 children.
They were practically feral andfrom among those they were
given assistance.
The families were given theparents were given jobs, they
were given food, but thechildren needed daycare of some
sort, they needed watching, andMaria Montessori was asked to
(11:40):
look after them.
So she set up a room where shestarted to observe them.
She took notes, she swapped outadult-sized furniture for small
children-sized tables andchairs, she made materials
(12:01):
accessible on low shelves andshe added activities that
included daily personal care andhousehold chores and options
for freely selected creativity,and her method was born.
By 1912, montessori schools hadopened in Paris and many other
(12:27):
Western European cities.
Cities and more were plannedfor Argentina, australia, china,
india, japan, korea, mexico,switzerland, syria, the United
States and New Zealand.
Public programs in London,johannesburg, rome and Stockholm
(12:53):
had adopted the method in theirschool systems.
Montessori societies werefounded in the United States and
the United Kingdom In 1913,.
The first internationaltraining course was held in Rome
, with a second in 1914.
To say that it spread likewildfire is an understatement.
(13:15):
Dr Maria Montessori's firststudents were children who were
marginalized in their home cityof Rome, lacking both
socioeconomic and socialprivilege.
Dr Montessori called herrevolutionary mission for
educational equality the pursuitof peace and justice, which
(13:38):
became a cornerstone of theMontessori method.
This is where life starts toget really interesting for Dr
Montessori personally.
Montessori personally.
(13:58):
Maria Montessori believed thatemphasizing peace in the social
world of children would resultin a generation of adults
inclined to advocate for a morepeaceful world.
The historian Erica Morettidescribes the process
underpinning this vision in herbook entitled the Best Weapon
for Peace.
She writes, achieving peace wasa two-fold process.
(14:22):
First, the child would becalled to develop an internal
peace, a harmony with theenvironment and a moral sense to
guide her acts harmony with theenvironment and a moral sense
to guide her acts.
Second, having developed into asatisfied adult, she would be
gratified by her own work andwould be able to find a place
(14:42):
within the larger ecology of theworld.
The resulting adult would havea natural propensity toward
peace.
She would find joy in her workand in her relationships with
people.
Of course, our world has neverbeen a peaceful place, and the
mid-20th century showed no mercyon Dr Montessori.
(15:05):
In 1916, maria Montessori movedto Barcelona, spain.
Maria Montessori moved toBarcelona, spain, and for the
next two decades she traveledacross Europe sharing her
educational ideas.
However, things got complicatedaround 1920 when the Catalan
(15:26):
independence movement asked herto publicly support their cause.
Montessori chose to remainneutral, which led to the
withdrawal of official supportfor her programs.
By 1924, a militarydictatorship in Spain even
closed her model school inBarcelona, causing Montessori
(15:48):
education to decline there,though Barcelona remained her
home for another 12 years.
Interestingly, in 1933, under anew government, support for her
work was re-established and sheeven published two books in
Spanish.
Sadly, the outbreak of theSpanish Civil War in 1936 forced
(16:12):
her to leave Spain for goodAround.
The same time, in 1924,montessori found an unlikely
ally in Benito Mussolini, whoinitially supported her
educational approach as part ofhis national program.
He even became the honorarypresident of the Montessori
(16:33):
Society.
But his partnership didn't last.
By the 1930s, montessori'sstrong beliefs about peace and
education clashed with theItalian government's agenda,
leading to conflict over fundingand ideology.
Montessori's commitment topeace became increasingly
(16:55):
central to her work.
In 1932, she gave a significantspeech on peace and education
in France and continued to speakon this theme at international
peace clubs and conferencesthroughout the 1930s.
These ideas were laterpublished in her book entitled
Education and Peace.
(17:16):
By 1932, both Montessori andher son Mario were under
political surveillance in Italy.
She eventually resigned fromthe Montessori Society in 1933
and left Italy in 1934.
By 1936, the Italian governmenthad completely shut down
(17:40):
Montessori activities in thecountry.
Her anti-fascist viewsultimately led to her exile
during Mussolini's rule.
During this time she furtherdeveloped her education for
peace philosophy, emphasizingchildren as natural peacemakers
(18:03):
and education as the key toending war.
She famously said establishinglasting peace is the work of
education.
All politics can do is keep usout of war.
When World War II broke out andItaly joined Germany, the
(18:24):
British interned Italians in theUK and its colonies.
While her son, mario, wasbriefly interned, maria
Montessori herself was confinedto a Theosophical Society
compound in India.
They were later reunited andremained in India until 1946,
(18:50):
continuing their work throughlectures and courses.
Until 1946, continuing theirwork through lectures and
courses.
In her later years, mariaMontessori received numerous
honors, including the FrenchLegion of Honor and multiple
(19:11):
Nobel Peace Prize nominations.
She was also actively involvedin the founding of the UNESCO
(19:32):
Institute for Education in 1951,using her platform to advocate
fiercely with inherent rightsfrom birth, warning of the
consequences of stifling theirpotential.
Though Maria Montessori passedaway in 1952 at the age of 81,
(19:52):
her profound legacy continues toshape education around the
world today, thousands ofschools, millions of children
influenced and educated by hermethods.
Organizations such as UNESCOcontinue to evolve programs to
serve the world.
Continued to evolve programs toserve the world.
(20:14):
In 1999, they created theUNESCO Institute of Statistics,
where you can see an impressiveWorld Education Statistics
report each year.
The Montessori Public PolicyInitiative, mppi, centers around
policy change related toMontessori education.
And then there are smaller,more localized efforts, such as
(20:37):
Pathways Early Learning Center,which is a non-profit,
tuition-free preschool thatprovides trauma-informed,
montessori-inspired care tochildren who are experiencing
homelessness.
The list goes on.
I'm sure Dr Montessori couldnot have imagined all of the
Facebook groups discussing aMontessori education, or
(21:02):
supplies and materials, teachertraining, parents, helping
parents, alums, you name it.
Dr Montessori had a dream ofpeace in this world, starting
with the social world ofchildren.
Psychologist and cognitivescientist Steven Pinker at
(21:24):
Harvard University thinks it iscompletely conceivable that wars
between countries might go theway of slave auctions, debtors'
prisons and other barbariccustoms.
He says that we are predisposedto be violent, but we are also
predisposed to be peaceful.
(21:45):
There are some parts to thebrain that impel us to carry out
violence, such as the thirstfor revenge, feelings of
tribalism or the quest fordominance.
But packed into the same skull,there are motives that inhibit
us from violence, like empathyand reason, that allow us to see
(22:13):
violence as a problem to besolved instead of a contest to
be won.
And this second part of thebrain is what a Montessori
education is capitalizing onGenuine world peace would mean
effective consensus regardingshared sacrifices as well as
(22:33):
voluntary cooperation.
But you can't impose peace by adominant power assisted by a few
partners.
And here's also a thoughtCapitalist sectors are designed
to perpetuate violence and eventhe possibility of war.
I mean, how hard was it to geteveryone with nuclear weapons
(22:56):
capabilities to agree to standdown on production and storing
of those weapons or materials,pointing those things at each
other with someone's finger onthe button should a wrong word
be uttered?
Has the human race evolved?
(23:18):
Well, yes and no.
Early egalitarian groups had ahigh homicide rate.
When there were conflicts, theytried to head them off before
they started, without any alphamale leader to mediate or stop
it.
They went head to head, sort oflike gang warfare, right In
(23:41):
larger towns and cities.
As they grew population dense,chiefdoms and kingdoms emerged,
and then we had centralizedpowers for conflict management,
police forces, and now, on aworld stage, we have the United
Nations.
(24:03):
But it's not really working thatwell for us.
Not everyone is allowed in.
Not all members agree on how touse or pool resources.
There are bullies in the room.
If you don't bring people intothe room who are peaceful, you
won't bring about peace.
(24:25):
I'm going to go out on a limbhere and, in agreement with
Maria Montessori, state that weneed to raise a more peaceful
generation, and one way is toadd more Montessori aspects into
the public education curriculumfor a change in our nation or
(24:46):
the world.
The other is to bring moreadults into a place of peace
within themselves.
Peace within themselves, thatis, that we become acutely aware
of where we are causing harmspeaking in ways that cause
(25:10):
unrest, thinking in ways thatmanifest violence against others
or to ourselves.
The ultimate proponent of innerpeace, beginning outer peace, is
the Buddha.
2600 years ago, he taught usthat what we think we become and
that peace comes from within.
Additionally, he let us knowthat hatred does not cease by
(25:34):
hatred, but only by love, doesnot cease by hatred, but only by
love.
But there are others that havecome to this understanding as
well.
Wayne Dyer, a self-helpAmerican writer, has said If you
don't have love, harmony andpeace within you, then you can't
(25:54):
contribute these qualities.
I think we're seeing that rightnow in the United States.
Eleanor Roosevelt said first ofmy own personal requirements is
inner calm.
This is, I think, an essentialOne of the secrets of using your
time well is to gain a certainability to maintain peace within
(26:18):
yourself, so that much can goon around you and you can stay
calm inside.
Louise Hay, an American writer,said when you find peace within
, you create a peaceful worldaround you.
You create a peaceful worldaround you.
Marvin Gaye, an Americansongwriter and performing artist
(26:45):
, said If you cannot find peacewithin yourself, you will never
find it anywhere else.
Albert Einstein said Peacecannot be kept by force.
It can only be achieved throughunderstanding.
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, aBuddhist monk, said we all wish
(27:09):
for world peace, but world peacewill never be achieved unless
we first establish peace withinour own minds, will never be
achieved unless we firstestablish peace within our own
minds.
And a woman named Peace Pilgrim, who originally was named
(27:31):
Mildred Lisette Norman, saidultimate peace begins within.
When we find peace within,there will be no more conflict,
no more occasion for war.
So that brings me to today'sHearst Dance Challenge.
(27:53):
This challenge is to go inward.
Mindfulness meditation wasbrought to the United States
because of John Cabot Zinn, aprofessor of medication emeritus
and creator of the StressReduction Clinic at the Center
of Mindfulness in Medicine,healthcare and Society at the
(28:14):
University of MassachusettsMedical School.
He first learned about thephilosophical tenets of Buddhism
while studying at theMassachusetts Institute of
Technology you heard me right,mit.
In 1979, kabat-zinn opened theStress Reduction Clinic at the
(28:35):
University of MassachusettsMedical School, and there he
adapted Buddhist teachings andcreated a program called
Mindfulness-Based StressReduction, or MBSR.
But it wasn't until 1990, whenhe published a book called Full
(28:56):
Catastrophe Living.
That brought global attentionto his work, and since then,
awareness and practice ofmindfulness continued to grow.
And then, in 2018, the Centersfor Disease Control and
Prevention, the CDC, reportedthat meditation was the fastest
(29:18):
growing health trend in theUnited States.
So what is mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves payingattention to something in the
moment, on purpose and with opencuriosity.
It could be sitting and payingattention to your breath.
It can be taking a walk andbeing present to the bird song
(29:44):
or your feet on the pavement,with each step the air on your
face.
It could be eating mindfully,feeling and tasting like really
tasting each bite, feeling andtasting like really tasting each
bite, and it's for everyone,from young to mature.
No special equipment needed,just be here now.
(30:13):
So here are some mindfulnessexercises to consider, and then
pop over to my store attheleapco slash creator, slash
her stance and I'll put that inthe notes the show notes to get
your free download of theseexercises and start with a
practice for 30 days and see ifyou don't start to experience a
(30:38):
shift in your attitude, in howyour day goes and how you see
the world.
So the first of these exercisesis meditation.
Meditation is often synonymouswith mindfulness, and mindful
meditations can help you centeryourself and regain control of
(31:00):
your head space.
There are many ways to meditatewalking, sitting.
You can use a chair.
There's no tight lotus positionrequired.
You can use an app on yourphone for some guided
meditations, as little as 3, 5,10 minutes a day.
(31:22):
Try one of those apps and seewhat works.
Another exercise is breathing.
Breath work or mindfulbreathing can be a helpful and
simple way to ease your mind.
It involves slowing down andpaying attention to your breath.
(31:44):
That's it.
Yoga.
Yoga is one of the most commonmindfulness practices.
You may find that it helps youbecome more aware of your body
and you move more mindfully.
And finally, journaling.
Journaling can help you becomemore mindful of your thoughts
(32:06):
and feelings.
You'll get to understand thatyour thoughts are not who you
are, and thoughts observed justcome and go.
They aren't real.
They're just perceptions.
Journal prompts like How's myheart today can help you uncover
(32:29):
your sense of self.
Thanks for tuning in to HearstDance today.
Don't forget to hit subscribeand leave a comment.
Let me know how the next 30days goes for you in practicing
mindfulness.
I'm already working on the nextepisode.
(32:52):
I can't wait to be with youagain in two weeks.
Until then, I hope you findyour inner peace.
Thank you, thank you.
Welcome back to Her Stance.
I'm your host, sandra Cayley,and I've got another great
episode for you today.
A true pioneer, a woman who hadto fight to be in fields where
women just weren't generallyseen.
She was a mathematician, aphysician, a psychiatrist, a
(00:42):
peace activist and a woman'srights advocate.
She was born in Italy, livedand lectured in Spain, traveled
and set up schools and trainedteachers around the world, then
died in the Netherlands.
Who am I talking about?
Maria Tecla ArtemisiaMontessori.
Now, before we get into thedeets of her story, let me
(01:06):
remind you that you can see pastepisodes of Her Stance episodes
1 through 11, on YouTube at HerStance.
They are in video format andyou will find courageous women
there, like Eve and MaryMagdalene of the Christian Bible
, medusa from Greek mythologyand the real story of Pocahontas
(01:31):
.
So check those out andsubscribe there.
Now, at the end of each of ourepisodes is a Her Stance
Challenge, so stick with me.
Then go to my product store attheleapco slash creator, slash
her stance for a freedownloadable worksheet, to
(01:52):
continue the fun and to sign upfor my newsletter.
Issue one is out this month.
It offers great ways to beengaged in today's women's
rights movement, so pleasesubscribe, give me a rating,
make a comment, share with yourbestie.
I appreciate it all.
Now let's get back to ourregularly scheduled programming.
(02:18):
I'm pretty sure that mosteveryone has heard something
about the Montessori method ofearly childhood education, but
for those who may not quite knowwhat it's about, here's a
little primer.
The Montessori method putschildren in the driver's seat of
their learning, with teachersacting as keen observers.
(02:39):
It's all about creating alearning environment that's just
right for a child's development.
Plus, it emphasizes how muchkids learn by being active and
doing things, making abstractideas and practical skills
easier to understand.
There are lots of learningopportunities throughout
(03:03):
different activity centers inthe room, outings to nature,
chores that encourage problemsolving.
And it discourages competitionand emphasizes collaboration and
supporting one another.
Now, that's the method.
So who was this woman?
(03:23):
Now that's the method.
So who was this woman?
Dr Montessori had an upbringingof challenges in the 19th
century.
She was born in 1870 inChiaravalle, italy, a small town
along the Adriatic Sea.
Her father was an official ofthe Ministry of Finance, working
(03:43):
in the local state-run tobaccofactory.
Her mother, renilda Stoppani,was well-educated for the times
and was the niece of Italiangeologist and paleontologist
Antonio Stoppani.
It was her mother who readilyencouraged her, and although she
(04:04):
had a loving relationship withher father, he disagreed with
her choice to continue hereducation.
She wasn't discouraged.
Her father's work took thefamily to Florence and then Rome
, which was probably fortuitousfor her education.
Probably fortuitous for hereducation.
(04:28):
She wasn't consideredexceptional in the early grades.
But for so many of us women, wehave to find the fire within
ourselves to be seen and heard.
At the age of 13, mariaMontessori entered an all-boys
secondary technical school, anall-boys secondary technical
(04:49):
school, regia Scuola TecnicaMichelangelo Buonarti, where she
studied Italian arithmetic,algebra, geometry, accounting,
history, geography and sciences.
She graduated in 1886 with goodgrades and examination results
that year.
At age 16, she continued at theTechnical Institute Regio
(05:11):
Istituto Tecnico Leonardo daVinci, studying Italian,
mathematics, history, geography,geometric and ornate drawing,
physics, chemistry, botany,zoology and two foreign
languages.
I'm stressing here that thiswoman is an achiever right.
(05:33):
She did well in the sciencesand especially in mathematics.
Initially, she intended topursue the study of engineering
upon graduation.
Initially, she intended topursue the study of engineering
upon graduation, an unusualaspiration for women at the time
.
(06:05):
By the time she graduated in1890, at the age of 20, with a
certificate in physics,mathematics, she had decided to
study medicine, a more unlikelypursuit given cultural norms at
the time.
Naturally, while highlyqualified to enter the
University of Rome MedicalSchool, she met with much
resistance, in fact hostilityand harassment, because her
attendance of classes with menin the presence of a naked body
(06:27):
was deemed inappropriate.
She was required to perform herdissections of cadavers alone
after hours Prize in her firstyear, and in 1895, she secured a
position as a hospitalassistant, gaining early
(06:56):
clinical experience.
In her last two years shestudied pediatrics and
psychiatry and worked in thepediatric consulting room and
emergency service.
Becoming an expert in pediatricmedicine, she graduated from
the University of Rome in 1896as a doctor of medicine.
Her thesis was published in1897.
She found employment as anassistant at the university
(07:23):
hospital and started a privatepractice, all of this by the age
of 26.
She worked with and researchedchildren with cognitive delay,
illness and disability, and shebegan to travel, study, speak
and publish nationally andinternationally, coming to
(07:46):
prominence as an advocate forwomen's rights and education for
children with learningdifficulties.
Her life took a little bit of aturn here when, in 1898, maria
gave birth to a son, mario.
She had had an affair with afellow doctor.
And here she had to make adifficult decision.
(08:10):
If she married, she would beexpected to stop working and be
a full-time mother and homemaker.
But as a driven woman with apassion for children's education
and advancing other causes, sheopted for her work in studies.
She wanted to keep therelationship with her child's
(08:32):
father secret, under thecondition that neither of them
would marry anyone else.
But when the father of herchild was pressured by family to
make a more advantageous socialconnection and subsequently
married, maria was left feelingbetrayed and decided to leave
(08:54):
the university hospital.
She was forced to place her sonin the care of a wet nurse
living in the countryside,distraught to miss the first few
years of his life.
The good news here is thatlater she would be reunited with
her son in his teenage years,where he proved to be a great
(09:17):
assistant in her research.
All this while she continuedwith her research at the
University of Rome's psychiatricclinic in a voluntary position.
Psychiatric clinic in avoluntary position.
As part of her work, shevisited asylums in Rome where
(09:38):
she observed children withmental disabilities.
These observations werefundamental to her future
educational work.
She studied and began to focuson children with learning
disabilities.
She felt that society had aresponsibility for juvenile
delinquency and she beganspeaking and writing on the
(10:03):
subject, as well as urging thecreation of special classes and
institutions for children withlearning difficulties, as well
as teacher training for theirinstructors children with
learning difficulties, as wellas teacher training for their
instructors.
As she continued to study alltypes of psychology, education,
(10:23):
anthropology, she began to adapther methods of educating
children with learningdifficulties to mainstream
education.
Casa dei Bambini, the children'shouse, was conceived in 1906,
and this was the incubator fromwhich the first of her
classrooms was developed.
This is a crazy story.
There was a failed housingexperiment in Rome called
(10:49):
Quartiere di San Lorenzo.
In Rome called Quartiere di SanLorenzo, a large number of
homeless had set themselves upin this abandoned structure, and
it was known as the shame ofItaly.
Something had to be done, sothe city governors decided to
provide for a number of couplesthere, and to those couples
(11:14):
there were about 50 children.
They were practically feral andfrom among those they were
given assistance.
The families were given theparents were given jobs, they
were given food, but thechildren needed daycare of some
sort, they needed watching, andMaria Montessori was asked to
(11:40):
look after them.
So she set up a room where shestarted to observe them.
She took notes, she swapped outadult-sized furniture for small
children-sized tables andchairs, she made materials
(12:01):
accessible on low shelves andshe added activities that
included daily personal care andhousehold chores and options
for freely selected creativity,and her method was born.
By 1912, montessori schools hadopened in Paris and many other
(12:27):
Western European cities.
Cities and more were plannedfor Argentina, australia, china,
india, japan, korea, mexico,switzerland, syria, the United
States and New Zealand.
Public programs in London,johannesburg, rome and Stockholm
(12:53):
had adopted the method in theirschool systems.
Montessori societies werefounded in the United States and
the United Kingdom In 1913,.
The first internationaltraining course was held in Rome
, with a second in 1914.
To say that it spread likewildfire is an understatement.
(13:15):
Dr Maria Montessori's firststudents were children who were
marginalized in their home cityof Rome, lacking both
socioeconomic and socialprivilege.
Dr Montessori called herrevolutionary mission for
educational equality the pursuitof peace and justice, which
(13:38):
became a cornerstone of theMontessori method.
This is where life starts toget really interesting for Dr
Montessori personally.
Montessori personally.
(13:58):
Maria Montessori believed thatemphasizing peace in the social
world of children would resultin a generation of adults
inclined to advocate for a morepeaceful world.
The historian Erica Morettidescribes the process
underpinning this vision in herbook entitled the Best Weapon
for Peace.
She writes, achieving peace wasa two-fold process.
(14:22):
First, the child would becalled to develop an internal
peace, a harmony with theenvironment and a moral sense to
guide her acts harmony with theenvironment and a moral sense
to guide her acts.
Second, having developed into asatisfied adult, she would be
gratified by her own work andwould be able to find a place
(14:42):
within the larger ecology of theworld.
The resulting adult would havea natural propensity toward
peace.
She would find joy in her workand in her relationships with
people.
Of course, our world has neverbeen a peaceful place, and the
mid-20th century showed no mercyon Dr Montessori.
(15:05):
In 1916, maria Montessori movedto Barcelona, spain.
Maria Montessori moved toBarcelona, spain, and for the
next two decades she traveledacross Europe sharing her
educational ideas.
However, things got complicatedaround 1920 when the Catalan
(15:26):
independence movement asked herto publicly support their cause.
Montessori chose to remainneutral, which led to the
withdrawal of official supportfor her programs.
By 1924, a militarydictatorship in Spain even
closed her model school inBarcelona, causing Montessori
(15:48):
education to decline there,though Barcelona remained her
home for another 12 years.
Interestingly, in 1933, under anew government, support for her
work was re-established and sheeven published two books in
Spanish.
Sadly, the outbreak of theSpanish Civil War in 1936 forced
(16:12):
her to leave Spain for goodAround.
The same time, in 1924,montessori found an unlikely
ally in Benito Mussolini, whoinitially supported her
educational approach as part ofhis national program.
He even became the honorarypresident of the Montessori
(16:33):
Society.
But his partnership didn't last.
By the 1930s, montessori'sstrong beliefs about peace and
education clashed with theItalian government's agenda,
leading to conflict over fundingand ideology.
Montessori's commitment topeace became increasingly
(16:55):
central to her work.
In 1932, she gave a significantspeech on peace and education
in France and continued to speakon this theme at international
peace clubs and conferencesthroughout the 1930s.
These ideas were laterpublished in her book entitled
Education and Peace.
(17:16):
By 1932, both Montessori andher son Mario were under
political surveillance in Italy.
She eventually resigned fromthe Montessori Society in 1933
and left Italy in 1934.
By 1936, the Italian governmenthad completely shut down
(17:40):
Montessori activities in thecountry.
Her anti-fascist viewsultimately led to her exile
during Mussolini's rule.
During this time she furtherdeveloped her education for
peace philosophy, emphasizingchildren as natural peacemakers
(18:03):
and education as the key toending war.
She famously said establishinglasting peace is the work of
education.
All politics can do is keep usout of war.
When World War II broke out andItaly joined Germany, the
(18:24):
British interned Italians in theUK and its colonies.
While her son, mario, wasbriefly interned, maria
Montessori herself was confinedto a Theosophical Society
compound in India.
They were later reunited andremained in India until 1946,
(18:50):
continuing their work throughlectures and courses.
Until 1946, continuing theirwork through lectures and
courses.
In her later years, mariaMontessori received numerous
honors, including the FrenchLegion of Honor and multiple
(19:11):
Nobel Peace Prize nominations.
She was also actively involvedin the founding of the UNESCO
(19:32):
Institute for Education in 1951,using her platform to advocate
fiercely with inherent rightsfrom birth, warning of the
consequences of stifling theirpotential.
Though Maria Montessori passedaway in 1952 at the age of 81,
(19:52):
her profound legacy continues toshape education around the
world today, thousands ofschools, millions of children
influenced and educated by hermethods.
Organizations such as UNESCOcontinue to evolve programs to
serve the world.
Continued to evolve programs toserve the world.
(20:14):
In 1999, they created theUNESCO Institute of Statistics,
where you can see an impressiveWorld Education Statistics
report each year.
The Montessori Public PolicyInitiative, mppi, centers around
policy change related toMontessori education.
And then there are smaller,more localized efforts, such as
(20:37):
Pathways Early Learning Center,which is a non-profit,
tuition-free preschool thatprovides trauma-informed,
montessori-inspired care tochildren who are experiencing
homelessness.
The list goes on.
I'm sure Dr Montessori couldnot have imagined all of the
Facebook groups discussing aMontessori education, or
(21:02):
supplies and materials, teachertraining, parents, helping
parents, alums, you name it.
Dr Montessori had a dream ofpeace in this world, starting
with the social world ofchildren.
Psychologist and cognitivescientist Steven Pinker at
(21:24):
Harvard University thinks it iscompletely conceivable that wars
between countries might go theway of slave auctions, debtors'
prisons and other barbariccustoms.
He says that we are predisposedto be violent, but we are also
predisposed to be peaceful.
(21:45):
There are some parts to thebrain that impel us to carry out
violence, such as the thirstfor revenge, feelings of
tribalism or the quest fordominance.
But packed into the same skull,there are motives that inhibit
us from violence, like empathyand reason, that allow us to see
(22:13):
violence as a problem to besolved instead of a contest to
be won.
And this second part of thebrain is what a Montessori
education is capitalizing onGenuine world peace would mean
effective consensus regardingshared sacrifices as well as
(22:33):
voluntary cooperation.
But you can't impose peace by adominant power assisted by a few
partners.
And here's also a thoughtCapitalist sectors are designed
to perpetuate violence and eventhe possibility of war.
I mean, how hard was it to geteveryone with nuclear weapons
(22:56):
capabilities to agree to standdown on production and storing
of those weapons or materials,pointing those things at each
other with someone's finger onthe button should a wrong word
be uttered?
Has the human race evolved?
(23:18):
Well, yes and no.
Early egalitarian groups had ahigh homicide rate.
When there were conflicts, theytried to head them off before
they started, without any alphamale leader to mediate or stop
it.
They went head to head, sort oflike gang warfare, right In
(23:41):
larger towns and cities.
As they grew population dense,chiefdoms and kingdoms emerged,
and then we had centralizedpowers for conflict management,
police forces, and now, on aworld stage, we have the United
Nations.
(24:03):
But it's not really working thatwell for us.
Not everyone is allowed in.
Not all members agree on how touse or pool resources.
There are bullies in the room.
If you don't bring people intothe room who are peaceful, you
won't bring about peace.
(24:25):
I'm going to go out on a limbhere and, in agreement with
Maria Montessori, state that weneed to raise a more peaceful
generation, and one way is toadd more Montessori aspects into
the public education curriculumfor a change in our nation or
(24:46):
the world.
The other is to bring moreadults into a place of peace
within themselves.
Peace within themselves, thatis, that we become acutely aware
of where we are causing harmspeaking in ways that cause
(25:10):
unrest, thinking in ways thatmanifest violence against others
or to ourselves.
The ultimate proponent of innerpeace, beginning outer peace, is
the Buddha.
2600 years ago, he taught usthat what we think we become and
that peace comes from within.
Additionally, he let us knowthat hatred does not cease by
(25:34):
hatred, but only by love, doesnot cease by hatred, but only by
love.
But there are others that havecome to this understanding as
well.
Wayne Dyer, a self-helpAmerican writer, has said If you
don't have love, harmony andpeace within you, then you can't
(25:54):
contribute these qualities.
I think we're seeing that rightnow in the United States.
Eleanor Roosevelt said first ofmy own personal requirements is
inner calm.
This is, I think, an essentialOne of the secrets of using your
time well is to gain a certainability to maintain peace within
(26:18):
yourself, so that much can goon around you and you can stay
calm inside.
Louise Hay, an American writer,said when you find peace within
, you create a peaceful worldaround you.
You create a peaceful worldaround you.
Marvin Gaye, an Americansongwriter and performing artist
(26:45):
, said If you cannot find peacewithin yourself, you will never
find it anywhere else.
Albert Einstein said Peacecannot be kept by force.
It can only be achieved throughunderstanding.
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, aBuddhist monk, said we all wish
(27:09):
for world peace, but world peacewill never be achieved unless
we first establish peace withinour own minds, will never be
achieved unless we firstestablish peace within our own
minds.
And a woman named Peace Pilgrim, who originally was named
(27:31):
Mildred Lisette Norman, saidultimate peace begins within.
When we find peace within,there will be no more conflict,
no more occasion for war.
So that brings me to today'sHearst Dance Challenge.
(27:53):
This challenge is to go inward.
Mindfulness meditation wasbrought to the United States
because of John Cabot Zinn, aprofessor of medication emeritus
and creator of the StressReduction Clinic at the Center
of Mindfulness in Medicine,healthcare and Society at the
(28:14):
University of MassachusettsMedical School.
He first learned about thephilosophical tenets of Buddhism
while studying at theMassachusetts Institute of
Technology you heard me right,mit.
In 1979, kabat-zinn opened theStress Reduction Clinic at the
(28:35):
University of MassachusettsMedical School, and there he
adapted Buddhist teachings andcreated a program called
Mindfulness-Based StressReduction, or MBSR.
But it wasn't until 1990, whenhe published a book called Full
(28:56):
Catastrophe Living.
That brought global attentionto his work, and since then,
awareness and practice ofmindfulness continued to grow.
And then, in 2018, the Centersfor Disease Control and
Prevention, the CDC, reportedthat meditation was the fastest
(29:18):
growing health trend in theUnited States.
So what is mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves payingattention to something in the
moment, on purpose and with opencuriosity.
It could be sitting and payingattention to your breath.
It can be taking a walk andbeing present to the bird song
(29:44):
or your feet on the pavement,with each step the air on your
face.
It could be eating mindfully,feeling and tasting like really
tasting each bite, feeling andtasting like really tasting each
bite, and it's for everyone,from young to mature.
No special equipment needed,just be here now.
(30:13):
So here are some mindfulnessexercises to consider, and then
pop over to my store attheleapco slash creator, slash
her stance and I'll put that inthe notes the show notes to get
your free download of theseexercises and start with a
practice for 30 days and see ifyou don't start to experience a
(30:38):
shift in your attitude, in howyour day goes and how you see
the world.
So the first of these exercisesis meditation.
Meditation is often synonymouswith mindfulness, and mindful
meditations can help you centeryourself and regain control of
(31:00):
your head space.
There are many ways to meditatewalking, sitting.
You can use a chair.
There's no tight lotus positionrequired.
You can use an app on yourphone for some guided
meditations, as little as 3, 5,10 minutes a day.
(31:22):
Try one of those apps and seewhat works.
Another exercise is breathing.
Breath work or mindfulbreathing can be a helpful and
simple way to ease your mind.
It involves slowing down andpaying attention to your breath.
(31:44):
That's it.
Yoga.
Yoga is one of the most commonmindfulness practices.
You may find that it helps youbecome more aware of your body
and you move more mindfully.
And finally, journaling.
Journaling can help you becomemore mindful of your thoughts
(32:06):
and feelings.
You'll get to understand thatyour thoughts are not who you
are, and thoughts observed justcome and go.
They aren't real.
They're just perceptions.
Journal prompts like How's myheart today can help you uncover
(32:29):
your sense of self.
Thanks for tuning in to HearstDance today.
Don't forget to hit subscribeand leave a comment.
Let me know how the next 30days goes for you in practicing
mindfulness.
I'm already working on the nextepisode.
(32:52):
I can't wait to be with youagain in two weeks.
Until then, I hope you findyour inner peace.
Thank you, thank you.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!