Montessori Grace and Courtesy: Important Social Lessons

Grace and Courtesy - Part 1

I have come to appreciate the fact that children have a deep sense of personal dignity…The important thing was that the children found no obstacles in the way to their development. They had nothing to hide, nothing to fear, nothing to shun. Their self-possession could be attributed to their immediate and perfect adaptation to their environment. ~ Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

I will never forget the first time I observed a Montessori class in action. There was something so magical and so endearing about the environment. I absolutely fell in love with the way the children treated the material, the teachers as well as their fellow classmates. The level of respect was incredible! Much later I learned that this harmonious environment was directly related to the important Grace and Courtesy lessons which are an integral aspect of every Montessori environment.