For anyone who has worked in a bustling commercial kitchen (or who enjoys watching the myriad cooking shows on TV), preparation and organization are key to maintaining order and preventing chaos. The French term mise en place (“put in place”) means all ingredients and tools are gathered and arranged before cooking takes place, thus paving the way for smooth execution of the dish.

“The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult.” -Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

Ah, the season is already upon us. Montessori practitioners can at times rightly be accused of ambivalence toward the holidays. Perhaps that can be said of a lot of us, when our local department stores are already festooned in Christmas regalia before we’ve even cleared the Halloween hurdle. It can be hard to reconcile the true meaning of holidays with the fatigue induced by the marketing juggernaut that bombards us from every TV, radio, billboard, and store display.

This week, a group of about seven Lower Elementary children (ages 6-9) made a Going Out trip to further their research on the art, history, and culture of Native American peoples in the Puget Sound area. (Going Out is a topic worthy of its own future post.)

Sometimes it seems like peace in the heart is in short supply. Bomb blasts in Baghdad, civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, and yet another tragic school shooting less than 50 miles away. Our hearts go out to those who are suffering pain and loss. It feels especially shocking when terrible things happen in schools, which should be physical and psychological safe havens.

“You change the beginning of the story, you change the whole story.”