To be disciplined is
to be a disciple of order.
(S.V. Wilhelmi)
I have been incredibly amazed at how this
whole project has come together. Until I started writing
this web site, I did not realize how well Montessori
education and Catholic education work together, and
furthermore, how
Livable Learning seems to be the element that pulls them
both together in a homeschooling environment.
As I wrote my
first book From Creative
Chaos to Livable Learning I realized that I was teaching
myself in the process. For that reason exactly, I alone
cannot take the credit. It is through the Holy Spirit that I
might claim any successes. The book started out as a story
of my personal journey from chaos to a more livable order in
my home. As it developed, the book took on much more of the
Montessori flavor than I had originally intended.
Both the Montessori Method and the
Catholic Faith are based on a universal order and founded in
universal Truth. To be a
follower of Montessori is to be a disciple of order. To be a
Catholic is to be a disciple of the Creator of Order. Montessori embodies the teaching of Truth
in education, whereas in the same way, the Catholic Church
embodies the teaching of Truth in Faith. Pedagogy
is the science of teaching, with Montessori being the
scientific application of education. Theology is the
science of God, with the Catholic Church providing the
scientific application of Faith.
Montessori did base many of her teaching
methods on the pedagogy of the Catholic Church. She, herself
was a devout Catholic. She was a genius to many; very deep
and philosophical, yet very approachable and practical.
Despite those who would choose to distort her original
teachings, the Montessori Method has survived the test of
time. I have no doubt that the success of her teaching
methods was due to her passionate quest for the truth. At
the very foundation of both Montessori education and the
Catholic Faith is the overwhelming element of Truth. The
Catholic Church too, has survived the test of time and
continues to triumph in the face of distortions. The point
of all of this is not to say that if a person does not
follow all of the original teachings of Montessori that he
will not benefit. Nor is it to say that if one does not
follow all the teachings of the Catholic Church that he will
not go to heaven. More simply, it is to say that if one does
choose the direct path of Montessori in education, or if one
does choose the direct path of the Catholic Church in
matters of faith, he will reap the greatest benefits
inherent in the Truth each possesses, which will ultimately
lead to the development of the fullest potential of the
human person.
I am the type of person who needs an
overall plan and then the freedom to make my own adaptations
from there. I get overwhelmed and paralyzed with too much
detail. My creation of a "Livable Learning" lifestyle is
what I needed to maintain a successful environment in my
home and in our homeschool day. I was not able to find the
style of resources I needed to bring order to my home, nor
was I able to find a comprehensive, user-friendly
presentation of Montessori education for homeschoolers, nor
of Catholic Faith applications to everyday school subjects.
I want the "meat" of Montessori and I want the "meat" of the
Catholic Faith. I want it direct and I want it
understandable. You will find the writing in my resource
manuals designed just as the Montessori
presentation -- with as few words as possible, or
without "twaddle" as those who use the
Charlotte Mason
method would say.
I have felt an urgent calling over the past
year towards my writing. I am feeling in many ways
overwhelmed by thoughts of what may come of all this, and in
that I ask your prayers to lift up my work to the ultimate
end of God's will and calling. Maria Montessori said it so
well when she said, "To collect one's forces, even when they
seem to be scattered, and when one's aim is only dimly
perceived -- this is a great action and will sooner or later
bring forth fruits."
My prayer for you is that you will open
your mind to the sacrifices needed to become a disciple of
order for the sake of your family and your homeschool
environment, and that in the process you will continue to
open your heart to the joys of being a disciple of the
God the Father, himself, the Creator of Order.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Wilhelmi
