Our Daily Doing

When I was a child, Saturday was a “doing” day. Everyone had a job (or two or three) and Saturday morning was our designated time to get our work done. What kind of work did we do? Strip the sheets off our beds, vacuumed, emptied the wastebaskets, cleaned the bathroom sinks and counters, ironing, dusting, sweeping, sometimes mom would give us a cupboard or drawer to clean out (the sock drawer!) If we were really lucky, we would get to wash the car in the driveway with the hose, bucket, dish soap and rags. It was so much fun! My fondest memories are of the easy, flowing conversations we would have with one another and warm satisfaction I would feel from this collaborative work. It feels good to work together.

Winter/Spring is a very industrious time at MVM, January to May is our most constructive work period. We are working in every classroom and environment throughout the school. As I walk through the school, I can honestly feel the “doing,” the buzzing vibration of discovery, imagination and active learning. Through this authentic and purposeful work, the children are also learning generosity and reciprocity, two intangible qualities that build their moral foundation.

Take a few minutes this week – see if you can feel the “doing” at home, at work or at school.

A child who has become master of his acts through long and repeated exercises, and who has been encouraged by the pleasant and interesting activities in which he has been engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline.
-Dr. Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child