The Alternative to Infinite:
Offering affluent children an experience of want
By Sally Coulter
Many people in America
live in a culture of plenty. The supermarket shelves are
always stocked. Clean water always flows abundantly from our
faucets. Empty toilet paper rolls are replaced with full
ones, old clothes replaced with new. We have organized our
lives to be without need, without want; a world of constant
resupply and unending resources.
The consequence of our
seemingly infinite supply lines on the child's growing mind
is a firm belief that resources don't run out. There will always
be more food, more water, more clothes, more of what we
need. Through the vagaries of economics, the majority of
our students are from affluent families, and the impression
of unending plenty is a strong one. In fact, the child
will incarnate this 'truth' as we have presented it to him, and
he will live as though his needs can be infinitely met. Why
should he not?
Offering children an
alternative experience of the flow of resources in and out of
their lives is one of the most profound gifts an adult can
provide, affecting not only the child, but the society and the
environment in which they live. This experience of finite supply
will also have long-lasting consequences for our ability
to sustain our lives on this planet. There are many ways that
the Montessori guide, at all levels, can offer children a way
to understand resource management and learn the
necessity for conservation. Here are three basic ideas that can
be easily be built upon:
Don't immediately replace broken objects: if an object breaks, allow it to remain
unreplaced for a week or so. The "magic cupboard" that
produces new dishes, pitchers and bowls only reinforces the
idea of unending resupply.
Tell stories about the origin of objects and
supplies: Where do the cotton balls
come from? By describing the planting, growing and
harvesting of cotton, the processing of the cotton, the factory
workers who help to make the cotton balls, the
packaging and distribution, and the selling of the cotton balls at
the store, the children start to get a sense for the mechanics
of supply chains, thus avoiding the dreaded "Milk comes
from the store" scenario.
Have a limited supply on hand, and allow it to run
out: Maybe today there are only
three bananas available for banana slicing. Maybe
that's all there will be for the next few days; children will
have to temporarily go without. Allowing want to gently
exist in your classroom will balance the impression of
unending plenty that many children receive in the rest
of their lives.
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About the author: Sally Coulter is an Australian citizen with educational and administrative experience in several different countries, including Japan, Australia and the United States. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Media Studies, and a Graduate Diploma in Adult Education. She graduated from Montessori Institute Northwest with her AMI Primary Diploma in June of 2007, and is thrilled to be a part of the MINW staff.
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Reprinted by permission of the author.
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