The Emotional Curriculum

By Robin Wilkins – Puriri Teacher, Primary

In Montessori, when we talk about the ‘prepared environment’ we are talking wider than just the equipment which is on the shelves. Ākonga want not only an environment to be enjoyed and mastered, but also one which will help establish the whole personality – moral, social and intellectual. The much needed emotional safety this environment provides is built upon support, consideration, mutual contribution, a sense of belonging, protection, acceptance, encouragement and understanding.

It is interesting to note that emotional safety and the ability to learn have been correlated in contemporary education and brain research. This research has shown that the emotional centre of the brain is so powerful that negative emotions such as anger, fear and anxiety automatically ‘downshift’ the brain to basic survival thinking. Under such stress the reasoning centre of the brain shuts down.

To create a desirable environment therefore, it is vitally important to put the study of relationships at the centre of the curriculum alongside the ‘core subjects’. In Montessori classrooms therefore, we have two curriculums – emotional and intellectual, each of equal importance; each balancing the other.

In the emotional curriculum the children are learning behaviour and self-management. While we all accept that children need to learn to read, to write and the processes of maths, it can be easy to forget that their knowing how to behave socially is not inherent, but also must be learned, therefore many lessons are given in class on grace and courtesy.

We also provide ākonga with new opportunities in which to learn ways to express themselves, listen to others and work interdependently so that they become primary contributors to the cohesiveness and vitality of the classroom. We help them to think about how their actions impact the class community. Role plays are powerful ways to step into another’s shoes and also offer ways of both expressing and listening from the heart.

There are numerous ways in which the classroom is an aid to the moral life of ākonga – their developing sense of right and wrong and their ability to act on their values and beliefs.  An important part in the development of their character is their growing awareness of their (and also of others’) developing integrity, ie, the inner part of them that drives their actions. Who is their true self when others aren’t looking?

Remembering the steps in any activity is difficult and needs to be practised many times. By giving children the opportunity to practise with the freedom to make mistakes, they will be able to undertake the hundreds of repetitions needed to master a skill.

And then, one beautiful day, they will arrive at a place where they have both the necessary experience and skills to manage themselves in situations of a social or moral nature – not by accident but through the safety of the prepared environment and lots of practice.