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The “Work” of the Adolescent

One of Maria Montessori’s gifts to education was a redefining of what it means for human beings to “work.” We have a murky relationship with the notion of “work”—as labour, as economic security, as an avenue to express our passion and expertise, as a form of membership in society. As an educator, Montessori turns our focus to the nature of work as what human beings do to interact with and change their environment. We are designed to sculpt the landscape and build human infrastructure out of the resources of nature. It is what we do to meet our needs. It defines our species. Unlike the work of adults—which is building this supranature on top of nature – the work of children and adolescents is to BECOME fully human, to develop human capacities.

Laurie Ewert-Krocker will discuss how the “work” of development for adolescents straddles the worlds of both childhood and adulthood as they make the transition to the work of building supranature and establishing mutual understanding of others’ needs and contributions alongside adults.

About Laurie Ewert-Krocker:

Laurie is an AMI 12-18 trainer and Director of the International Montessori Training Institute of Ohio. She has been a presenter and Course Director for the AMI-NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies and has consulted with Montessori adolescent programs around the world. She holds AMI diplomas at the 3-6 and 6-12 levels. Laurie was the founding head teacher of Hershey Montessori School’s Adolescent Community in 1996 and served there as both Middle School Program Director and Upper School Program Director.