"Rules" in the environment

What are ‘Ground Rules?' What is the relationship between these rules and what we call Grace & Courtesy? How do these enhance social development?

I keep myself safe.

I keep others safe.

I keep the environment safe.

“Ground Rules” are an intangible, unspoken, yet ever present, ongoing practice in the Prepared Environment. They are the underpinning to the functioning of the environment, because they pave the way for social development, by helping the collective community run smoothly, as well as enable the individual Child to develop social awareness and skills in her process of self-construction.

The Prepared Environment refers to all material aspects in the space of the Children’s House. It refers to any part of the built environment that is not a human body, including tangible things like pets, furniture, materials, tools, plants, fixtures. It also refers to the placement, position, and condition of these tangibles. For example, the Prepared Environment includes not just the bookshelf, but where it is placed in the room, and how the books are arranged on it.

The Ground Rules of the Montessori Prepared Environment are: (1) Respect oneself, (2) Respect others, and (3) Respect the environment. In other words, we may do nothing in the environment which harms it, ourselves, or others. One concrete example of the Ground Rules in a Montessori environment is that the materials/built environment belong to everyone; there is no individual ownership, but collective caretaking and sequential, individual turn-taking. Related to this, activities are carried out by mutual consent: we can work together, but only if all parties agree; otherwise, we might actually be disturbing someone else’s work, which we may never do because it is disrespectful. We may request to observe, which we do by using only our eyes, tucking our hands behind our backs respectfully. These are concrete ways we practice the Ground Rules of respecting others and the environment.

Since materials are limited in number, we only take out one thing at a time, so that others can use the remaining materials and we can concentrate on the one we have chosen. Related, we put back the materials in the place and in the condition we found them, so the next person finds them in the same beautiful and cared-for condition we did, with the same opportunity to use them. We all take care of the environment, because it belongs to all of us. We take care of ourselves by (1) choosing our work and our collaborators, and (2) defending our work, concentration, or privacy when necessary.

These precepts are not explicit. Rather, the Guide models them, older or more experienced Children model them, and they are self-reinforcing within the community. That is, there are natural and logical consequences to violating the Ground Rules, so they need not be taught by rote nor enforced by an authority. Because the Ground Rules are an innate part of the environment, they logically support the explicit Grace and Courtesy lessons offered to the Child.

All Grace and Courtesy are examples of how to carry out the Ground Rules. These lessons support social development by giving the Child concrete tools--actions and words--that she can use to express herself and meet her own needs. Having clear ways of expressing one’s needs--including one’s boundaries--helps the Child feel understood and helps her understand others, which allows for the building of community culture through shared meaning and mutual respect. This is the definition of social cohesion. The shared understanding also supports the Child’s own sense of herself as a smaller part of a group, confident that she can relate to others and others can relate to her.