Discipline in the Montessori classroom is established for the child by giving them an environment that encourages them to move freely about and choose activity. We teach children to respect each other and their environment in an atmosphere of joy and caring. Courtesy and grace are modeled for the child by the staff.
Misbehavior is redirected into positive action and children are encouraged to express themselves verbally. Occasionally, a child may need time to collect his or her thoughts and feeling. When this happens, the teacher may invite the child to choose between participating in an activity and taking “time outâ€? with an open invitation to return when the child feels ready to join in with the others. When circumstances involve recurring behavior difficulties, we may ask that you work with the school toward redirecting your child’s misbehavior. Physical punishment is never used.
As children grow and develop, they sometimes go through difficult stages. One example is toddlers’ biting. This behavior is part of natural development and may be unrealized, often accidental, or sometimes provoked. The staff readily handles harmful behavior by preventing the situation or by redirecting the child into positive activity. On occasion, a child may have extreme difficulty and may repeat the behavior in spite of being redirected. If the child repeats a harmful behavior three times during the day, that child will be sent home for 24 hours to protect other children in the group. Continued aggression may result in a request that the parents withdraw from the program.