Developing Resilient Children

A recent article in Montessori Life looks at the work of Dr. Robert Brooks, Harvard Medical School professor. The article, "Developing Resilient Children," by Meg Drake, lists his "10 guideposts that form the foundation of a resilient mindset."

1. Teaching Empathy
2. Effectively communicating
3. Believing in the worth of a child
4. Creating opportunities for ownership/developing a sense of community
5. Setting realistic goals/orchestration of success
6. Teaching children to learn from mistakes
7. Developing responsibility, compassion for others, and social conscience
8. Teaching children to make decisions and solve problems
9. Disciplining in ways that promote self-discipline and self-worth
10. Creating a close alliance between home and school

Beyond Dr. Brook's work, Howard Gardner (Montessori Life Winter 2003), Jane Healy (Your Child's Growing Mind), Alfie Kohn (Independent School Spring 2008), and Jonathan Kozol (keynote speaker at 2007 AMS Annual Conference), to name a few, are today's education leaders . What strikes me most is that their work, research, and prominence, which guide our world, education, and ideas, eloquently capture much of Dr. Montessori's work that was developed over 100 years ago.