Maria Montessori

One simple understanding directed me toward the truth. The truth is, there is no child-regardless of the level of their intellect-that does not thirst for knowledge.

Because I was the first woman to graduate as a medical doctor from the University of Rome, it should be evident, I was no stranger to controversy. I was accustomed to the seemingly insurmountable obstacle-inspired to prove that rare is the insurmountable more than a figment of a fear.

It was this inspiration that led me to the challenge of teaching those believed to be unteachable-the retarded children. It was the resounding success of this effort that convinced me there was a far less confining way to teach the "normal" children.

That the better way was of teaching was, in fact, not to teach at all!

It was so clear-we were not imparting our wisdom with the current system. Rather, we were imposing our own limitations.

With this revelation in mind, I opened the doors to Casa dei Bambini in the neighborhood that others called the slums. I called it paradise-for in paradise all things are possible.

My staff was schooled especially for my program. They were instructed to resist the urge to teach. They were to act as observers and to guide gently in a nearly undetectable fashion.

The success of my program was instant and obvious, but its time was, sadly, limited. The fascists found me intolerable and I was no supporter of theirs. So forced to cease my work or flee my home, I chose the latter and lived without regret.

My understanding that all children will scour their resources for understanding was the only guarantee I needed to know my system could not fail.