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JANE ADDAMS ENTERTAINS MARIA MONTESSORIAT HULL HOUSE

by

Nadine M. Kerstetter, M.Ed.

March 1, !1"


2/6

It is A#$#st 1%1" in &hica$'. The $#est (ect#rer at H#(( H'#se is J'hn De)ey *r'+ the

Uniersity '* &hica$', a tr#stee '* H#(( H'#se, and a *riend '* its *'#nders Jane Adda+s and E((en

-ates Starr. Maria M'ntess'ri and her seenteenyear'(d s'n Mari' are in attendance. This is Dr.

M'ntess'ri/s sec'nd tri0 t' the United States and the year '* the ana+aaci*ic Internati'na(

E2hibiti'n in San 3rancisc'.

On this s#++er a*tern''n, Adda+s is h'stin$ a (ect#re and rece0ti'n *'r ed#cati'na( st#dents

and 0hi(anthr'0ists t' raise a)areness and t' raise *#nds *'r the serices *'r H#(( H'#se. De)ey s0ea4s

ab'#t the )'r4 d'ne at H#(( H'#se, as )e(( as the 0hi('s'0hies '* its *'#nders and s#00'rters.

5Oer these 0ast seera( years thr'#$h the dedicati'n '* Miss Adda+s, Miss Starr, their de'ted

sta** and the $ener'sity '* *#nders, +#(ti0(e 0r'$ra+s hae been created t' +eet the needs '* the

c'++#nity. The 0resch''( and 4inder$arten c(asses initiated *r'+ the be$innin$ are a#$+entin$ as

+'re *a+i(ies *r'+ dierse herita$es c'+e t' &hica$' *'r e+0('y+ent and ed#cati'n. M#ch )'r4 has

been acc'+0(ished *r'+ this b#i(din$/s di(a0idated c'nditi'n in 166% t' a sch''( and b'ardin$ h'#se

that 0r'ides 0r'$ra+s in art, dra+a, (an$#a$e arts. There is n') a $y+nasi#+, this (ect#re ha((, and a

(ab'r +#se#+. A(( '* this desi$ned t' *'ster de+'cratic a)areness and s'cia( acti'n. As a de+'cratic

s'ciety the 0''r can be ins0ired by hain$ access t' an enir'n+ent that '**ers *ine art and dra+a.7

Me+bers '* the a#dience n'd in a$ree+ent as they each (''4 ab'#t the (ect#re ha(( and ad+ire

the aesthetics in this sett(e+ent h'#se. De)ey c'ntin#es as he ste0s *r'+ the 0'di#+ +'in$ t')ard

his a#dience, 5Miss Adda+s has been an ins0irati'n t' +y (i*e/s )'r4 and has in*(#enced +y ')n

0hi('s'0hy '* ed#cati'n. I, t'', hae a isi'n '* ed#cati'n that is the basis '* a de+'cratic c'++#nity

that reaches a br'ader s'ciety bey'nd bric4 and +'rtar and *'r+a( c#rric#(#+ in the c(assr''+ t'day.

H#(( H'#se is an instit#ti'n that 0#shes a$ainst a restricted narr') ie)s '* chi(dren/s ca0acity t' $(ean

ne) in*'r+ati'n and c'nnect it t' their (ies.7


3/6

Addressin$ the 0r's0ectie teachers, he said, 5There are t)' sides t' the ed#cati'na( 0r'cess '*

chi(dren and b'th are nat#ra((y re(ated. A 0sych'('$ica( 0r'cess c'+0(i+ents a chi(d/s nat#ra( instincts

and initiatie t' a((') hi+ t' +a4e c'nnecti'ns t' his rea(ity. And a s'ci'('$ica( 0r'cess ta4es int'

acc'#nt a chi(d/s s'cia( c'nditi'n in 'rder t' ta0 int' his 0')er and ca0abi(ities. Tr#e and a(#ab(e

ed#cati'n sti+#(ates the 0')er '* the chi(d by acce0tin$ )hat is re(eant t' his s'cia( sit#ati'n and the

)e(*are '* his *a+i(y and c'++#nity. Sch''( is a s'cia( instit#ti'n and as s#ch H#(( H'#se '**ers c(#bs

'* ari'#s interests *'r '(der chi(dren and *'r ad#(ts, *'sterin$ c'++#nity. The d#ty '* the sch''( is t'

$ie a(( 0e'0(e the interests and the sense '* di$nity and ciic )'rth that )i(( enab(e the+ t' reach

bey'nd the (i+its i+0'sed 'n their dai(y str#$$(es and stri*e.

5The $'a( t' e+0')er 0e'0(e is reached, in 0art, by eenin$ c(asses that ed#cate )'+en 'n

ciic d#ties and (e$is(ati'n as it i+0acts their (ies. The three c're 0rinci0(es '* H#(( H'#se are t' teach

by e2a+0(e, t' 0ractice c''0erati'n, and t' 0ractice s'cia( de+'cracy. Endin$, I )ish t' re+ind a((

teachers t' rec'$ni8e a di$nity t' the ca((in$ t' teach. As s#ch y'# are s'cia( serants and a$ents '*

0r'0er s'cia( 'rder and dec'r#+97

Maria M'ntess'ri stands t' initiate an 'ati'n. De)ey +a4es his )ay t' her )ith a br'ad s+i(e

and e2tends his hand *'r a )ar+ handsha4e. He c'n$rat#(ates her 'n the e2hibit '* her $(ass h'#se

sch''( r''+ and (ect#res at the ana+aaci*ic Internati'na( E2hibiti'n in San 3rancisc'. Adda+s

e20resses her a00reciati'n *'r De)ey/s s#00'rt. He t#rns t' ta(4 t' a $#est )h' has ta00ed his sh'#(der

and Adda+s (eads M'ntess'ri '#t t' the c'#rtyard t' ta(4.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jane Addams: Mari' is acc'+0anyin$ y'# 'n y'#r trae(s. He/s *'((')in$ in his +'ther/s *''tste0s.

Maria, it 0(eases +e that y'# are ab(e t' stay )ith #s a )hi(e be*'re $'in$ 'n t' ;ashin$t'n D& t' see

Mabe( and A(e2ander. The M'ntess'ri Ed#cati'na( Ass'ciati'n the


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Maria Montessori: Re+e+ber )hen I t'(d y'#, Jane, ab'#t the 0r'*'#nd 'bserati'n I +ade )hen I

st'00ed t' )atch a (itt(e $ir( 0(ay )ith b('c4s> I ret'(d that eent and h') I had c'#nted *'rty*ie

di**erent e2ercises she +ade )ith th'se b('c4s. ;hen she st'00ed, and decided her )'r4 )as d'ne as

there )as n' e2terna( *'rce that distracted her, she (''4ed ar'#nd )ith e20ressi'n '* $reat satis*acti'n.

J.A.: ?$iin$ a n'd t')ard the h'#se.@ The y'#n$ )'+en in there are e2cited t' be$in their ne) careers

as ed#cat'rs. They are h#n$ry t' (earn a(( they can t' +a4e a di**erence in the (ies '* chi(dren. They

drea+ t' e+0')er chi(dren by ta00in$ int' their nat#ra( c#ri'sity. S'+e hae trae(ed *r'+ 'ther cities

this )ee4 )ith 0(ans t' estab(ish day cares in their c'++#nities. ;ith chi(d si8ed tab(es and chairs, I

+ay add. They st#dy 0r'$ressie 0eda$'$y and (''4 t' y'#, Maria, and the y'# did by estab(ishin$ the

*irst day care in 'ne R'+e/s )'rst nei$hb'rh''ds ei$ht years a$'. They see4 t' a((eiate 0'erty,

i$n'rance, and i((iteracy.

M.M: It is n't en'#$h *'r the teacher t' ('e the chi(d. She +#st a(s' and *'re+'st ('e and

#nderstand the #nierse. Re+ind the+ t' st'0 and #st )atch chi(dren at )'r4. Ma4e aai(ab(e *'r the

chi(dren thin$s '* nat#re t' 0r'+'te sens'ry a)areness. &hi(dren hae innate abi(ities t' ta4e in and

0r'cess eerythin$ ar'#nd the+. The abs'rbent +ind, Jane.


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J.A.:


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;'+en/s Trade Uni'n Lea$#e. Did y'# 4n'), Maria, that E((en *'r+ed n't 'n(y the c#rrent

A+a($a+ated &('thin$ ;'r4ers stri4e, b#t t)' stri4es be*'re it, in 16%C and in 1%1!> The 0'(itica(

disc#ssi'n $r'#0s he(d here hae s0#rred acti'n in the i++i$rants. They ta4e t' the streets9 erha0s

)hat is tr#(y $rati*yin$ t' the+ is their s#ccess at 'erc'+in$ i((iteracy t' )rite (etters t' the edit'rs

and t' e(ected '**icia(s9

?-(ancin$ thr'#$h a )ind'), Adda+s sees De)ey in (ie(y disc'#rse )ith a )ea(thy c'#0(e *r'+

)h'+ he h'0es t' ac=#ire *inancia( s#00'rt. M'ntess'ri chan$es t' the s#bect that saddens the+

b'th.@

M.M.: This ;'r(d ;ar, Jane. As i+0'rtant as 0eace, rec'nci(iati'n, and di0('+acy is t' y'#, I )as n't

s#r0rised )hen I (earned y'# )ere in H'((and in 1%1 t' s0ea4 at the eace a(ace at The Ha$#e. And

y'# hae trae(ed these t)' years t' s0ea4 a$ainst the United States enterin$ the )ar. Did y'# acce0t

the chair+anshi0 '* the ;'+en/s eace arty>

J.A.: es, I acce0ted the 0'siti'n ear(ier this year. I )as in H'((and a$ain, as a +atter '* *act, in May.

I a(s' acce0ted 0residency '* the Internati'na( &'n$ress '* ;'+en. '# and I are +a4in$ *re=#ent

internati'na( tri0s are )e n't> (ease stay as ('n$ as )ish be*'re (eain$ *'r ;ashin$t'n .D.&.

?The )'+en )a(4 inside and =#ic4(y 'in in 'ther c'nersati'ns )ith $#ests.@

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