A Teacher's Manifesto

By Michele T. Fry, ã February 1991

An autobiographical poem: I owned, operated and taught in my own Montessori school for 27 years. 
This is the understanding I came to have of what I was teaching. 

 

This school is My Church,

and I am the Pastor of this holy place.

 

This is My Spot on Earth in which to be effective,

the only place on Earth over which I have Dominion.

 

Conceived in Love.

 

Whose Divine Purpose it is

to glorify the Human Spirit

and discipline the mind and body to it’s Will.

 

To be a Friend.

 

To Teach each of my Pupils

the Natural Laws that govern Every Thing;

to tune them in to the Diversity of Truth

and the Vastness of the Universe;

to free them from the Darkness of Superstition;

from Mistrust and Fear of fellow humans;

And to trust Themselves;

to teach the holy art of Gratitude

and celebrate with them the Blessings Of Our Age;

to cultivate that holy mix of

Humility, Personal Power, Empathy and Joy

which resurrects the soul

and frees the heart to feel Compassionate toward Self and Others.

 

To guide them to such discoveries

that they may reach whatever Heights they may aspire to;

take responsibility for the Depths that they explore;

add to the Beauty of this world;

reduce Suffering;

increase Pleasure;

triumph over Adversity and help others do the same;

see the Connectedness of all things;

accept Aloneness and the Great Unknown;

Forgive;

and wherever they are in the vast millieu of Life,

to dance in gratitude with a song on their lips

whose lyrics are simply, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

 

And in the end,

to have each of my pupils come to know

and to Enjoy

the God within Themselves,

and Everything,

and Everyone.

No Longer Alone

© 1994

Tonight I discovered the Mother in me
and I'll never be lonely again.
I felt Her Madonna-like presence surrounding me,
hugging me, being my friend.

When Moms are around, it's nothing to fall.
You pick up, dust off, and go on.
There's always that circle of comfortable arms
to love you and welcome you home.

Moms frame your pictures, and treasure your scribbles,
and brag to their friends about you . . . . . . . .
but when you leave home there are lonely betrayals . . . . . .
and stunning hurts to suffer through.

Oh Mom! How I've needed your love all these years
when I've felt alone and far-flung,
running the gauntlet through blind and unfair,
lashed by carelessly poisonous tongues.

I've hid behind smiles, and "I see's", and "Oh well's",
a child still needing support.
I've hid in my comfortable home and my jobs
and not ventured much further forth.

I've watched others draw from some river of strength
that's not been a resource for me.
The gains that I've made have been modest indeed
compared to what's locked up in me.

I've hoped that some knight in white armor might save me.
Expected right reasoning to fix things.
I've been on my knees praying hard for assistance.
Invested in family and friendships.

But tonight I discovered the Mother within me,
Inside me, my best friend by far.
With my own love's protection, no longer abandoned,
I finally can reach for the stars.