Several months ago I had the pleasure having a long conversation with my friend and mentor, Michael Dorer, on the importance of the Great Lessons. Michael knows a thing or two about the power of the Great Lessons, and has written a couple excellent books on the subject. Many of you know about his excellent work The Deep Well of Time, a collection of origin stories about topics like the Great Lessons, counting, area, and more, as well as Hatching The Cosmic Egg, which is a retelling of the Great Lesson with wonderful illustrations. Michael has spent his career investigating the power of storytelling and its ability to teach and inspire. I was lucky to hear him deliver the Great Lessons in person during my training, and it impressed upon me how effective a good story (and storyteller) can be.
When I was looking through my email recently, I saw an announcement from The Montessori Foundation detailing the release of a Great Lessons course taught by Michael Dorer, and I realized that our interview was part of this class that he was developing. The online learning course is called The Great Lessons: Inspiring a Sense of Wonder. Here is a description of what is included:
Eight modules with Michael's pre recorded talks, 19 diverse, rich, and stimulating interviews with Montessori guides from all the world over, a real album-like resource book with references from respected educators and foundational theories, and a concluding zoom session to boot! That is a lot for one class, even one that is great.
I am honored to say that I am one of those 19 diverse, rich, and stimulating interviews! We had quite the conversation, and covered a multitude of topics centered on the Great Lessons. What impresses me the most about the Great Lessons is that the full curriculum, everything that the students learn in elementary, is touched upon within these five lessons. It is presented in a way that integrates these concepts seamlessly. Astronomy, history, geology, chemistry, physics, biology, fundamental human needs, language, mathematics, and culture is all included! The students are able to see how these areas of study are not independent, but actually fit together like giant puzzle pieces that when put together, give the students a full understanding of the grand view of it all. The students are able to synthesize new ideas by combining concepts from more than one area of study, which is making new connections. I argue that this ability to make connections between seemingly different areas is a cornerstone for invention and creation, and is one of the most important skills of the modern era.
The ability of the Great Lessons to integrate concepts together is the untold, but maybe most important, feature of these lessons. This is the hallmark of my own philosophy of how I create Montessori PE lessons. When concepts from the classroom are integrated with physical education lessons, the students simultaneously learn the classroom material better while being more invested in the physical activity that they are doing. The Great Lessons are a foundational component of the Montessori elementary experience, and a series of lessons I know that every Montessori school teaches at some point. Because of their universality, I created lots of Montessori PE lessons to integrate with them. I have a Great Lessons bundle featured on the website store, which is perfect for the beginning of the year. The Great Lessons, as well as many others, can be found in the full volumes as well (which is the best value).
Again, if you interested in a deep dive of the Great Lessons, I fully recommend you check out Michael Dorer’s lesson series The Great Lessons: Inspiring a Sense of Wonder.