GS and Child Podcast | Season 1

Episode 47 – Rebroadcast: Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia

Season 2, with new episodes of the podcast, will begin in October of 2021.
Freedom and Discipline with Claire Paglia originally aired on February 3, 2021

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17

Freedom and Discipline are two words usually used as opposites and yet they are at the heart of the Montessori method and our work in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Maria Montessori believed that true discipline comes from within and that freedom is the ability to accept rules without being limited by them. The purposeful work that we offer in our environments that leads to concentration and then is followed by the opportunity to make choices and then subsequently develops the will, feeds independence, and results in freedom. Discipline is not the idea of “training people to obey rules” but more about self-discipline. It comes from within the child rather than imposed externally. The art of applying Freedom and Discipline in the atrium, classroom, or our homes can be tricky as we encounter children of different needs or different emotional states from day to day. Claire Paglia joins us on the podcast today to speak about Montessori’s philosophy of Freedom and Discipline and its application with children.

Claire Paglia was a child of the atrium. As an adult, she is an AMI-trained guide who has been in the primary environment for 12 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in education with a concentration in Montessori from Loyola University, Maryland. She worked for a year as a course assistant for the primary training center. In 2012, she received her Level I formation and has been a catechist at her church in varying capacities since then. She enjoys spending time with her family and particularly enjoys preparing Montessori-friendly spaces at home for her three children.

 

Episode References

Listening to God with Children by Gianna Gobbi:

The Absorbent Mind (Owl Edition, 1995) Chapters 25 and 26

The Discovery of the Child (Clio edition, 1997) Chapters 3 and 23

The Secret of Childhood (Ballantine, 1966) Chapter 19

Education for a New World (Clio edition, 2007) Chapter 12

At Home with Montessori

Curious Parenting

Dr. Becky at Home

Seed and Sew

The NAMTA Journal: Montessori’s Positive Psychology to Help All Children (Spring 2017 Volume 42, Number 2)

Montessori Speaks to Parents: A Collection of Articles

[content_modules]

Follow Us

Formation for Adults

Adults are given the opportunity to embrace a method of religious education that will deepen one’s relationship with God.

Recent Updates from CGSUSA

Welcome to CGSUSA

We believe God and the child have a unique relationship with one another. Children need their own place to foster the growth of that relationship. The growth of this relationship is assisted by the adult, but is directed by the Spirit of God within the child.

The CGS Approach

Find an Atrium

CGSUSA
CGS in the Home
CGS in the Parish
CGS in the School

Discover CGS

What is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was born from the joy of the children’s encounter with God. It has been observed that children of the same developmental stage, even those from widely varying cultural backgrounds, respond to elements of the Christian message in the same way.

CGS in the World
CGS and Ecumenism
Roman Catholic Tradition
Episcopal Tradition
Orthodox Tradition
History
32 Points of Reflection
CBP en Espanol
Children with Disabilities
Justice and Solidarity

Learn with CGS

In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd adults are given the opportunity to embrace a method of catechesis (or religious education) that will deepen one’s relationship with God. Catechist formation in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is both instructive as well as experiential. It captivates both the head as well as the heart.

Courses for Adults
Host a Course
Register a Course
Scholarships & Grants

Good Shepherd and the Child Podcast

The Journal
Document Library
Resources

Connect to CGSUSA

We read in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs, two by two; the journey was not meant to be a solitary one. It is essential for us as catechists to support one another as we prepare materials, work in the atrium, and observe the child. We come together in unity, as members of CGSUSA, to share the joy of this work.

Become a Member
Member Benefits
Individual Membership
Organization Membership
Regions & Regional Groups
CGSUSA Leadership: Staff & Board
Annual Meeting
CGSUSA Vendor Members - Digital Source List

Support CGSUSA

Through their joy, their wonder and awe, their capacity for love and prayer, and their radical simplicity, children offer us adults a glimpse of what it means to fall in love with God. This has been the work of CGSUSA for over 30 years: to advocate for the child’s joy.

CGSUSA
Leadership: Staff and Board of Trustees
Advocacy
Contact Us
Ways to Give
TLM Memorial Fund
Tribute Gifts
Sustainable Giving