The Revolutionary Adolescent: Provocations Magazine, Edition 4

The theme for the fourth edition of Provocations Magazine is The Revolutionary Power of Adolescents: Discarding Tradition for Development. In society at large, we often underestimate adolescents. We see them as disruptive, rowdy, troublemaking, and in need of control. Yet, when we put adolescents in environments where they experience autonomy, where they are safe to construct themselves and understand the world around them deeply, they not only thrive, but they move society forward.

In From Childhood to Adolescence, Maria Montessori wrote “Schools as they are today, are adapted neither to the needs of adolescence nor to the times in which we live. Society has not only developed into a state of utmost complication and extreme contrasts, but it has now come to a crisis in which the peace of the world and civilization itself are threatened.” Over the last 30 years, Montessori and progressive education has made significant efforts in improving adolescent education. Despite these great strides, our work needs continual interrogation to make sure we are creating truly developmental environments, because often in our quest for stability, we sacrifice emergence and co-creation.

The authors in this edition are charting the course for the future of Montessori adolescent education, providing both inspiration and challenge. Guides, leaders, parents, and students will find this edition is hard to put down!

Authors include Dana Anderson, Dominique Mouthon, Taylor Henry, Nour Alhelou, Tammy Oesting, Jen Cort, Kathi Martuza, Emma Rattigan, Robert Blecher, and Andrew Faulstich.