In this week’s journal, we share with you some of our current and past week’s observations, as the learners find, build, and work on different ways and facets of building friendships and tribes.

We observed a few children establish friendships right away while some formed their small and big tribes through the course of a few days. We observed natural conflicts arise, as well as, a couple of learners observing from afar and choosing to play individually. We also witnessed the building of a tribe because of a common liking (hey, me too!), and an already existing group from last year welcoming new friends in. They excitedly shared their experiences with statements like, “She helped me” or “I played with him,” pointing to friends, they learned names and built bonds.

Our role as guides in all of these scenarios besides observation is to encourage introspection to support the learners as they make their decisions if/when they need support. Keeping in mind the Montessori Planes of Development, we honor each child’s journey as individuals working toward this deep human need of relationships and empathy as an integral piece of life-long learning and ever-evolving growth (Thank you, Mr. Maslow and Dr. Montessori!).