Montessori International Issue 128 – MAY 2020
Voice of the child, birth to 18 | Voice of the teacher on diversity | Why truth matters Empowering children through childism | Action research methodology Voice of the student in the United States | Montessori entrepreneur Simone Davies
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
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EDITORIAL BOARD’S LETTER
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Sarah Beaty, Eyeris Photography, Nashville, TN, US
Beacon of hope
On the cover Timberlake Pieper, a beautiful symbol of selfexpression, agency and hope for future generations
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
We are living in unprecedented times, with many countries across the world still on various forms of lockdown in a bid to control and prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, went as far as to suggest that the pandemic is the world’s “greatest test” since World War Two. As part of his opening remarks at a virtual press conference on March 31, he went on to say: “Everything we do during and after this crisis [Covid-19] must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change, and the many other global challenges we face. What the world needs now is solidarity. With solidarity we can defeat the virus and build a better world.” There are many parallels between Guterres’s speech and the speech that Maria Montessori made in 1946, in the aftermath of World War Two. Like Guterres, Montessori talked about the need to “better the condition of the world” and create “a better future” (Montessori, 2012: 1). But the similarities stop there. While Guterres is focused on driving a range of initiatives to help rebuild societies, including a call for action by developed countries, Montessori was focused on one simple solution: the child. She said, “it will be necessary to look to children for help if the world is to be made better” (Montessori, 2012: 1). She added: “We must educate adults to realize that we can only better humanity through the child” (Montessori, 2012: 4). What better time to heed Montessori’s poignant observation and to honour her legacy than now, during this ‘Great Pause’? What better time to reflect on how to recognise the child as an equal; as a citizen with their own agency and voice?
To help with this process, and to celebrate National Children’s Day UK, we have dedicated this edition of Montessori International to the voice of the child. Our cover feature comprises a series of articles designed to capture the voice of the child in every plane of development, from birth through to high school and beyond to university students, while a range of contributors explore ways in which to foster, support and protect the voice of the child in its many forms. We hope that these articles will help you to consider how to build on the many positives arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, which should not be overlooked or undervalued amid the tragedy. Perhaps the greatest of these is the way in which children are teaching us how to live in the moment. In addition, there is a greater appreciation of the joy of connecting with family and friends around the world, and of the wonders of nature as we have watched spring unfold around us. We have also seen communities uniting to ensure that fellow citizens, particularly those in isolation, have sufficient food and medication during lockdown. It is up to Montessori guides and practitioners everywhere to take up the baton and continue to build on these inspiring efforts, to help create resilient, global citizens capable of building and protecting the “better humanity” (Montessori, 2012: 4) envisaged by Montessori. Children are “the makers of men” (Montessori, 2007: 1) and our beacon of hope for the future, and it’s about time that the world starts to recognise and respect this. The editorial board For a full list of references, visit: https://bit.ly/May2020ref
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IN this ISSUE
Issue 128 – May 2020
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VOICE OF THE CHILD Elementary and high school students from Sarajevo share what they value most in life
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VOICE OF THE CHILD Annamaria Guild explains the importance of listening to the voice of infants aged under three
VOICE OF THE CHILD Pre-school children share their Covid-19 lockdown activities
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VOICE OF THE CHILD High school student, Sophia De La Cruz, on how Montessori edcation has shaped her
VOICE OF THE CHILD Andy Lulka in conversation with her son about the impact of their Montessori elementary schooling
VOICE OF THE CHILD High school students from Bangalore on how Montessori education allows self expression
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V O I C E O F T H E child Undergraduates from Bangalore reflect on the highlights of their Montessori education
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voice of the te a che r Kate Unsworth discusses the importance of global citizenship
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M o n te s s o r i i n s i g ht Anastasia Higginbotham on why difficult life events need addressing with children
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M o n te s s o r i I NS I G H T John Wall explains the importance of empowering young people’s voices
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M o n te s s o r i r e s e a r ch Julie Compton explores research methods in the concluding part of her action research special
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voice of the pa r e n t How a Montessori childhood and career impacted Catherine McTamaney’s parenting style
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M o n te s s o r i E N T R E PR E N E U R Montessori parent and teacher, Simone Davies, shares the evolution of her business
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voice of the s tude n t Martha Bodnar reflects on her Montessori training journey May 20 20 5
Montessori guides have a responsibility to make infants’ voices heard and valued equally
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Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
VOICE of the CHILD
Why listening matters The voice of the child comes in many forms, as Annamaria Guild discovered when she researched children aged under three As part of the foundation degree course that I undertook at Montessori Centre International a few years ago, I was required to reflect on the practices in the setting in which I was working and implement changes as part of an action research assignment (see page 38). Even before my Montessori training, I was hugely passionate about trying to understand very young children. I would often just sit and watch my sister’s baby son, trying to figure out what was going on in his beautiful little head. Later, as a trained Montessori practitioner, this passion became a feeling of deep duty and responsibility towards making infants’ voices heard and valued equally. Maria Montessori based her pedagogy on understanding the child through observation: she truly followed the child. This is what I have learned about following the child by carrying out this small scale research study. Why we should listen To offer a deeper understanding of the importance of listening, we need to answer the most fundamental question: why should we listen? Firstly, it is our duty as practitioners and Montessorians. Articles 3, 12 and 13 of the UNCRC (UN, 1989) require us to keep the child’s best interest paramount, respect the view of the child and allow freedom of expression. Similarly, the Early Years Foundation Stage (DfE, 2017) also emphasises the fundamental value of listening to children and families, which is to establish and develop positive relationships in which children can grow holistically. In short, children’s well-being depends on their emotions, ideas and preferences being met and valued. l i s t e n i n g c u lt u r e Williams (2009) introduces the “listening culture” as an approach to listening and understanding the child. This is a powerful idea, because understanding and implementing listening as the foundation of our practices means that listening becomes a way of life, whether or not they are Montessori-based, in a setting or at home.
Listening as an approach nurtures respectful relationships, contributes to quality improvement, leads towards a child-led provision, and encourages shared sustained thinking (Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2002: 8) with older children. Of course, it is most effective if we work on translating this to all aspects of our relationships. At the same time however, we need to be ready for what our listening may bring to the surface. Therefore, I needed to reflect and review my own practices, beliefs, habits, attitudes and experiences ahead of my research. My mini action research assignment was conducted in a small infant community, with its aim to investigate the level of children’s satisfaction in my provision. To do this, I planned to explore the children’s favourite aspects of the setting, such as their favourite toys and activities. The children taking part were aged between 19 and 31 months, and the research also included their families. co m m u n i cat i o n p l at f o r m I decided to use the Mosaic approach (Clark, 2011), a multi-method research approach, to provide a platform for communication, and to collaboratively paint a living picture of the children’s experiences. Research tools I used to gather information included child conferencing, mapping, observations, a slide show, drawing, puppetry and a large whiteboard. The combined evidence was later analysed to inform positive change in my practice. I simply had to try child conferencing, which I was convinced would capture amazing conversations and generate some interesting results, but as a research tool with such young children, it turned out to be a disaster. For example, I asked the children to bring me their favourite toy, but on multiple occasions they grabbed whatever was nearest to them. To demonstrate how unreliable this research tool was in capturing the children’s opinions and preferences, I put out toys that the children have never seen before, and they still identified favourites among these. May 20 20 7
Child conferencing highlighted the importance of the location and context of where interviewing and research should take place (Clark, 2011), and the challenging capricious nature of children at this age. Our beloved and popular large whiteboard was more successful. I moved it from the playroom to the kitchen, and used simple voting. One of the many questions I asked included, “Who likes puddle jumping?” In response, the children, who I knew loved this activity, shouted out or got excited while the child who really didn’t like getting wet went suddenly quiet. The board, therefore, proved to be a much more reliable research tool. Extraordinary findings An extraordinary and unexpected aspect of this research was that some of the older children were eager to ensure 8 May 2 020
that I heard the voices of their younger peers. For example, when I asked, “Who likes play dough?”, two of the older children said that the youngest really likes it, responding with, “Please, Annamaria, write his name down!” It was wonderful to witness how in tune and aware of each other these young toddlers were. They were wholeheartedly listening to each other and demonstrating great empathy, as they were eager for their friends to be included. When it came to the camera, which is one of the most popular tools of the Mosaic approach, I made a slideshow of the children’s experiences in the setting, which showed each photo for 30 seconds. I watched the children’s facial expressions, body language, and also listened to their words as the photos changed. There was laughter, pointing, shouting out and silence, with all photos prompting some
Children were asked a range of questions, including whether or not they liked puddle jumping
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
VOICE of the CHILD
To be able to notice the infant’s signs, we need to observe communication beyond the spoken word
sort of expression of feeling or opinion. The emotional responses further enhanced my understanding of the infants and their preferences. Always remember, “there is a value in each piece of the mosaic” (Clarke in Miller et al., 2010: 69).
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK
Beyond the spoken word The greatest challenge was to find ways to listen to the non-verbal children and children who have English as an additional language To be able to notice the infant’s signs, we need to observe communication beyond the spoken word. We need to heighten our awareness of their significant gestures: body language, facial expressions, eye contact, colour changes on the skin, toe curling and toe stretching (this is especially fascinating!). To effectively tune in, I needed to slow down and give the children time to express their feelings, ideas and experiences. Time spent in peace and quiet is key to active listening and essential in getting to know babies and infants on a deeper level, perhaps when they play with treasure baskets (Goldschmied, 2004), or when they are around other children, occupied in simple social activities. W h at m at t e r s m o s t To find out what children truly enjoyed doing, I needed to stop, look and listen. No matter how many years of experience I have behind me, I will never consider myself knowledgeable enough to know what most matters to each child, because each child is unique. This means that I need to work with each child in a collaborative way, which is an interesting proposition when we are thinking about babies. This was an overwhelming experience, as well as the most humbling and valuable lesson that I have ever learned. As a result: l I started to use time much more effectively. l I modelled active listening by saying, “Now we’re all listening to X child, then we will all listen to Y child.” l I started to combine activities and routines, and made changes to the environment. l I realised that I needed to be more balanced in which child’s idea I was responding to, as I realised that I did not always listen equally to all the children in my care. Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
Did I have favourite children? No, I don’t think so, but perhaps I chose the easiest and most convenient option in our hectic days in the setting. I would encourage everyone to implement listening as an approach. It will allow you to slow down, reflect on your practice and lead to quality improvements in your settings, while enabling you to appreciate children’s contributions and understand their emotions. As Perry says “…it is okay for your child to feel a whole spectrum of emotions, and they will, but they need to be kept company in all their moods, from tears to smiles and fears and anger” (Perry, 2019: 151). We can only keep them in company if we listen, observe and get to know them: this, and this only, will truly place the child in the centre of our personal and professional worlds. Annamaria Guild is a Lecturer at Montessori Centre International
References lC lark, A.
(2017) Listening to Young Children – a Guide to Understanding and
Using the Mosaic Approach London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers lD epartment
for Education (DfE) (2017) Statutory Framework for the Early
Years Foundation Stage London: DfE lG oldschmied,
E. and Jackson, S. (2004) People Under Three: Young Children
in Day Care London: Routledge lM iller, J
(1997) Never Too Young: How Young Children Can Take Responsibility
and Make Decisions London: Save the Children lP erry P.
(2019) The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children
Will be Glad That You Did) London: Penguin Books lS hier,
H. (2001) Pathways to participation: openings, opportunities and
obligations Children and Society, 15(2), pp107-117 lS iraj-Blatchford,
I., Sylva, K., Muttock, S., Gilden, R., & Bell, D. (2002)
Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years DfES Research Report, 356 [online] Available at: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/4650/1/RR356.pdf lU nited
Nations (1989) United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child [online] Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ ProfessionalInterest/crc.pdf lW illiams,
L. (2009) Listening as a Way of Life: Developing a Listening Culture
London: NCB lW innicott,
D. W. (1964) The Child, the Family and the Outside World St Ives:
Clays Ltd
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Life is beautiful Pre-school children, aged three to five, from the UK and Turkey show us the beauty of life and the art of living in the moment through their lockdown activities
10 May 2020
Eva Morris has been
Hugo de Mendonรงa has been
busy baking cakes
painting stones and practising his counting
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
VOICE of the CHILD
Ffion Poppy Jenkins drew a rainbow
Henry Mehmi has been enjoying
to help spread positivity
a spot of gardening
Dax Law has been using his time
Scarlett Wilkinson has been practising
to develop his artistic flair
her flower arranging
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12 May 2020
Leo Stuckey has been enjoying
Maxime Lanoe has been
small world play with his blocks
role playing a lion
Oscar Borisov has been learning
This little girl has been creating her
his five times table
own canvases for her artwork
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
VOICE of the CHILD
Ozan AkgĂźl made his own projector
Indigo Pitt has been enjoying
out of recycled materials
painting in the garden
This little yogi has been learning
Maximilian Swiecicki has been
new poses
busy making bread
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Building blocks Mother and son, Andy Lulka and John Thomson, discuss the value of a
PHOTOGRAPH: Michael Watier
Montessori foundation
Montessori International (MI): What does Montessori education mean to you? John Thomson (JT): That’s a difficult question, because you have to get metaphorical with it. It can’t just be, “It’s a school”, can it? Andy Lulka (AL): For me, the Montessori approach is way more than a school. JT: I guess you could say that it’s a way of life. AL: I think it’s a way of life. JT: It’s about not being as traditional with your children in the way that you parent and educate them. You have to find the best way that suits them and their interests and needs, rather than making choices for them. That’s what Montessori means; it means finding the best approach for the kids that you are around. AL: Montessori education, when I was a child, made me feel like I was important; it felt like I mattered. And knowing that I mattered helped me find my place in the world in a different way, I think, than if I hadn’t been in a Montessori school. So that’s what Montessori means to me. It’s a way of helping children find their own place and their own power and their own strength and beauty, and all of that good stuff. MI: How has Montessori education prepared you for where you are in your life right now? JT: Montessori helps children to build up a far better base 14 May 2020
of understanding than any other kind of school does. They teach you how to look at things your own way, so that you can get into life and look at things from your own, unique lens, as though you’re putting your own special filter on everything. Regardless of where that base leads, if you have that base, you can build much higher on the base. AL: Can you say something about how your Montessori middle school prepared you for life in some way, or how what you learnt still supports you either in your personal life or in your academic life? JT: Montessori education taught me how to cook, which is nice. I use that. It also taught me more or less how to manage myself through high school. If I have homework, I use methods I learnt in middle school, which is mostly to write my homework down, so I don’t forget it, but it’s still helpful. AL: I work in Montessori education, and I think my Montessori childhood has most definitely prepared me in a lot of ways. It has given me the ability to solve problems and to look at issues in divergent ways, meaning that I can usually spot possible solutions that get to the heart of things that most people don’t notice. It allows me to take leadership [roles], as well as follow rules. It lets me see how things are connected in different ways [and] understand the interdependencies of different elements of any given system or idea or problem or project. With being chronically ill, my Montessori childhood
John, aged five, in his Montessori school
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
V oice o f t h e chi l d
Montessori education, when I was a child, made me feel like I was important; it felt like I mattered
PHOTOGRAPH: ANDY LULKA
also gave me a lot of support, because I’ve been able to adapt to life in a way that I don’t think I could have otherwise. I’m using specific Montessori tools to manage, such as preparing the environment, and building a control of error into my daily routines and practices. One of the first things I did when I learned I needed to manage my physical and cognitive energy levels was analyse my home for control of error and economy of movement. I rearranged my physical space, to support my ability to continue living independently. MI: Can you share one of the most impactful moments of your Montessori childhood with us? AL: One of the most impactful moments of my Montessori childhood was when we had just moved to Canada, from Mexico, when I was seven years old, and it was my first real winter. I was new to wearing boots, and I had to change into my sandals to be able to go into the classroom, and I had a crying fit. This was in grade two, and I was not having it. I did not want to take my boots off because I was wearing a kilt, and I was convinced that you could not wear sandals with a kilt. I will always remember that while my mother was struggling with me in the cloakroom, my teacher at the time, Mr Huebscher, came out and took total control of the situation. He told my mum not to worry about it, and he just sat down with me and said, “You know what, you can’t wear your boots in the classroom; would you like to spend some time in the library instead?” It was just such an empowering moment for me. I felt so seen and heard by Mr Huebscher, and I got what I really needed, which was to spend some time alone with books. I got to practice my English, and it just ended up being one of the most fabulous experiences that still impacts me today, because it impacts how I approach children’s ‘misbehaviour’. JT: My most impactful Montessori experience wasn’t exactly a moment, but the beginning of middle school. It was the first experience I’d had with this teacher, and we went on a trip out to a cottage and had to do a load of team building activities. And then at the end of the week, the teacher said, “Congratulations, you have learned all of these things.” And I just thought about it for a minute, and then realised that I did learn all those things without thinking about it, from what sounded like a whole bunch of strange activities. Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
MI: What do you believe Montessori education offers our society today? JT: Montessori education as an idea for society today, I think, is vitally important. It shows public [governmentfunded] schools that this is the base that children need to start working off of. The difference between my high school and my Montessori school is like night and day; it’s completely different. For starters, we call teachers by their first names, but in public school you can get suspended for that. If you look in a classroom at Montessori, teachers don’t have desks. Your class is laid out, and you have things that you can work on at your discretion. In public school, you’re sat in a bunch of rows and you do what you’re told to do, when you’re told to do it. AL: Education and society co-create each other. We build our schools on what we think society needs, and then the people who emerge from those schools are created by those schools and end up shaping society. I think that Montessori education has the capacity to create an entirely different kind of society; one that is filled with citizens who are actually aware of interdependencies, and who are curious and who love to learn, and who are willing to help out with each other and who are ready to do what needs doing and fix whatever needs fixing. So the bottom line is, I believe, that Montessori can actually help us create a better world. Andy Lulka is a co-founder of Integrating Montessori and John is in his last year of high school
Andy and John at the hanging of his Grade 8 graduation plaque
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Citizens of the world
High school students from Head Start Educational Academy in Bangalore, India, discuss how Montessori education turned them into global citizens
Montessori International (MI): What aspects in life do you care about the most? l Building bonds and establishing trust. l Respecting our peers, teachers, parents and the environment. l Rather than sitting comfortably and 16 May 2020
talking about problems in society, going out and solving them. l Social and political justice, which means listening to different perspectives and ideas. l Relationships that we share with friends, family and acquaintances: that’s what makes us human.
l Making sure that everyone around
us has a positive mindset; if they don’t, we should help them to develop one. l Treating everyone equally, and not judging them. l Giving of ourselves to those who are not as fortunate as we are. Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
Voice of the CHILD
Pottery Town
l Believing that education is vital for
in Bangalore,
all; a must-have, not an optional benefit. l Everyone having access to basic needs, such as food, clean drinking water, security and shelter. l Being caring, kind and merciful and not just worrying about A*
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK
India
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
A-level grades in an exam. l Finding happiness, with or without material gains. l Being compassionate towards all beings, not just each other, but defenceless, innocent creatures, too. l Individuality: the importance for everyone to be able to speak their
minds, form their opinions and stick to values that are important to them. As young girls, we are constantly being told in subtle ways to suppress our opinions and speak only when spoken to. This tends to curb our individuality, hence we believe it is important to speak for ourselves. May 20 20 17
Voice of the CHILD
As young girls, we are constantly being told in subtle ways to suppress our opinions and speak only when spoken to
l Facing problems in society, and
l By raising awareness about
tackling them at an individual level. In a country like India, with a population of 1.3 billion people, taking small steps like volunteering at a nearby government school or a local waste segregation centre can make a world of difference. l Finding peace, not just in our small community, but in the larger world around us. l Following a code of values and ethics, and being able to rely on a conscience that guides us along the right path. But developing a conscience needs work. It requires watching others act a certain way, being observant and using these experiences to shape our conscience. l Doing our best without any regrets. If everyone does their best, this would lead to peace and happiness. l Being able to face rejection, as this may help us to evolve into better people.
the importance of respecting everyone, regardless of social or economic status, gender or religion. Everyone around me is equal to me. l By being collectively aware of the importance of preserving resources that belong to everyone, like water and power, not creating unnecessary mess or wastage, and treating the environment with respect. l By being more accepting of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning community, and those suffering from mental health issues, and of people of different races, religions and nationalities. Everyone’s life is equally important. A lot of conflict could be avoided if one group understood why another group was saying what they were saying. l By realising that society is environmentally and emotionally connected. l By making our voices heard for just causes. l By seeing that rules and regulations are enforced not to satisfy the letter of the law, but rather the spirit of the law. The crux of each matter should be understood and agreed upon. l By educating people to view animals as living, breathing beings, and not meat on a plate. l By changing the notion that people are insufficient or inferior due to aspects of their identity. l By helping people to understand
MI: What changes would you like to see in society, and how do you think you could contribute?
The students Grade 8 Aarush Sanghi, Anya Jain, Arnav Kuchhal, Ayra Susan Peter, Jadyn Almeida, Sahil Aleem, Sanvi Agarwal, Sarthak Verma, Samyukta Natarajan, Tejas Kapoor and Zehra Ladakh. Grade 9 Anika Pai, Diva Surti, Sanaa Bhuwalkar and Tejas Gupta.
18 May 2020
that change will come by not just looking towards problems, but rather towards solutions. l By ensuring that we perceive and bring about equal treatment to all of humanity. Although this may just be a step in the mile-long journey, it is imperative that we take it because ultimately, silence is participation, in wrong or right. MI: In what way has your Montessori education enabled you to express your ideas, values and aspirations? We have been enabled to be independent and form our own opinions. Even though we learned at our own pace, we were still one community, where we all loved and respected each other. We were Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
Pounding Bengal gram into a fine powder was a favourite high
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK
school activity
comfortable with all those around us. A focal point of this experience was the bonds we made with our teachers. We could share our opinions without the fear of being judged. Our Montessori education taught us to question, but also to persevere and find answers to our questions, and as a result we are constantly exploring. It has given us a voice. Montessori learning enabled us to think of a decision from different perspectives, and to appreciate the value of listening. This in turn taught us never to just accept things because they were said to be true, but to understand and analyse for ourselves. The calm environment helped us to feel secure and not pressurised. Having older classmates to guide us when our teachers were
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
busy also inculcated an awareness of leadership skills. The emphasis on community, getting along and interacting with younger and older classmates helped us to take care of each other’s space. We learnt to focus on cooperation. And since we celebrated lots of festivals, we respected different cultures and shared experiences. We also understood the importance of sharing. Even after a simple activity that resulted in an output of something edible (pounding Bengal gram into a fine powder was a favourite), all the children got to share it. We offered it to everyone as a matter of course. As we always wished we could have more, we went the extra mile to pound the last grain, so that there
would be more for the community and ourselves. We learnt about boundaries and limitations through real life experiences, not as a theory from a textbook. We learnt about complex ideas in the simplest and most enjoyable ways. It was an education beyond maths, science and history, and one of practical applications. It also instilled in us an appreciation for music and the arts, and an enjoyment of sports. We also learnt life skills, many of which people don’t learn until they are much older, like stitching a button on a shirt or how to light a matchstick. Learning how to wash our own clothes made us feel like adults, and gave us self-confidence. At a very young age, we also learnt useful skills, like how to clean windows, so that we became more conscious about maintaining our environment. One of our values today is a deep-rooted sense of equality in everything we do. It would have taken a tremendous amount of effort to figure this out on our own, but being part of a Montessori learning environment facilitated this in a very simple way. It is not about whether someone’s work is better than yours, but how you can improve. We were enabled to think freely and with an open mind. The environment was not competitive, but focused on enjoyment and meaningful engagement, which will hopefully make us better citizens of the world. May 20 20 19
VOICE of the CHILD
In conversation Students in Grade 4 through to high school at Bloom School Sarajevo in Bosnia discuss what they care about and how their Montessori education has enabled self expression
What aspects in life do you care about the most?
Family, friends, painting, animals, education Hesa Čerkić Grade 4, age 9
My family and my pets Hadrian Isak Tanović Grade 5, age 10 I care about finishing school with good grades and going to a good high school Ismail Saničić Grade 7, age 12
The aspects I care about are family, friends, peace, freedom, equality, and for everyone to be safe Cecilia Bay Olivero Grade 5, age 10
Happiness, love, family and friends Eda Bolić Grade 6, age 11
My friends and my family Uma Čerkić Grade 6, age 11
Accomplish something; finish school; finding friends; being healthy; family Ena Herenda Grade 7, age 12
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My family, friends, religion, myself, my health Kian Hrapović Grade 5, age 10
Friends and family Caterina Bay Olivero Grade 7, age 12
Doing well on tests, not stressing anymore and a healthy planet Sara Alagić Bowder Grade 8, age 13
Family, friends and pets bring me joy and comfort Mejlin Numanagić Grade 6, age 11
Being satisfied with my life; selfimprovement (learning new things academically and on a personal level); having the lifestyle I want to have; achieving financial stability; emotional and physical well-being; family and friends; a social life; my social status; and reputation Daniela Szep High school, Grade 2, age 16
I care most about kindness & loyalty Laila Krivošić High school, Grade 1, age 15
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
I would like to see less trash, less pollution and less plastic. I could help by using less plastic and by not polluting our world Eda Bolić Grade 6, age 11
People being nicer to each other. We have to accept each other as we are, love each other, and also love ourselves, and we can do that by teaching ourselves and doing stuff as a team Ena Herenda Grade 7, age 12
I’d like to see more people think that everybody should have equal rights, no matter their gender, age or race Caterina Bay Olivero Grade 7, age 12
What changes would you like to see in society and how do you think you could contribute? Stop polluting the earth. We only have one earth, so we should take care of it - not kill it Hesa Čerkić Grade 4, age 9
Pollution. I could help by walking more, instead of taking a car Hadrian Isak Tanović Grade 5, age 10
Photographs: Dzejna Hadzic
Climate change and our country’s president. I would also like to help migrants that come to Bosnia, especially homeless people Kian Hrapović Grade 5, age 10
Equality (no more racism, sexism, etc), peace (no more slaves), the earth back to its normal temperature, and oxygen breathable, as it once was Cecilia Bay Olivero Grade 5, age 10
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I would like for society to change. How? No child labor, no child abuse, women’s rights everywhere, and no more wars. I can help by raising awareness and making presentations Uma Čerkić Grade 6, age 11
I would like to educate people about being nicer and more respectful, because their attitude towards us and our planet can affect our living situations and problems Mejlin Numanagić Grade 6, age 11
I would like to change illiteracy. I could help by helping others Ismail Saničić Grade 7, age 12
I would like to see the planet become healthy again. I could contribute to it by volunteering, reusing, recycling and donating Sara Alagić Bowder Grade 8, age 13
I’d bring justice to life in the early childhood of every individual, and an expert team would continuously teach about and unpopularise injustice. However, I don’t know how that would work. Just as we’re being told to get good grades or clean up after ourselves, we could be taught (intensively) not to tolerate injustice - to hate it and be disgusted about it Danis Okić Grade 8, age 13
Raising awareness towards global warming by conserving energy, and raising awareness towards gender equality by educating people on the topic Laila Krivošić High school, Grade 1, age 15
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VOICE of the CHILD
In what way has your Montessori education enabled you to express your ideas, values and aspirations? I feel more free - if I were in a public school, it would be teacher-centred and I wouldn’t be able speak up Kian Hrapović Grade 5, age 10 It has made me creative Hesa Čerkić Grade 4, age 9
It helped me to enable my feelings Hadrian Isak Tanović Grade 5, age 10
It enabled me to express my ideas - my value - by letting me say them aloud, and having projects that focus on my ideas and opinions. It has enabled me to be myself Cecilia Bay Olivero Grade 5, age 10
It introduced me to the problems in this world and how to solve them Sara Alagić Bowder Grade 8, age 13
I’m much more open to new things, the teachers aren’t scary, and I’m more comfortable with people and even animals. I’m also less violent towards people that get me mad Mejlin Numanagić Grade 6, age 11
It helps you to relax and focus your mind for the day ahead; it reminds you what you know, and how you can learn from it; and it inspires you to be a good person Caoimhe Burke Grade 6, age 12
There’s less pressure, and we have more freedom Caterina Bay Olivero Grade 7, age 12
It helped me to be smarter, and actually want to wake up and be interested in it, as well as being a nicer person to be around Tara Bako Grade 6, age 12
It made me more open to others, and it’s more fun having to use materials to learn. The system made it more fun for many people Eda Bolić Grade 6, age 11
Montessori helped me with my self-confidence and I’ve got more ideas in my life Ena Herenda Grade 7, age 12
It has given me freedom to express myself Hana Dizdar High school, Grade 1, age 15
I believe I improved my skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and time management Danis Okić Grade 8, age 13
There is less pressure (less work) and more freedom for self-expression. I can be myself and learn more flexibility in the way I want to. I’ve learned a lot of things in different areas, such as meditation and yoga Daniela Szep High school, Grade 2, age 16
22 May 2020
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
V oice o f t h e child
Value creation United States high school student, Sophia De La Cruz, shares how Montessori education has instilled in her core values of peace, collaboration and kindness
PHOTOGRAPH: YOUTH IMPACT FORUM
When I was two years old, my parents enrolled me in a Montessori school. From pre-school up until Grade 8, I attended a public Montessori school called Lakeland Montessori Schoolhouse, based in Florida in the United States. Some of my strongest and earliest memories include the feeling of my hands lining up small wooden stamp game squares, the pride of checking items off on my daily work plans, and the excitement of exploring my own curiosities. Working with tangible Montessori materials for years allowed me to develop a deep understanding of complex concepts; I believe that I have a much better understanding of the world because it was built through touch. There were many similarities between my Montessori academic environment and my home environment, since my mother has been a Montessori educator for many years. She is now starting her own bilingual Montessori charter school in Florida, Mi Escuela Montessori, and I have supported her by assisting with charter edits, running social media channels, and helping form the school’s environmental sustainability plan. C o r e v alues o f p eace Beyond allowing me to grow academically, attending a Montessori school instilled in me core values of peace, collaboration, kindness, open-mindedness, creativity, time-management and communication. Growing up in an environment, which promotes understanding of other cultures through multicultural festivals, art, reading and lessons pushed me to be more open-minded and curious about other cultures and people. All of these characteristics shape who I am now, yet they were not forced on me; I discovered them on my own. Another vivid memory I have relating to peace is one of me unrolling a green peace rug in the corner of the room, to resolve conflict through conversation, rather than aggression. Through Montessori, I learned that the best way to solve problems is through teamwork,
Montessori education gave me countless outlets to grow as an individual Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
Sophia presenting her project, Girls Here and There, at a Youth Impact! Forum Showcase
mutual respect and open conversation. Now, those values guide all of the decisions I make. Montessori education also inspired me and gave me space to be creative and pursue my own interests independently. It made me value in-depth understanding, and fostered a passion for learning, exploring and making genuine connections. Rather than stifling my creativity by teaching me common core concepts and restraining me from pursuing outside interests, Montessori education gave me countless opportunities in which to grow as an individual and shaped me in numerous positive ways, and I continue to grow and improve every day through it. Montessori is one of the best parts of who I am, because it has allowed so many of the other parts to exist. Sophia De La Cruz is currently in the last year of high school in Florida, the United States
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Voice of the child
Cosmic foundation Four graduates of Head Start Educational Academy in Bangalore, India, reflect on how their cosmic education has equipped them for university life Ta n e s h a Ba ja j I’m currently working my way towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fibers, including textiles and weaving arts, at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. When I think about what drew me into the creative space, I think way back to when I was three years old. Montessori education played a huge role in developing my personality. What stands out is learning things visually. I learned maths through counting colourful beads. These beads were not only colourful, but were also arranged in an organised, 24 May 2020
visually pleasing manner, changing colour as you moved your eye from side to side. Each bead was translucent and reflected its colour on the wooden surface behind it when hit by light. Sometimes the close proximity of the beads, paired with a specific angle of the rays of light from the sun, would blend the reflected colours to create an additional spectrum of new ones. The bead cabinet was something I engaged myself with often. Since then, communicating visually has always been my ideal way of learning and expressing myself. The Montessori environment never put undue pressure on us to Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
the Montessori method ... beautifully highlights the power and potential of a mind that is preparing to embark on the journey of life grasp concepts in a limited time, and it enabled us to make the most of all the classroom activities. This individualised learning system gave us a strong foundation and it continues to help me at university, academically, emotionally and socially. Learning to be patient with myself is one significant skill I owe to my primary Montessori school years. Patience is crucial when working in the creative space. This career involves a lot of trial and error, experimentation and research, so each project turns out to be a long process. But, as an artist, I now understand that this process is part of what ultimately leads to a satisfying outcome. Looking back, I can say with pride that my Montessori education has aided the development of my personality, by teaching me important life skills that will guide me throughout my life. Rahil Riad Mahmood I’m an undergraduate at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, currently working towards a Bachelor of Science in Biology (pre-medical track). The Montessori classroom resembles the classroom out there called life; people of different age groups sharing the same space, working independently (and often together) to accomplish their personal and collective goals. A Montessori environment is fascinating in that it reveals how certain values of life are not simply taught, but also put into practice; qualities such as these are often the most difficult ones to master. They haunt us throughout our lives, and it’s not uncommon for us to lack them, or simply choose to ignore them, when we are faced with challenges. But the Montessori method, in the way that it brings about an innocence and eagerness with which the child wants to pursue these themes on a daily basis, beautifully highlights the power and potential of a mind that is preparing to embark on the journey of life. I am grateful for my Montessori education, which has instilled in me a very disciplined work ethic. I remember always finishing the task at hand to the best of my ability, before putting away the materials and taking up a new activity. I learned at a young age that it is important to focus on one thing at a time: to do it once, and do it properly, and try again if you need to. There might be a few people ahead of you, tackling more advanced problems and using more materials, but it is important Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
to be patient and trust the process. At the end of the day, I myself am my biggest competitor, setting my own goals and achieving them at my own pace. S h i v Am o g h G u p t a I’m studying psychology at Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, England, in the UK. My Montessori school years allowed me to learn with children who were of different ages, both younger and older than myself. This essential skill of working in a mixed age group helped me from a very young age to work with others as a team member. It also helped me to understand that the learning process shouldn’t only be about selfwork and success, but should also be an experience that we share with others, so that we can all learn and progress together. The future is in everyone’s hands, not just the hands of one person. During my Montessori journey, I experienced learning, not schooling, and feel that the lessons and experiences that I have had are lifelong. Ta l i n Ba ja j I’m working towards a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. As a Montessori child, I felt I was always challenged by my peers, but also able to grow, develop and learn at my own pace. There was no pressure on learning something within a fixed time. I loved this, because I could enjoy my learning more. Working with materials was the most natural learning. I was not bound by a syllabus, so I could choose to work with whatever I wanted. School didn’t feel like a place where I was forced to learn, so all my learning was very enjoyable. I feel that Montessori made me more disciplined with my work. When I chose something to work with, I would put my time and effort into it. I did the same when I had to follow a syllabus in later years. The most special thing about my Montessori journey was stability. Over the years, I never felt that I was falling behind with my learning, development or relationships. Everything seemed to be on track. May 20 20 25
VOICE of the TEACHER
Celebrating diversity Children’s cultural and familial stories and traditions can become our teachers, says Kate Unsworth
26 May 2020
PHOTOGRAPH: ISTOCK
Bulgarian tradition Early in March this year, I was walking through a leafy London park with my then three-year-old daughter. She suddenly stopped, pointed up to the branches of a nearby
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Emerging from the shattering effects of World War Two, Maria Montessori conceived a new vision for the planet. She knew that the world needed to heal, and she believed that the key to this recovery would be the children. Montessori devised a “cosmic plan” (Montessori, 1989, cited in MCI 2013: 6), based on the idea that we all belong to “one race, one class, one society” (Montessori, 1989: 94), and promoted global interconnectivity, togetherness and unity throughout her teachings. As an early years educator and parent of a young child, I often find myself pondering and subsequently discussing the ideas of Montessori’s cosmic plan, in particular what it means to be a citizen of the world, and how best to promote this concept within an early years environment. For example, which materials and resources best provoke an interest within the children? How do we explore and teach about diverse cultures and traditions in a concrete way, which may be truly meaningful to very small children? What tools do we have available to help us introduce and instill these huge and important ideals without them becoming over-complicated or confusing? When seeking inspiration, I do as I believe we always should: I look to the children. Every child who enters a nursery arrives with their own unique and varied background and experience, which provides an excellent starting point. What better way to introduce and explore different cultures than to take the lead from the children themselves, by gathering their cultural and familial stories and traditions, and allowing them to become our teachers?
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Children can become our teachers through their varied cultures and national traditions, such as the Bulgarian ‘Baba Marta’ custom of hanging red and white string bracelets (Martenitsi) from blossoming trees to welcome in spring
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May 20 20 27
VOICE of the TEACHER
I believe it is of utmost importance to support children to embrace diversity, to learn from one another and to create a community in which they all belong
First-hand experiences It’s truly moving to see the natural joy with which the children experience and engage in each other’s traditions, and how deep their levels of involvement are when given these first-hand experiences. Montessori strove to promote the concept of each and every one of us belonging to one race - the human race - and I think it is of utmost importance that we strive to live in a society which enables us to immerse young children in diversity-rich environments, and to provide them with this fantastic opportunity to learn from one another. The setting in which I teach is a beautiful and very multicultural Montessori nursery in North London. The school is a buzzing microcosm of a global community, with children from every corner of the globe working, learning and growing alongside one another; sharing languages, cultural traditions and religious celebrations. The children discover first-hand the differences and similarities between their home lives and that of their friends. They work and play harmoniously and cohesively, delighting in the variety of race, gender and religion among them. I see it as our duty, as educators and custodians of Montessori’s values and vision, to support this connection and to strengthen these bonds. This will 28 May 2020
enable the children to deepen their understanding of, and compassion for, one another, so that it extends beyond the nursery walls and out into the world at large. I believe it is of utmost importance to support children to embrace diversity, to learn from one another and to create a community in which they all belong.
We must learn to view the world through the eyes of the child, particularly in times of global
C h i l d r e n a s i n s p i r at i o n In this time of global uncertainty and division, may we always look to the children as our true inspiration. May we view the world through their eyes, may we embrace customs other than our own with the open-minded fascination and joy of the child, and may we forever greet our neighbours with the voice of the child, the voice of compassion, the voice of humility and the voice of love. We all have so much to learn, and it is sometimes incredibly useful to remind ourselves that we are never the only teachers in the room. Montessori said that, “within the child lies the fate of the future” (Montessori, 1966: 208), and I personally think that the future couldn’t be in better hands.
uncertainty
Kate Unsworth is Deputy Manager at Unity Montessori Nursery School in London, the UK
References l Montessori,
M. (1966) The Secret of Childhood New York: The Random
House Publishing Group l Montessori,
M. (1989) The Child, Society and the World Oxford: ABC-Clio
l Montessori
Centre International (MCI) (2013) Module 10 Knowledge and
Understanding of the World London: MCI
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
PHOTOGRAPH: @mylittlemontessorian
tree, and said: “Look Mummy, Baba Marta!” I looked up and saw two small wooden dolls wrapped in red and white yarn hanging in the tree. “Oh yes,” I said. “Good spotting!” We then paused for a while to discuss the dolls before continuing on our way. For those of you not familiar with Baba Marta, it is a beautiful Bulgarian tradition marking the beginning of spring. ‘Grandmother March’ arrives on March 1, and people exchange red and white string bracelets (Martenitsi) and hang small yarn dolls in trees, which remain there until the first blossom of spring appears. I first heard about Baba Marta a couple of years ago, when a little Bulgarian girl in my class introduced me and her friends to the celebration, gifting bracelets and sharing the traditional folktale of the coming of spring. Since then, we have incorporated Baba Marta into our cultural curriculum and each year at the beginning of March, all the children engage in making Martenitsa and wish each other, “Chestita Baba Marta!” (Happy Baba Marta).
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MONTESSORI INSIGHT
Why truth matters
Children need honesty and support to cope with difficult life events such as divorce and death, says Anastasia Higginbotham 30 May 2020
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Children show us who they are and how they’re coping during periods of crisis and instability, but we have to first acknowledge that their lives are real, right now, already
Montessori International (MI): Why do you believe the themes on which you’ve written need addressing and exploring with children? Anastasia Higginbotham (AH): If it’s happening to us, it’s happening to them. We need to let them in on the secret that we’re so bad at hiding, which is that death, loss, upheaval, injustice, and the possibility of transformation are part of every life. Coping with that is what we’re all learning to do, all of the time. Children show us who they are and how they’re coping during periods of crisis and instability, but we have to first acknowledge that their lives are real, right now, already. The only thing that’s waiting for them in adulthood is the slow process of trying to understand what happened or didn’t happen in childhood.
ILLUSTRATIONS: all by the author
MI: To what extent do you think that your books help the child to develop a voice about the themes you explore, particularly around developing their emotional well-being and resilience, and learning to self-regulate their emotions? AH: I want every child to believe that they are real and that their lives are important. I put just enough imagery on the page to conjure a world that looks like a place where they can imagine themselves existing in an ordinary way, on an ordinary day. I hope that they look at the illustrations on the pages and think that it could be their bed, their window, their grandmother’s hands, their tree to lean against when they feel unsteady, and their trusted adult to speak to about difficult issues that confuse them. MI: How do you prepare and research a new theme for a book? For example, how do you capture the voice and thoughts of the child and the questions they may have? AH: I have conversations with children, but mostly I remember childhood. It never left me, and I’ll never get over it. Not that my childhood was bad - it wasn’t. It was ordinary, wonderful and terrible, and everything in between. But I never grew out of my sense of outrage at the ways adults lie to, tease, and laugh at children constantly, particularly when they laugh about stuff that’s not funny to a child, or when they get really angry and vicious about stuff that a child finds really funny, or that doesn’t matter, or is none of the adults’ business anyway. I always adored adults who treated children with respect, and hated the ones who didn’t. Ironically, I
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get incredibly overwhelmed by kids’ appetite for attention, information, and permission, which is no doubt a long-term effect of my own childhood. My books actually give me a framework for (be)holding all these needs in one place. MI: To what extent do you believe that it often takes courage to take on sensitive conversations around your book themes? AH: I am afraid every time I read one of my books to children. I wonder whether I’m making them sadder about their parents’ divorce, or scared that one might be coming; whether it will be the first time that they’re hearing that we all die eventually; whether my book about sex alerts them to the fact that they are being abused, and whether or not they have the kind of support they need to deal with that; and if my book about racism puts them in touch with their instincts about justice, but alienates them from their families. But I find courage to read my books to children when reflecting on the importance of exploring these important issues with them. MI: You address children’s trauma in such a compassionate way - not glazing over Iraq, but walking alongside it. How can we be caring to children in our own brokenness? AH: This is a really tender question you ask, and you tucked the answer right inside it. We get to know our own brokenness and walk alongside the child as ourselves, allowing them to become who they are. As adults, we can lean on other adults, as well as nature, music, art, movement and whatever is medicine to us, so we’re in good shape to receive the children, however and whoever they are. I want my own kids and the kids who experience my books to know that there is no trouble that I can’t bear to see. I can take it. Even if it blows my hair back for a second, I want to be still sitting there when the smoke clears so they know, this isn’t the worst thing that ever happened and, even if it is, look, she’s still there and I’m not alone. MI: What is the importance of talking to young children about race in all-white settings? AH: For as long as the idea of race has been used to justify outrageous crimes committed by white people (individual May 20 20
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MONTESSORI INSIGHT
Helping white children to engage with racism in A Book About Whiteness
and institutional, driven by malice and indifference), the entire burden of learning to cope with racism has been shouldered by the children whom racism targets. So, at the exact moment when racism is raining down on black and brown children, they’re expected to learn what it is and how to navigate it, as well as develop a tolerance for it, resist it, transform it, and survive it. Meanwhile, no one is even telling white children that racist injustice is happening, has been happening, and will continue to happen - unless we stop it. It is only by white people taking racism personally and teaching our children that their role and responsibility is to undo what should never have been done in the first place, that we can offer white children their best and only chance at liberation from white supremacy - mind, body, and spirit. Children never consented to uphold this injustice, so they need the knowledge to enable them to make informed decisions about how to respond to it. MI: Why should we talk to children about same-sex families in communities that claim their faith opposes these? AH: We need to ensure that children don’t grow up despising queerness and their own desires, and possibly themselves. If their family’s faith includes opposing or condemning same-sex and same-gender relationships and sexuality, then the entire doctrine that this faith is based on must be called into question. To love the sinner and hate the sin is still to hate. How is a child supposed to develop a healthy, holistic concept of sexuality when they 32 May 2020
Death Is Stupid explores the important themes of loss
are raised to believe that God may see them as vile, maladjusted or mistaken and in need of forgiveness? Regardless of how and if they experience sexual attraction, that approach kills desire before it can even show itself, and makes authentic choices and consent impossible. We either tell children that they’re divine as they are, always and already, even as they change and change again, or we leave them guessing. The stakes are that high. MI: Why is it important for educators and parents not to berate themselves if they feel they’ve got their approach wrong until now? AH: I love that you asked this question! We must never beat ourselves up for taking the wrong approach, and instead question why we ever convinced ourselves that what we were doing was right in the first place. A gentler approach is perhaps for us to tune into the most important thing in our lives and take responsibility for our approach to whatever this may be, then through trial and error, practise becoming the person we were destined to become, and do the things that we were destined to be doing. I think our children appreciate seeing what evolution looks like in real time, which involves them
How is a child supposed to develop a healthy, whole sexuality when they are raised to believe that God may see them as vile, maladjusted or mistaken? Monte ssori I nter nati o nal
Death Is Stupid aims to help children to recognise and manage their feelings
watching us listening, paying attention, re-centring and relaxing, so we can understand better. That said, there is tremendous value in grieving what we didn’t know we were doing wrong, and grieving the harm we caused, or failed to interrupt. That’s a life’s work, though. We can only practise, and see what shifts. MI: Which new themes do you plan to explore, and think need addressing, in your future books, and why? AH: I’m currently making two books for a slightly older child audience. One is about a pre-teen child growing up in a very loving and connected non-nuclear family, who exists at the intersection of queerness, whiteness and blackness, and he’s better than alright. He’s loved, seen, heard, and known. When a woman at his mother’s church insults him in front of her, he reassures his mom, “She
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doesn’t know what she doesn’t know.” He also has an imaginary, but profound, conversation with Jesus Christ in which they work everything out about how deeply, passionately, and unconditionally the child is loved by all that is divine in the universe, forever and ever. The other book is about a child who has disclosed her older cousin’s incest abuse of her and wants to protect him from the consequences. Her mother and teenage sister circle round her and help her to endure the loss of what was once a special relationship, and the confusion she feels about missing the person who messed everything up. Anastasia Higginbotham is an illustrator and author of the children’s book series, Ordinary Terrible Things
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MONTESSORI INSIGHT
Empowering children through childism We can transform lives by empowering children’s voices and challenging
I have been known to start a graduate course or conference presentation with the following question: “What percent of the current world population is women?” Almost everyone answers with a number around 50, 52, or 55. As Mao Zedong, the late, former leader of the Communist Party of China, once said, women “hold up half the sky”. I ask if anyone wants to give a different answer after showing a picture of my two daughters at the ages of two and 16, and questioning whether or not they are women. Finally, I tell them that the actual answer is 35, and that the current global population is roughly a third women, a third men, and, using the United Nations definition, a third children under the age of 18. The point of this exercise is to demonstrate how easily young people are erased from our collective thinking. Even if we work with children, study children, or in fact are children, children’s experiences, voices, and even existences are easily discounted. All too often, they are pushed out to societies’ invisible margins. They are just about every country’s poorest group, and are regularly exploited, dominated, under-supported, and unheard. Childism Childism stands as an effort to overcome this kind of engrained adult-centrism, so often built into our shared assumptions and practices. I define childism as the empowerment of children by challenging and transforming social norms. It is essentially feminism for children. Indeed, it has much the same foe: patriarchalism, or the dominance of the pater or father. Or, as it may be called, ageism or adultism. Childism is a lens or tool for educators, activists, parents, and researchers to critique 34 May 2020
age biases, by placing young people’s diverse lived experiences at the centre, rather than the periphery, of social awareness. The idea for childism grew several years ago out of my work in the relatively new field of childhood studies. Childhood studies was founded in the 1980s as an interdisciplinary attempt to understand children and youth as complex social agents and social constructs. It wanted to understand children as beings, rather than becomings; persons in their own right, rather than just adults in development. The field is modelled on women’s studies. It lifts up historically suppressed experiences in all their complexity and diversity. What childism adds to childhood studies is a further ambition to apply children’s experiences to the critique of societal norms as a whole. Consider, for example, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg in Sweden beginning the Fridays for Future climate emergency movement, or Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, who founded a similar climate organisation in the United States when he was six years of age, or 10-year-old child union organisers in Bolivia, who won rights to children’s fair pay and worker protections. And then there are the teenage gun rights activists in Parkland, Florida, who changed adult consciences and policies, and the five-year-old children’s parliament members in India, who forced local governments to develop laws against spousal abuse, for disabled access to public buildings and much else. T r a n s f o r m i n g i m ag i n at i o n s On one level, these and millions of other children around the world are exercising their capacities for social voice and agency. But on another level, they are also Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
PHOTOGRAPH: Anders Hellberg
and transforming social norms, says Dr John Wall
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What childism adds to childhood studies is a further ambition to apply children’s experiences to the critique of societal norms as a whole
Children can be empowered, as demonstrated by Greta Thunberg of Sweden
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May 20 20 35
Children are in many ways the world’s most ignored and silenced group
transforming broader thinking. Thunberg and Martinez show that climate change is not being addressed effectively, in large part because adults do not understand the issue’s urgency as deeply as do children, who face its longer-term effects. Bolivian children demonstrate that the international community should not simply ban all child labour, as is current United Nations policy, but consider the needs of impoverished children to work openly under fair and non-exploitative conditions. Meanwhile, Indian child parliamentarians help clarify the costs of domestic violence and public discrimination on communities. In order to really improve children’s lives, it is not enough for adults simply to provide them passive aid and protection. Nor will it work to only allow children the same agency and voices as currently enjoyed by adults. What ultimately is required are ways to enable children’s experiences to uncover adult-centrism and expand our shared imaginations. Children’s inclusion This shift in thinking is akin to the change advocated in third-wave feminism, which seeks not only gender equality, but also more female-oriented ways of understanding gender equality in the first place. It is also much like critical race theory, which aims not so much for race-blindness as for a critique of whiteness that can emancipate racial diversity. Children are a social group who, as children, are dominated and sidelined by adults. Their inclusion and well-being depend on changing deeply held social assumptions. My own work has focused on children’s rights to vote. The general belief is that children should not vote because they lack adult political competence. But a childist perspective suggests that the deficiency lies not in children, but in present democracies, which after all are supposed to stand for rule by the people. Voting has changed its meaning many times over history, as it has been extended in turn to non-aristocrats, landowners, the poor, minorities, and women. Now it needs to transform again into what I call a proxy-claim vote. Every child is owed a proxy vote through parents, which they should then be able to claim for themselves at any time they wish. 36 May 2020
I, and others in academia and activism, including many children’s groups, have for some time been fighting for ageless, and therefore universal, suffrage.
Girls’ voices in Africa are helping to introduce
empowering young voices Other researchers have used the lens of childism to explain how girls’ voices in Africa and elsewhere introduce new ways of understanding kinship and culture. Children’s local councils and parliaments have been shown not just to mimic adult practices, but also to develop new methods of grassroots and communal policymaking. American historical slave literature takes on new meanings when viewed through the lens of its previously ignored child characters. Legal studies have developed childist criticisms of international migration law and human rights conventions. Childism has also started to gain some traction in education. It has helped in understanding - in ways resonant with Montessori philosophies - how preschoolers
new ways of understanding kinship and culture
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
MONTESSORI INSIGHT
References lA lanen,
L. (2011) Critical childhood studies?
Childhood, 18(2), pp147-150 lB ath,
C. and Rauni, K. (2016) The ignored citizen:
young children’s subjectivities in Swedish and English early childhood education settings, Childhood, 23(4), pp554-565 lB urman,
E. (2018) Child as method: Anticolonial
implications for educational research. International Studies in the Sociology of Education, 40(2), pp1–23 lD uane, A.M.
(2017) Child Slavery before and after
Emancipation: An Argument for Child-Centered Slavery Studies New York: Cambridge University Press lF ranck,
O (2017) Highlighting ethics, subjectivity
and democratic participation in sustainability education: challenges and contributions. In Franck, O. and Osbeck, C. eds., Ethical Literacies and Education for Sustainable Development: Young People, Subjectivity and Democratic Participation New York: Palgrave Macmillan lJ ames, A., Jenks,
C., and Prout, A. (1998) Theorising
Childhood Cambridge: Polity Press lJ oosen, V.
(2013) The adult as foe or friend?: Childism
PHOTOGRAPH: istock
in Guus Kuijer’s criticism and fiction International
are not only shaped by, but also themselves actively shape, teaching-learning processes, pedagogy, and classroom environments. It is being used in a study of how Australian schools handle sex abuse and other ethical issues. It provides a mechanism for rethinking children’s education rights as oriented not just to the skills of adulthood, but also to the empowerment of children. It could also provide ways to direct education policy away from utilitarian foci on outcomes and toward centralising the voices, lives, circumstances, and experiences of those being educated. Children are in many ways the world’s most ignored and silenced group. A new childism is critical for exposing deeply held adultist biases, and empowering young people’s voices and experiences to transform everyone’s lives for the better.
Research in Children’s Literature 6(2), pp205–217 lP arker, J.F (2017)
Valuable and Vulnerable: Children
in the Hebrew Bible, especially the Elisha Cycle Providence, RI: Brown Judaic Studies lS undhall, J.
(2017) A political space for children? The
age order and children’s right to participation Social Inclusion, 5(3), pp164-171 lW adsworth,
S. (2015) The year of the child: children’s
literature, childhood studies, and the turn to childism American Literary History, 27(2), pp331-341 lW all, J.
(2010) Ethics in Light of Childhood Lanham,
MD: Georgetown University Press lW all, J.
( 2016). Children’s Rights: Today’s Global
Challenge Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield lW all, J.
(2019) From childhood studies to childism:
reconstructing the scholarly and social imaginations Children’s Geographies, 17(6), pp1-15 lW arming,
H. (2019) Trust and power dynamics in
children’s lived citizenship and participation: the
John Wall, PhD, is Professor and Chair of
case of public schools and social work in Denmark
Philosophy, Religion and Childhood Studies
Children & Society, 33(4), pp333-346
at Rutgers University-Camden
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
May 20 20 37
Course of action In the conclusion of our two-part action research special, Julie Compton explores child-centred methodology and some of her students’ project work It is widely agreed that research methods involving young children should be “inclusive, respectful and beneficial” to them (McInnes, 2018, no page). As part of their study of how children’s feelings of “belonging” and “citizenship” can be supported in early years settings through the process of action research, Nutbrown and Clough (2009: 197) describe a wide range of projects undertaken by practitioners in collaboration with young children, such as: lC hanging the toilet area, so that children who said they were frightened feel more at ease; lO ffering children healthier mid-morning snacks; lC onsulting children on new all‐weather clothing that needed to be purchased; l I ntroducing persona dolls (dolls designed with their own unique personas, and used by teachers to help children to explore themes including empathy, inclusion, equality and diversity), to help children learn more about other children’s lives; l I ntroducing baby signing, to give babies more autonomy and to help communicate their needs and wants (see page 6). F o u n dat i o n d eg r e e Students studying for the Montessori Centre International (MCI) Foundation Degree in Montessori Early Childhood Practice are introduced to practitioner action research at level 5 of their studies. The majority of students are employed in early years settings; others establish a professional relationship with a setting, which then hosts their placement for the duration of the academic year. A mentor is nominated in each setting to provide ongoing support and to act as a witness to the research. The development of team working skills is considered to be an essential part of students’ ongoing professional journey, which is supported by the collaborative nature of action research (Kemmis and McTaggart, 2005: 266). As part of an ethical approach, students are required to demonstrate sensitivity and respect for the culture and ethos of the setting at all times. At the earliest opportunity, students are encouraged 38 May 2020
Examples of MCI Foundation Degree student-practitioner research projects: lC onsulting children on the purchase of play
equipment to meet the needs of babies lF acilitating children’s interest in superhero play lE nhancing technology provision lC reating a book hospital, to support children’s
interest in care of the environment lR efurbishing and thereafter developing an
outdoor mud kitchen
to share details of their action research report assignment with all participants, to invite their participation, and to keep them informed at each stage of the research process. From the inception of the project, students engage in a range of ethical considerations to ensure that potential harm to participants is minimised (ERIC, 2013), starting by obtaining ongoing informed consent. Each student develops their action research project in two phases. In the first semester, they embark on a listening project, generating data from children and practitioners (and, if possible, parents and carers) to coconstruct a picture of “what it’s like to be here” (Clark and Moss, 2011). Working in partnership with parents and carers is a desired component of the project, although it is acknowledged that, depending on each setting’s policies, access can sometimes be limited. G e n e r at i n g data Students are encouraged to engage in a range of methods to generate data. In addition to observation, semi-structured interviews and informal conversations involving children and adults, students are introduced to multiple methods adapted from the Mosaic approach, which views children as “experts in their own lives” (Clark and Moss, 2011). To maximise participation, methods are child-centred and frequently visual in design. Modes of enquiry that students explore to capture children’s voices include photography, video recording, 3D/junk modelling,
Facilitating children’s interest in superhero play is the focus of one student’s research project (see page 40)
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
M o n tessori X X X X X researc XX h
To maximise participation, methods are child-centred and frequently visual in design
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
May 20 20 39
Facilitating children’s interest in superhero play Observation, child consultations and semi-structured interviews
frequently by the majority of child participants as an item of the
were some of the methods used to good effect in this level 5
utmost importance: they constituted the symbol of the superhero.
action research project, focused on ways to facilitate “war, weapon
In response, the student designed a collection of capes
and superhero play” (Holland, 2003) in the setting. During child
for use in the setting, choosing fabrics that attempted to reflect
consultations, rich verbal descriptions conveyed the significance
children’s descriptions. Following their introduction, the capes
of this kind of play in the children’s lives, which occurred
were in almost continual use. Children sought them out upon
predominantly in the home.
arrival, wearing them proudly as they engaged with a range of
Practitioners understood the need to facilitate children’s choices around different modes of play and creative expression, while acknowledging that a degree of tension exists around permitting this activity in the setting. Additional visual methods were employed to gain an insight into children’s perspectives, including junk modelling sessions,
resources during their morning work cycle. Apparently, wearing a cape was enough to fulfil their need to be a superhero. In consultation with children, ground rules around superhero play were re-established, with much of it taking place in the outdoor environment, as before. Practitioners
which resulted in the creation of masks, wands and other
reflected on their own attitudes, and
superhero signifiers.
began to adjust their expectations
During data analysis, the student realised that children’s descriptions of superheroes revealed a particular interest in capes, which were referred to
puppets, role play, small world play, tally charts, child-led tours, drawing and the construction of maps. After another round of consultation with participants, the enquiry is narrowed to an area of provision that might benefit from a small change. This is intended to reflect the interests and views of the children, as well as the needs of the setting. It should be manageable and feasible in terms of its implementation, taking into account the time-bound nature of the placement assignment. At this stage, students embark on a mini literature review, to explore current understandings of theory and practice focused on their area of change. During the second semester, students implement the small change, encouraging participation by both children and adults. Through their involvement in a cycle of enquiry and action, students are encouraged to reflect on the process of change (for themselves and for the setting), taking into account participant feedback during and after 40 May 2020
and assumptions around safety, risk management and the scope for learning in the context of this type of play.
the implementation, including recommendations for further action. It is anticipated that more than one small change may occur, often in quick succession, reflecting the responsive, dynamic nature of early years practice, and the iterative spiral that is characteristic of action research. Complexities Gallacher and Gallagher (2008: 511) remind us of the “necessarily complex, incomplete and messy process” of social research (with children and with adults), and how participants’ unexpected actions can provide new insights and potentially useful data. Students are reminded that there is no one right way to conduct insider/practitioner research, particularly in early years settings where innovative methods are continually developed in response to children’s diverse needs and levels of engagement. Not all children respond to verbal consultations, nor will all children engage in so-called child-centred Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
M o n tessori researc h
Students are reminded that there is no one right way to conduct insider/practitioner research, particularly in early years settings
methods. Students are encouraged to maintain a reflexive approach (Kemmis and McTaggart, 2005: 266), which includes challenging their own assumptions about what children can and can’t do and, as in all research, reflect on the part that they play in shaping the methodology and outcomes.
PHOTOGRAPHS: Porapak Apichodilok/PEXELS
critical friends To meet learning outcomes for their action research report, and as part of a process of critical reflection on their practice, students are required to evidence engagement with their “critical friends” (Costa and Kallick, 1993). Critical friends are student peers within students’ assigned “critical friend group” (CFG), and/or colleagues in their placement settings. To engage with student peers, students use the Critical Friends Protocol (Storey and Richard, 2015), which is a tool that provides a structured framework for offering/receiving constructive feedback in six steps, involving listening; questioning; warm and cool feedback; discussion; and challenge-setting. Engaging in the protocol has provided students with mutual support in developing their action research projects. Students have described the process as crucial, inspirational, invaluable, proactive and reassuring, and useful for providing an external perspective, to deepen their understanding and validate their works-in-progress. professional development In General Comment 12 of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, it is stressed that children’s participation cannot be viewed as a “one-off ” event, rather it is an ongoing process that represents an “intense exchange between children and adults on the development of policies, programmes and measures in all relevant contexts of children’s lives” (CRC, 2009: 5). Engaging in small-scale action research provides an opportunity for early years practitioners to embed children’s meaningful participation into daily practice, and to engage in an ongoing cycle of enquiry, reflection and action. It can also offer the possibility of introducing and/ or developing what Rodd (2006: 210 in Hayes et al., 2014: 193) describes as “a research culture … an environment in which intellectual interest and scientific curiosity exist and are evident.” Just over 110 years ago, Montessori concluded The Mo nte sso ssorr i Inte I nte r n at i o na nall
Montessori Method with these words: “It is my hope that starting from the individual study of the child educated with our method, other educators will set forth the results of their experiments” (Montessori, 1909/1964: 373 in Sackett, 2016: 18). What better way for early years practitioners to take Montessori’s legacy forward into the twenty-first century than to take the lead on conducting research in their own settings, to “set forth the results of their experiments” and to bring about meaningful change for the benefit of the children in our care? Julie Compton is an Academic Lecturer at Montessori Centre International
Key references lC lark, A.
and Moss, P. (2011) Listening to Children: The Mosaic Approach, 2nd
edn. London: NCB lC osta, A.
and Kallick, B. (1993) Through the lens of a critical friend
Educational Leadership, 51(2), pp49-51 lF ook, J.
(2010) Beyond reflective practice: reworking the ‘critical’ into
critical reflection. In H. Bradbury et al., eds., Beyond Reflective Practice: New Approaches to Professional Lifelong Learning London: Routledge lH ayes,
C. (2014) Reflection and change. In C. Hayes, J. Daly, M. Duncan, R.
Gill and A. Whitehouse, Developing as a Reflective Early Years Professional: A Thematic Approach Northwich: Critical Publishing, pp185-203 lH olland,
P. (2003) We Don’t Play with Guns Here: War, Weapon and Superhero
Play in the Early Years Maidenhead: Open University Press lK emmis,
S. and McTaggart, R. (2005) Participatory action research:
communicative action and the public sphere. In N. Denzin, N. and Y. Lincoln, eds., The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage, pp559-603 lK emmis,
S., McTaggart, R. and Retallick, J. (2004) The Action Research
Planner, 2nd ed. Karachi: Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development lM cInnes,
K. (2018) Child-friendly research in the early years. [online] The
BERA Blog. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/child-friendlyresearch-in-the-early-years lM ontessori, lR inaldi,
M. (2007) Education and Peace Amsterdam: Montessori-Pierson
C. (2008) Dialogues on education: professors and students
international study tour Loris Malaguzzi International Center, March 1-5, Reggio Emilia, Italy [transcribed lecture] lS torey, V.A.
and Richard, B. (2015) The role of the critical friend in supporting
institutional change: developing a collaborative environment Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 7(2), pp412-428 For a full list of references, visit: https://bit.ly/May2020ref
May 20 20 41
VOICE of the STUDENT
A group lesson on world languages
Slow and simple Learning to slow down and focus on what’s important has been key for Martha Bodnar during her Montessori training
PHOTOGRAPH: Amy Newhall
I decided to train as a Montessori guide for many reasons. I grew up in a Montessori household, my mother has been a Montessori guide for more than 20 years, I attended a Montessori school from three to five years of age, and I grew up knowing that I wanted to be a teacher from my experiences at that school. But it took many years of soul-searching and struggling to connect with ‘traditional’ methods of learning before I found my way to my mother’s Montessori school, where I took a job as an assistant teacher. Being back in a Montessori classroom brought back all those childhood memories of how wonderful learning can be, and rekindled my desire to be a teacher. a strong pull It was perhaps unsurprising that I have felt a strong pull towards education, given that I grew up with a mother who taught in a Montessori school, and who did her best to provide me with a strong sense of independence and exploration. I grew up in the country, on a plot of land with 36 acres in which to roam and explore, and I was given pretty much free rein to follow my curiosities and
42 May 2020
find myself through the natural world. But I think that it was when I gave birth to my daughter three years ago, and picturing her future and the kind of parent that I wanted to be, that I felt the pull to go back to my Montessori roots. I felt a responsibility to give my daughter the best childhood that I could, which helped me to realise that it was the right time to further my understanding and practice of the Montessori approach by undertaking my training. Sense of security My partner had a year of college to finish in Denver, Colorado, in the United States, and so I chose the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies, also in Colorado, as it was the centre closest to where I’d be living. When I went to visit the school and meet the trainers, I almost immediately felt the same sense of security and support that I felt as a child in my Montessori classroom, and I knew right away that the Early Childhood course on which I subsequently enrolled would enrich my abilities as a Montessori guide. The workload was a huge challenge, especially with Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
PHOTOGRAPH: David McCormick
Martha marking her first day as a student teacher
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
May 20 20 43
PHOTOGRAPH: DAVID MCCORMICK
Martha and her daughter enjoying the outdoors
44 May 2020
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
VOICE of the STUDENT
One of my favorite things about the Montessori approach is giving children the time they need to find their voice
my two-year-old daughter at home. But I’ve learned to balance my time between being a mom and being a student, with the help of an incredible support system in the form of my fellow students, as well as my teachers. My director and lead teacher have been particularly helpful in reminding me that my training is a work in progress, and that my mistakes are my teachers. And, of course, my mother has been a huge help, as has the discovery within myself of a confident, eager student, which has been wonderfully euphoric. Best version of myself I am honoured to be a part of Maria Montessori’s incredible work. I have seen her successes in my own child, as well as the children I teach, as they grow, learn, explore, interact, and gain independence and confidence. The respect, love, and opportunities given to children through Montessori’s work has inspired me to be the best version of myself for my child, and for the children in my community. Since my training, I’ve found myself with an internal voice, always reminding me to take a step back, observe and reflect on what a child is doing. It’s a voice that reminds me to move out of the way and intervene in the child’s work only when it is absolutely necessary. I am constantly reminded to use a soft tone, and to lead by example. These little humans are our future, and they deserve the utmost respect. My hope is that the respect they experience and learn in their classroom will stay with them throughout their lives. My dream is to be a part of Montessori’s vision for peace, and a world created by people who understand and accept each other’s differences, rather than fearing them. Fostering growth I think anyone in the Montessori community can attest to the fact that Montessori education is truly incredible, and some might say almost magical, but it is also crucial in fostering the growth of children. In a world that is so attuned to adults and their needs, it is incredibly powerful to provide children with an environment that is theirs. By creating an environment with child-sized materials, we can enable the child to explore and gain confidence and independence in their own way. For me, to be able to be a Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
part of giving children the opportunity to grow in this way is a cherished gift. One of my favorite things about the Montessori approach is giving children the time they need to find their voice, which I believe involves helping them to understand their feelings, and guiding them in ways to share these in a kind and loving way. Knee benders I once heard someone refer to Montessori teachers as ‘knee benders’, which I thought was a perfect description. We should be lowering ourselves to the child’s level and helping them to feel like they are equals in their environment. It is so important to remember that our role is to guide, and to take the time to make sure that children feel heard. Every voice matters and every feeling is important, whether it is happy or sad. We learn something about each child with every interaction that we have with them. I think one thing that I have learned throughout my training is that I must remember to slow down and be present with each interaction. We encourage children to be independent, but sometimes they truly don’t have the words to express what they feel, so it’s our job to help guide them to an understanding of this through selfreflection and open-ended questions, such as, “I wonder...”. Diving deep into Montessori’s philosophy has opened my eyes and heart to so many new discoveries around child development, and myself as a guide. It is truly inspiring to read and learn how much respect and love Maria Montessori poured into her philosophy, particularly relating to how we should treat not just children, but each other. I believe we never stop growing and learning; we will always be students of life. This realisation, that I don’t have to know it all, and that I will learn so many things as I grow, has brought me great peace. I have been given the gift of growing alongside some incredible children, and know that I will learn just as much from them as they do from me. Martha Bodnar is an Assistant Teacher at EarthSong Community School in Lexington, Virginia, the United States
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PHOTOGRAPHS: Catherine McTamaney
46 May 2020
Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
VO I C E o f t h e PA R E N T
Round trip Catherine McTamaney discusses the inevitability of her Montessori journey and its impact on her parenting
Catherine with her two children, Che and Timberlake
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
I’m a Montessori kid. I was raised in a Montessori household. We talked about Montessori over dinner. My first job was as an art assistant in a Montessori school. Our house guests were mostly Montessorians. Noted Montessorians from around the world have seen me in my pyjamas. From the age of two through to adulthood, my mother’s work as a Montessori teacher and teacher educator wove its way seamlessly in and around, through and on top of our family life. I had no intention of being a Montessori teacher. A teacher, yes. A Montessori teacher, no way. That was my mother’s work. And so, filled with bravado and brashness, I set off to college to be a high school teacher (there weren’t any Montessori high schools in my city at the time). I taught in the public sector (there weren’t any public Montessori schools, either) and I would teach one subject area, six times a day to six different groups of students. I would teach as far from Montessori as I could be, and still be a teacher. Except. I’m a Montessori kid. I was raised in a Montessori household. We talked about Montessori over dinner. My first job was as an art assistant in a Montessori school. Our house guests were mostly Montessorians. Noted Montessorians from around the world have seen me in my pyjamas. From the age of two through to adulthood, my mother’s work as a Montessori teacher and teacher educator wove its way seamlessly in and around, through and on top of our family life. And so, as strong as my intention was to be something other than a Montessorian, I noticed things happening in my life as a high school English teacher with almost 100 students a day that seemed, well, distinctly Montessori. M o n t e s s o r i f e at u r e s My students celebrated the end of their unit on the Sophocles play, Oedipus Rex, with a viewing of a classic stage production of the story. One student prepared a homemade Greek meal for the class, while another prepared a cake designed to look like the tomb in the play. May 20 20 47
They burned incense, dressed in costume and huddled together in groups around the classroom, some at tables, some on the floor, and some on the bean bag chairs I’d brought to make the space feel more welcoming. My Principal poked her head in, accompanied by our Director of Schools, who was touring the school that morning, to see what we were doing. One of my students eagerly detailed the unit they’d finished, and the celebration they had planned. My students lingered in my classroom. They seemed to want to be there, despite all the lessons I’d learned about how hard it would be to motivate high school students. They pushed beyond our class requirements, and made connections I didn’t expect between what was in our texts and what they were learning elsewhere. They seemed hungry to think differently, and to have more say in making what they had to learn relevant and useful and connected to them. They performed well with the traditional assessments, but we seemed collectively to think of those as necessary evils, rather than end goals. Feedback from the Principal I should have been delighted. I was miserable. Because, despite my students’ successes, and despite the joy I took in being with them, I knew that what was happening in my classroom looked and felt different to what was happening outside. I was called to the Principal’s office for feedback. “I think you’d have fewer disciplinary issues,” she said, “if you wore a skirt more often, and maybe a little more makeup.” But I wasn’t having very many disciplinary issues. In fact, other teachers were sending their kids to me when things went awry. And I’ve never been great with makeup. Most of all, I knew that I was an outsider to the presumptions that were being made about kids in this public system in which I was working. And I feared that, in order to stay there long-term, I would either have to be one of those once-in-a-lifetime, world-changing teachers, or I was going to have to give up what I believed. I didn’t think I was the former, and I didn’t want to become the latter. 48 May 2020
Che and Timberlake enjoying time with Catherine’s mother
My mother called. “I just got off the phone with a young woman who has been offered a job at a Montessori preschool in Nashville, and she was asking about coming to New Jersey to do training with us this summer. But I don’t think she’s going to take the job, which means that there’s an opening at that school. Maybe you should look at it. No pressure.” My Montessori household It’s been twenty-five years since that summer. I have been a Montessori teacher, a teacher educator, a parent educator, and a head of school. I’ve written for the Montessori community, and I’ve spoken around the world about Montessori. And, most importantly, I’ve shared most of that last twenty-five years with two people who, like me, started as Montessori kids in a Montessori household. When they were younger, my children’s experience living in the Montessori way was easier to define. They Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
VO I C E o f t h e PA R E N T
Timberlake as
I hold gratitude for the ways in which Montessori has helped me to understand them better
a newborn
them would call themselves ‘Montessorians’, although I know that they, like I was at their age, are aware of their mother’s work, and eager to forge their own paths. My son intends to be a pastor, my daughter a teacher in performing arts. They will both, undoubtedly, come to find their own language to describe what they cherish, what they abhor, how they see the world, and how they see themselves in it. Che busy developing his fine motor skills with a screwdriver
woke happily from their Montessori floor beds, and dressed from the clothes hanging low in their closets. They poured their own milk from jugs on the bottom shelf of the fridge. They attended Montessori school during the day, and came home to hang their own coats and help pack their own lunches in their Montessori home each night. But, just as it was harder for me to see Montessori in my own life as I grew, it’s harder to point to the external ways in which I’ve raised my children as Montessori kids since those days of their early childhood. They’ve both been encouraged to follow their own interests, but not without a foundation of rigorous thinking. They’re both interested in the arts, in community, and in service, as lived experiences in our family. I don’t know if either of Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
Where Montessori leads Because at the end of all of it, with three generations and counting of Montessori’s influence in my home, that’s where this theory ultimately leads us. Not to a definition of a curriculum, or a way of talking about reading instruction, or to a particular set of materials for math concepts, but to a lived experience of what we believe. We believe people are inherently good. We believe they are intrinsically motivated to learn. We believe they want to contribute to a community greater than themselves, and that, given an environment which protects those tendencies, we will, individually and collectively, grow toward a new humanity. My mother was attracted to Montessori as a teaching method. She, like Maria Montessori herself, came to realise that this pedagogy held promise for far more than the academic achievements it evokes, and so she dedicated her life to making it available for more children and more teachers. As a young teacher, I believed, too, that Montessori was a teaching method. I, too, needed my own experience in education to realise that it was far more than that, to find my way home. As my children become adults with their own agency to define their work, their values and their lives, I hold gratitude for the ways in which Montessori has helped me to understand them better, and great hope for the ways in which Montessori will be reflected in their lives. Named or not, it’s in our blood. Catherine McTamaney is Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College
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Spreading the Montessori love Simone Davies shares her joy at bringing the Montessori approach into children’s daily lives through her expanding business 50 May 2020
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By working with parents, we can encourage and support them to bring the Montessori approach into their daily lives, and benefit children around the clock
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Simone Davies
The gross motor activity area in Jacaranda Tree Montessori
Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
Montessori International (MI): What brought you to Montessori, and what prompted you to create a Montessori-based, parent-focused business? Simone Davies (SD): Like many Montessori teachers, I came to the Montessori approach through my own children. We were looking for a school for them, and visited a Montessori pre-school. I loved the prepared environment, so attractive and carefully prepared. The teachers were so kind and respectful to the children. And when I did an observation, I couldn’t believe how self-motivated and concentrated the children were. I started attending a Montessori playgroup with my son when he was 18 months old, and it had a big impact on the way I parented my own children. Consequently, I decided to train to become a Montessori teacher, and after undertaking my Montessori training in 2004 through Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), started working at the Montessori playgroup myself. By working with parents, we can encourage and support them to bring the Montessori approach into their daily lives and benefit children around the clock. I worked in a Montessori nursery for two years after moving to Amsterdam, but I soon missed working with parents and so I decided to start my own parent-child classes under the name, Jacaranda Tree Montessori. That was back in 2008. Since then, I continue to add May 20 20 51
M o n t e ss o r i e n t r e p r e n e u r
I still don’t consider myself an author more a teacher who wrote a book
different resources to my business, to help parents around the world to bring Montessori into their homes. These include my blog, my online courses, my Instagram page (@themontessorinotebook) and most recently, my podcast, The Montessori Notebook.
The Montessori Toddler print edition
The Montessori Notebook
MI: Why did you crowdfund your first book? SD: I had an idea that the way I might be able to help families the most would be to write a book about Montessori for toddlers, answering all the questions I get asked the most. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested, and didn’t want to end up with an attic full of books, so I thought the best way to test the idea would be to see if people would like to pre-order a copy through Kickstarter. In the two-week Kickstarter campaign, I received over 1,000 pre-orders for the book, and with this money I paid the illustrator, printer, shipping and all my upfront costs. The Montessori Toddler was published six months later.
podcast
MI: How did you feel about its success? SD: I have been extremely humbled by the book’s success. It’s now being published by a US publisher, is available in bookstores, libraries and on Amazon as a paperback and an audio book, and is being translated into over 20 languages. It’s been a wonderful way for Maria Montessori’s philosophy to spread around the globe. 52 May 2020
Many people have written to me to tell me how the book has changed the way that they understand their toddler, while others tell me that they purchased it for family members to help develop their understanding of the Montessori approach, or that they have given it to their friends who are having babies. I still don’t consider myself an author - more a teacher who wrote a book. I’m just delighted to be able to spread some peace and positivity in this way. MI: What can you tell us about your second book, and how does your approach to writing compare with your previous experience? SD: In some ways, writing the books is the same, and in other ways the process is very different. For the first book, I worked mostly by myself and collaborated very closely with Hiyoko Imai, the book designer and illustrator. We had an amazing editor, but that was it. After a year, the book was bought by a US publisher. I am currently co-writing a second book (about pregnancy and the first year) and a third book (from pre-school age children to teenagers), both with Junnifa Uzodike, a Nigerian Montessori teacher and AMI board member. The process is much the same in the writing phase: Junnifa and I write in a surprisingly similar way, and we review and edit each other’s writing. But then the publisher Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
Montessori friends, and I’m a member of a number of Montessori Facebook groups, but my favourite mentor has to be my friend, Debbie Reber, who I chat with once a week. She provides support to neuro-atypical children, and we give each other support, too. MI: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement to date? SD: I honestly feel happiest in my classroom, working with children and their families. Seeing the children waiting to come into the classroom, not wanting to leave at the end, and seeing families change while coming to classes, is the thing I’m most proud of.
will find the illustrator that they want to use, arrange the book layout and design, and do the final edit. The publisher also helps with the book launch, and with pre-selling the book into bookstores and onto Amazon, so I’ll have a lot more help with these two books.
Spaces for creativity and activities of everyday living in
PHOTOGRAPHS: Simone Davies, PORTRAIT: Rubianca Simmelsgaard
Jacaranda Tree
MI: What was the driver behind your decision to produce the podcasts? SD: I’ve been an avid podcast listener for years, and have learned so much from this medium, that I’ve been wanting to put together a podcast to help inspire families to bring Montessori into their homes for some time. By having conversations with Montessori friends and families, the podcast gives listeners a deep insight into how others apply Montessori principles on the go. MI: What guidance or support from friends/business partners/mentors has supported you on your journey to success? SD: I have met so many kind people over the years, from Judi Orion, my AMI trainer, and Ferne van Zyl, who I first worked with in Sydney, to Heidi Phillipart-Alcock, who I worked with in Amsterdam. I tend to enjoy working mostly by myself, but it’s always been helpful to bounce ideas off of friends. I’ve also had ad hoc online meet-ups with Mo nte sso r i Inte r n at i o na l
Montessori
MI: What would you advise young Montessori graduates wishing to share their commitment to children with the wider society and parents? SD: I think that everyone has a unique way of working with the Montessori approach, so I would advise students to find the thing that they love to do. This may be working in the home with families, in a school setting, in a playgroup, with the elderly or inter-generational work, as a consultant, or perhaps online. Whatever they love doing, their joy will help others and it will keep spreading the Montessori love. MI: What can you tell us about your plans for your business in the year ahead? SD: This year, my youngest daughter will be turning 18 and finishing school in the summer, so I am mostly enjoying being with her while she is still at home. I’ll also be in my classroom, doing some book writing, running parent workshops in Amsterdam, recording more podcasts, working on my monthly newsletters, and sharing what I’m learning in any way that seems fun. I just hope that it will be helpful to others. Simone Davies is founder of Jacaranda Tree Montessori in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, author of The Montessori Toddler and creator of The Montessori Notebook podcast
May 20 20 53
OB I T UA RY
Phyllis celebrating 90 with her MBE and medal from the Pope
Phyllis Wallbank, MBE She pioneered Montessori education in the UK after founding the
PHOTOGRAPH: PHYLLIS WALLBANK EDUCATIONAL TRUST
country’s first all-age Montessori school in her sitting room Educationalist Phyllis Wallbank, MBE, has died aged 101. She helped to put Montessori education firmly on the British map after founding the first all-age Montessori school in the UK, Gatehouse Learning Centre, in 1948. She started the school with just eight children in the sitting room of the rectory in which she lived with her husband, Reverend Newell Wallbank. Phyllis was born in 1918 and grew up in Sudbury Hill in Harrow, London, with her parents and two elder siblings, a sister and a brother. Her lifelong career in education started at age 18 with a three-year Froebel course, which she studied part-time while working in the kindergarten of her school, Lady Margaret’s. She went on to study child psychology at London University in the
54 May 2020
evenings while working as a child probation officer for Buckinghamshire County Council. Frustration with the state school system, which she believed was failing children’s ability to thrive, led to Phyllis attending one of Maria Montessori’s lectures, embarking on a Montessori training course and then founding her own school, now called Gatehouse School, where she was headmistress for 32 years. It was around this time that Phyllis became close friends with Maria, who then invited her to lecture for her and become an examiner for her courses. Phyllis, who had three children of her own, went on to serve as Chairman of the Montessori Association in England and Vice-President of Association Montessori Internationale. Monte ssori Inter nati o nal
Montessori International
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Issue 128 – MAY 2020