Nurturing Diverse Communities
Montessori is a global movement. Dr. Montessori herself traveled extensively while teaching teachers from her native country of Italy to North America, later to Spain, England, India, and the Netherlands. Today, her schools are thriving on every major continent. Early childhood teachers also tend to be a more diverse group of professionals than educators of older students and adults. Just in the last few years at Bozeman Montessori, for example, we have been privileged to work with teachers who have roots in Asia, South America, South Africa, and all over the United States. Honoring diversity at Bozeman Montessori is vital to ensuring that everyone who walks through our doors feels seen and valued and that children are able to learn about other cultures and people with backgrounds different than their own.
Montessori wrote: “The needs of mankind are universal. Our means of meeting them create the richness and diversity of the planet. The Montessori child should come to relish the texture of that diversity.”
Montessori classrooms that emphasize diversity from the beginning expose students to new perspectives on how different people celebrate the changing seasons around us – both reflected in nature and in the different epochs of human development. These perspectives may lead to deeper discussions in the classrooms or around the dinner table at home. When we incorporate diversity in the classroom, we help prepare our students for the world they are entering – and the big, many-colored quilt of life.
Diversity in the classroom not only means understanding that each child or family brings unique experiences to share with their group but also utilizing these differences to enrich classroom life.
Let’s take a look at a few ways teachers can emphasize diversity in our classrooms.
Teach a Child, Not a Class
We believe that investing in relationships is the first step to creating an optimal learning environment, and those relationships are built individually and over time. Before a child can connect and bond with a new teacher as their guide, we invest in building a relationship based on trust and caring. Because we believe education and care go hand in hand, the relationship between the guide and the young child is incredibly important. It must be genuine, built on respect for the child as a spiritual being as much as a student, and carefully tended to over many quality experiences. After meeting a new family at the center, our teachers plan for a home visit to learn more about how to help a child enjoy their best start with us. Being curious about our children helps adults build deep and meaningful relationships, one child at a time. As we get to know a new family and their child, some helpful questions might include:
Where do our families in our classroom communities come from? What’s unique about their backgrounds? Does the child live in one home? Are grandparents helping raise the child? What learning styles and communication styles suit their individual personalities best? How do they approach meals, self-care, and sleep routines as a family? Are there other facets of a child’s story that are important to hold?
Here are a few ideas to start off strong:
Start from the Beginning: When a child enrolls in your program, be sure to include questions on the application about the family’s background and culture. When they come to visit the classroom, ask the family if they have any special interests they might like to share. During the home visit, allow for time for the parents to share about their family. During the first few weeks of the child’s attendance, align with co-teachers to be sure to greet the child and their family by name every day.
Make the Time: When you are presenting new lessons and activities with your children, notice how they respond and what they love. What are they curious about? For children starting to draw, what symbols do they include in their artwork? What books do they bring from home to share with their class? When you spend time chatting with your students, be intentional about learning about them. Not only will you learn a lot, but it will also help your students learn to trust your sincere interest in them, making it easier for them to open up and share.
Include Your Co-Teachers: Diversity in the classroom should be a center-wide initiative. How would your fellow teachers like to be involved? What special holidays in their own family traditions might they enjoy sharing? Where are we creating spaces to really listen to one another in a way that honors our profession? How are we modeling accepting differences with our co-workers who may come from different cultural backgrounds, teacher education programs and experiences than our own?
Observation leads to Activity: Montessori’s method is inextricably linked to her practice of observation. Student teachers complete regular, specific observation assignments as they apply the Montessori method to their classroom work. Once teachers have the opportunity to reflect upon their observations and resulting insights about the classroom community, the next step is to plan lessons and meaningful activities that nurture these unique attributes within the children and families.
A couple of other resources that may be helpful are from Western Governors University and the National Geographic Society.
We also want to offer the highest quality book choices on our classroom bookshelves that showcase the beautiful imagery and landscapes of different cultures. Some classrooms rotate through a different continent focus each month and display books that focus on one continent or country at a time. At Bozeman Montessori, we are informed by our continuing education workshops and we also consult with the local library staff to stay abreast of new selections. If you are looking to expand your collection or want to check out some books at your local library, check out this list of children’s picture books that celebrate diversity.
Celebrate Diverse Cultures
Montessori’s geography curriculum is unparalleled. After exploring land and water forms, some teachers start with an introduction to biomes, exploring what resources for food and shelter different climates and regions offer the people and animal life who live there. As we introduce different continents and cultures with hands-on materials, arts and crafts, cooking projects, and multicultural music, a Montessori classroom brings the aspects of the outside world inside the classroom with color and vibrancy. We especially love the music from Putumayo Kids.
While spending their days with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures in the classroom, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the nuances of the multi-textured world we live in today. It also sets the stage for children to use their own strengths and unique perspectives to contribute to a diverse classroom community. Celebrating diverse cultures on a regular basis is a way to go further:
Create intentional environments: An environment that meets the needs of young children helps them to feel safe, comfortable and understood. With this foundation, children are safe to express a desire to explore and be courageous in their learning. When well designed, environments enhance relationships and learning, especially when they facilitate movement, exploration, and appropriate challenges. Young children need to move, make choices and explore in ways that honor their backgrounds. And because we know that every environment tells a story, we want to be intentional about the story we tell. In short, an environment communicates through visual cues and other avenues to families and children: this is what this space is about and this is how we will be together here. A well-designed physical environment that is approachable and inviting immediately impacts a family’s and a child’s sense of belonging. Soft lighting and colors, comfy spaces to sit together, photos of families, and even a private place where mothers can breastfeed all can convey an intentional message that all are welcome. Our entryway at Bozeman Montessori also includes a Suggestion Box for parent ideas about how we can enhance our practices or environment, windows into the nearby classrooms so families can observe easily, and a large, soft chair where they can sit with their child if they want a few extra minutes before they say goodbye in the morning.
Teach Children About Different People Groups: From Martin Luther King Jr. to Rosa Parks, history is full of stories that our children need to know as they grow into cultural literacy. Finding age-appropriate ways to share some of our history within the context of our shared values of kindness and respect for all life starts even with young children.
Host Culturally Themed Events: Invite your students and their families to share about rituals and holidays that are important to them. We love to host multicultural events where families bring a dish to share that represents their unique backgrounds.
Every school has its own unique and special culture, influenced by a number of factors including its creation story, leadership, and environment. Some are shaped by an outstanding amount of passionate parent involvement. Others are connected to the surrounding communities, whether an international university or a diverse neighborhood. As each school considers its own distinguishing characteristics, we may find ourselves ready to reach out to the community around us. How can an early childhood community be good neighbors to others? Can you pick up litter on your walks together? Maybe bring freshly baked treats made by your children to surrounding businesses and introduce yourselves? Can you take your children to sing festive songs in the winter to your neighbors? Would you like to participate in or help coordinate a community garden? Each school has an opportunity to define and redefine what their presence will be within the local community. Montessori’s vision for diversity also contains within it the value of unity–that as different as we all are–we also have so much in common as we share this beautiful planet together. A child-centered community has a focal point of service to the youngest members of society, who in turn will be our future. All of the nurturing and seeds we plant today - even the seemingly invisible ones - will grow to help contribute to the healthy and vibrant society we envision as part of a bright future.
“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” –Maria Montessori