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“Dear Ask a Montessorian, I’ve been teaching for five years with roughly the same staff.  Next year, two new leads and one new assistant will join our staff, and they are trained at institutes that are quite different than mine.  We’ve already had a few conversations that start with, ‘in my training, we don’t…’ and I’m worried that we’ll have more differences than likenesses when the school year begins.  What do you recommend to not confuse fellow staff, students and parents this year?”

I recall in my early years as a Montessori teacher how I was confused and stressed about how teachers from different training institutes implemented Montessori in the classroom. I would compare our practices, constantly looking for answers. I often asked myself, ‘are they right, or am I?… Is my training superior or inferior to theirs?’ I used to review my Montessori albums and ask others from my training about this, seeking clarity and affirmation that I was ‘doing it right.’ Gradually, though, I began to understand how to adjust my thinking and avoid being judgmental. I learned to explain and demonstrate practices as I understood them, and I became more willing to ask about the rationale of others.

I have had the opportunity to work in many different countries, and with teachers who have been trained from various training centers. Fostering a Montessori approach in the classroom takes a lot of practice, no matter the country nor the training institute. I have observed even how the Montessori approach is adopted to suit the culture and religious beliefs of the students based on their country and region. All of the Guides I’ve worked with have been well versed in Montessori philosophy, despite differences in training.

It’s important to discuss with co-teachers and colleagues the differences you observe, not to point out differences, but to seek clarification and understanding of their rationale. Share ideas and collaborate with colleagues to improve and enrich the environment and your students’ experience. We as teachers are there to foster excitement, curiosity and the child’s love for education. Being flexible and open to doing things differently in certain circumstances, you will find, will be necessary. I once took over a Children’s House class and most of the children were in their second and third year. The previous teacher had a very different training than mine, and as you might imagine, the children were accustomed to her methods and routines.  If I had immediately imposed lessons in ‘my way,’ the children would have been quite confused. I had discussed this with the outgoing teacher and learned about her philosophy, practice and routines. I liked some (and frankly disliked most) but I had to be flexible for the benefit of the children and their expectations. I had to take small steps, slowly and gradually introducing change with as little disruption to the children as possible.

As Montessori teachers, our goal is to provide a peaceful learning environment. We take much time and effort to prepare the environment for learning. With this in mind, isn’t it an advantage to get ideas from other Montessori teachers?  We follow the same philosophy and have the same goals, but may take different paths in presenting and sequencing lessons and choosing various programs. For example, one school or training may  present cursive first and another, manuscript.  One might utilize a different language program than another. This doesn’t mean that if you only have experience in one that you cannot understand, adapt to, or even adopt, another.

Create a co-teaching relationship with colleagues. Embrace new ideas and intentionally incorporate them in your classroom. Be open to look and listen. Find a balance that suits your classroom. Use observation, inquiry and different techniques to help children who might benefit from it.  In this way, be truthful to Montessori while following the core principles. I even invite teachers from other classrooms who have different training to come and give a presentation to my class. This way even children understand that the same concept or activity can be done in more than one way.

Welcome new staff members and share and learn from each other. If changes have to be made, make them gradually, so that children are able to adjust and there is little burden on parents and other staff. Be excited to have new staff that will bring with them their own training and new ideas.

In my experience of working with these differences, I have gained immense satisfaction and knowledge throughout the years. I have become more confident to work in any Montessori setting. I have learned to accept changes and to be able to use variations that suit the children I work with. In fact, I get very curious and excited to see things done differently. My passion for teaching and Montessori has taken new horizons with this new outlook. There have been times I have tried giving a certain lesson to a child several times with no success. I have watched my colleagues do the same lesson a bit differently, this time with success.  It didn’t matter who’s training was ‘superior’ in that moment– all that mattered was that I was following Montessori principles and that the child learned the lesson, rendering him more independent than before.

My advice is to show respect and seek to understand when things are done differently. Don’t let little differences stand in the way of the growth of the children, the school and yourself. We are the instruments that help mold the formative years of life of the children we work with. Let’s make it a happy and peaceful environment for them to grow and flourish.

Shyamini Monaco is AMI certified with over 20 years of experience in Montessori education. She has taught in Dubai, UAE and Milan, Italy prior to moving to the United States. Shayamini currently serves as Children’s House Lead Guide at Renaissance Montessori in North Carolina.

‘Dear Ask a Montessorian, my Lower Elementary child recently shared that she wants to be a vegan like she’s seen her uncle and aunt doing.  I’m worried about her getting enough nutrition.  What would you recommend?‘ 

I share your concern regarding your daughter’s interest in becoming a vegan and meeting her daily nutritional requirements. It is always a concern with “non-vegan” children as well! Essential nutrients contained in animal meat and by-products and fish are critical to development – some essential -meaning they must be eaten on a daily basis because the body cannot manufacture them from other nutrients. An example would be docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a structural Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish.  This structural fat integrates into the cell membrane and myelin for cell signaling and activating the action potential between 2 neurons. This highly unsaturated fatty acid also builds a fluid, flexible, permeable cell membrane for optimal absorption of nutrients – and the ability for the cell to move about the body freely. So, it’s good for all body systems throughout life including vascular, metabolic, and reproductive.

Because of the requirement of DHA in brain development and function many vegans do take fish oil supplements. If not, I recommend algal oil which contains DHA. This is sourced from algae – what the fish eat to obtain their DHA.

If there are any dietary restrictions and preferences, feeding every human cell in the human body must be well-informed and intentional – whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or eat everything. The cell membrane, mitochondria (energy center), and nucleus (DNA – requiring protection for healthy replication) need specific nutrients for optimal health and functioning.

To add to the complexity of nutritional adequacy, even if we eat specific foods containing nutrients needed for physiological processes, they will require co-factors from other foods to metabolize. Zinc is the major co-factor in fatty-acid metabolism. I recommend pumpkin seeds every day for my patients because they are rich source of zinc and manganese which are trace minerals many of us are lacking.

And then of course, there’s the issues of iron and B12 for vegans.

The bottom line is we can express our concerns to our vegan-interested child, talk about nutritional needs being met and make an appointment with a knowledgeable nutritionist- or simply set a boundary should you want to postpone this decision until your child is older. If becoming vegan is a passing fad, a cool thing to do, or just curiosity – it’s vital to educate yourself and your child about the importance of composition of foods throughout the day to meet nutritional requirements for physical and mental health. This is a conversation of paramount importance for all families.

I’ve often said that “people who love children change the world by teaching them how to eat.”

Jan Katzen AMI, CFP, CN is a former pre-primary Montessori educator. She is now a nutritional therapist working with developmental pediatricians in Phoenix, Arizona. Jan is a certified nutritional educator and instructs Nutrition for Learning Intensive, a 4-week professional development course offered by CGMS.

Jan’s newly released children’s eBook, Humdrum Hannah was Eating Junk, contains an audio book, coloring book, recipes and a story that will entertain and teach children (and adults) about nutrition basics.