Baan Dek

Developing World Citizens

Thoughts & Reflections

Maria Montessori considered herself a citizen of the World.

Born in Italy in 1870, her life was filled with many colossal world changes. She became a physician in a time when medicine was being rattled; we have Hand Washing in Montessori classrooms today because when Maria was starting her first classroom, doctors were just discovering the importance of handwashing in disease prevention.

There are many Montessori schools in India, because Maria visited India in 1939 intending to give lectures and teacher training, and ended up not being allowed to leave because of her Italian citizenry in British-occupied India.

global 1 (1)

She died in the Netherlands in 1952, planning a trip to the African continent to give teacher training there.

Truly, a citizen of the World.

Maria Montessori wrote and spoke about the Universal Child, the needs all children have, the developmental stages every child goes through, regardless of culture, heritage, time, family. Babies learn to walk, and quickly after mastering this are compelled to master stairs. Children have a unique capacity to acquire language, as many languages as they are exposed to, before age six.

We are all more alike than different.

global 2 (1)

Today, our world is arguably becoming smaller, not larger. We can instantly speak with and even see friends living across the world through technology.

In the classroom, we study cultures, important individuals, geography. Are there cultural commonalities in groups of people who live on archipelagos, for example Hawai’i and the Philippines? Is Greenland larger or smaller than our city, than our state, than our whole country? Can I even imagine the vastness and diversity of somewhere like Russia?

We study images of people and of life on different continents. Though there are apartments all over the world, where might we find a yurt? Isn’t it fascinating that people all over the world eat noodles, each with their own unique flavors? How do families near and far dress their babies?

Baan Dek

What we find, time and again, what we hope to pass on to our children, is that, we are all alike.

We all need and deserve a warm home.

We all eat, sharing stories and laughs over food.

We all love our children, hoping and dreaming for them, creating a wonderful world where they can grow into their best selves.

We are unique and special, our culture and history can be shared and cherished and celebrated. We are all human, deserving of respect and kindness and love.

Written by:

Charlotte Snyder

Inquire Now

Schedule a time to meet

Montessori Zine

Subscribe to our bi-monthly digital Montessori zine. Every other week, you will receive a brief, curated email with links to popular and trending interviews, commentaries, spotlights, quotes and photos.