Supporting Inclusivity
by Regan Becker
At Lighthouse Montessori School, we endeavor to bring an anti-bias lens to our work with very young children, by educating them (and ourselves!) about differences, diversity of experience, empathy, and equity. This is no small task. It is as much of a daily practice as children learning how to carry a tray across the room or leave a work on the shelf that is beautiful for the next learner. We adults show up as examples to children of humans who differ from one another, have various life experiences, show compassion, and behave with flexibility for one another’s emotions, abilities, and talents.
This year, we are fortunate to work with a staff member who has shared about her life as an autistic person, a neurodivergent person, and a person with physical disabilities. This staff member has requested accommodations to work in a manner different from the capacity of other staff members. Just as Montessori philosophy honors the individuality of each child, we at Lighthouse Montessori School value the unique contributions of each staff member.
At circle time, this staff member has shared with the children about her own experiences, so they can understand that her mind, energy levels, and body require a supportive and adaptable environment. For example, due to her hip dysplasia, this staff member can neither stand nor sit for extended periods of time, and she walks with a pronounced gait. Understanding her disabilities helps the children manage appropriate expectations, while practicing both empathy and executive function skills such as cognitive flexibility and problem solving.
At circle, guides have read to the children picture books like The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca, as well as a series of books written by Mari Schuh – including the titles: My Life with Deafness, My Life with ADHD, My Life with Autism, My Life with Dyslexia, My Life with Blindness, and My Life with Down Syndrome.
The four pillars of an anti-bias and antiracist lens in education are: Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action. This staff member has shared various aspects of her identity, showing colleagues and learners that all people are valuable through their uniqueness. This staff member has helped vet books read to children regarding her identities to make sure they are true to her experience and honor that people with disabilities are not a monolith. The Mari Schuh book series is written from the perspective of a child with that condition or disability. In this way, the children hear a first-person account. This point of view is crucial to compassion.
Very young children begin to see differences in physical appearance as early as two years of age, and they begin to express culturally-inherited beliefs about physical differences as early as 4 years of age. It is important that we apply an anti-bias lens in education at the preschool level. We empower children to ask questions, understand the myriad ways of being human, and use compassion when others behave differently from our own actions or emotions. We support children to advocate for themselves and others. By being in right relationship with our community through active awareness, we guide children and colleagues to be inclusive and take responsibility for our biases while seeking to unlearn them. This is a lifelong process!
Sensory Area (aka The Cozy Corner)
Finally, this staff member has created a space for the Lighthouse Montessori learners to self-regulate their emotions. As part of her Early Childhood Education program at college, this staff member has made a sensory area (aka “the cozy corner”) with multiple tactile objects to help very young children get to a place of calm when they feel upset. Developmentally, children 3-6 are often self-concerned and highly sensitive. For some children, the Montessori learning environment can feel overwhelming — from the freedom of movement to the individualized lessons to the hands-on didactic materials. This staff member brings in tools (from her own experience as a person with autism) that benefit all the children in the classroom!
The Lighthouse Montessori School staff have engaged in internal coaching with this staff member, invited her personal therapist to speak with us at staff meetings, and cooperated with her job coaches to assist in her personal and professional development. This is not a self-congratulatory statement on our part, but a description of the important on-going work we practice every day with our staff and the children to unlearn bias and practice mutual respect.
