Lifting up Montessori voices

I’ve had the pleasure of running some Instagram takeovers on my IG stories, an 8-week series to uplift and amplify voices of the Montessori community. If you didn’t get to see them, I’d love to introduce you to…

1. Zainab from @themontessoristudio

I love following Zainab and her family as she shares their Montessori life in a way that feels accessible, personal, warm and – above all – fun. “I am half South African 🇿🇦, half Libyan 🇱🇾, my husband is from Pakistan🇵🇰 and we are raising our multi-cultural family in London 🇬🇧. My children are 4 and 2, Alhamdulillah. As a Muslim, mixed race family, we live a London life and navigate this from an Islamic, Montessori, and natural parenting point of view…and we have a lot of FUN.” I’ve saved the IG stories here and follow Zainab on instagram here.

2. India and Raye from @montessori_melaninmamas

India and Rae describe themselves as two melanin mamas sharing their Montessori journeys at home. You can feel their warmth as they show us that Montessori does not have to be exclusive and can be done on a budget too. “I wanted to start the page because I didn’t see much representation of mamas that looked like me in the Montessori community. The lack of representation discouraged me from starting Montessori while King was an infant.” – Raye “…we felt as though Montessori wasn’t inclusive. But it definitely is though!” – India

They have only been on Instagram for a month and already have 3,000+ followers so you can see that there is a need for everyone to see themselves represented and to be listening to others. Check out their IG stories here for tips on Montessori on a budget, what Montessori looks like in their homes, and what Montessori is to them. And follow them on instagram @montessori_melaninmamas.

3. Melina from @montessori_marvels

Melina is an AMS 3-6 educator who grew up in a Mexican household and now lives and works on unceded Munsee Lenape territory (which you might know as New York City). I could listen to her for days the way she speaks about the children and her work. So inspiring.

I love following her account and seeing all the amazing Montessori activities taking place in her classroom. So much thought goes into what she does with the children like making a community bundle (you can swipe to see the photo here). “I took my Purple Room class out to collect sticks out in Central Park and the next day we sat at circle and I showed the children how one stick on its own is not very strong and it can snap easily. Then one by one we tied our stocks together with yarn. When the bundle was complete I showed them how much stronger a group of sticks is and how it does not snap the way that lone stick had. It’s a wonderful and concrete way to show children the importance and benefits of working together and being part of a peaceful community.”

You can see her takeover here and follow her on Instagram here.

4. Yuliya from @welcometomommyhood

We also got to talk about a different type of representation – Montessori and disability. The lovely Yuliya shared how Montessori looks in their home as a paraplegic, wheelchair user and Montessori mama of two 💪. This video is everything.

I’m sure you’ll find Yuliya as inspiring as I do. Her positivity and honesty shine. She helps to show Montessori does not need to look one way. And how they make it work in their home. You can see her takeover here and follow her on Instagram here.

5. D. Ann and Ashley from @queerconsultants

This time we were joined by two lovely Montessorians, D. Ann and Ashley. They set up @queerconsultants to help schools create LGBTQIA+ inclusive spaces. I’ve learned so much from both of them and was so happy to be able to amplify their voices on Instagram. We all need to learn how to make our homes, schools and spaces feel safe to everyone and welcoming to queer families and children. You can watch their IG takeover here with lots of inclusive book suggestions so be sure to take a look. And be sure to follow there here too.

6. Junnifa Uzodike from @fruitfulorchardmontessori and @montessori_nduoma

Junnifa joined us for her IG takeover from Abuja, Nigeria. She has been such an inspiration to me. I love seeing the children at work and her beautiful spaces. I wish I could be a kid again in her school! When she became an AMI board member (the youngest I believe and the first from Africa), she made a speech and I thought, “she is going to make a change in the world.” She’s built up her own school in Nigeria, has 3 children of her own, has worked with toddlers, preschoolers and now elementary aged children and we also wrote The Montessori Baby together (which comes out next year). Is there nothing she can’t do?!

In her takeover, Junnifa shared what she loves about Montessori, her faith in her work, and answered some questions too. You can catch it here and follow her on Instagram here and here.

7. Trisha Moquino from @indigenouscheerleader

Trisha speaks truth, is gracious and graceful, and passionate about reclaiming the education of Indigenous children. She is the co-founder of Keres Children’s Learning Center @kclc6 to support “Cochiti Pueblo children and their families in maintaining, strengthening, and revitalizing their heritage language of Keres.” And when she saw no one was talking about Indigenous Educators, she stepped forward and also manages the @indigenouseducators
Insta page. You can see here takeover here and follow her on Instagram here.

8. Monisha from @tamilmontessori

Monisha joined us to give us an insight into Tamil culture and language and to help us think about how we can introduce culture into our families in a Montessori way. She is an AMI Certified Assistant for 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12, a full time working mom in tech, and has been raising her LO 10 months the Montessori way from birth in a bilingual home (Tamil and English).

You’ll find everything she does with her LO so carefully prepared, intentional and inspiring. I have to admit I didn’t know much about Tamil so I enjoyed learning more during the takeover which you can still watch here and I encourage you to explore more in her Instagram feed here too.

9. Tatenda Blessing Muchiriri from @montessorilens

Tatenda is trained 0-3 and 3-6 through AMS. It is such a blessing to have him be a guide and model for our young children. And he shares so many voices of the Montessori community on his platform Montessori Lens. I love this quote from Tatenda: “Children who live with diversity are better able to see themselves as an acceptable part of the diversity and are likely to be intrigued rather than threatened by that which they do not yet understand.” Be sure to watch his takeover here and follow him on Instagram here.

I hope you enjoy all of the IG takeovers and follow them. We need to keep listening, learning, uplifting and amplifying.