How do students in our Primary programs engage with Anti-Bias Anti-Racist Education?

We begin by recognizing that becoming a skilled anti-bias educator is a lifelong journey! Our goal as trainers is to look at every element in our programs. Whether we use metaphors such as the lens we look through, the plate we hold, or touchstone, we want ABAR to be the basis of our work and to share that intentionality with our students.

We chose the book, Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks, Julie Olsen Edwards, and Catherine Goins as an anchoring text rather than an add-on to the curriculum. This book offers a framework for thinking and being that applies to any program or setting. We access articles, podcasts, and other media to inform and guide our discussions on topics including culture and language, racial identity, family structures, gender identity, economic class, and different abilities.

During Britt Hawthorne's two-day workshop, we learned that ABAR work begins with self-love, regardless of age and continues by looking at our own biases, prejudices and privileges. In our program, we explore personal and social identities, engaging in small and large group discussions about how we identify as individuals and as members of different cultural groups. We discuss points of intersectionality, and ways in which society supports, oppresses, and marginalizes different identities. We help our students learn about various ways to create an inclusive environment in which all feel seen, welcomed, and included.

The training center's prepared environment serves as a model as we discuss how teachers create a culturally inclusive space in which children see themselves and their cultures reflected in positive life affirming ways. Students evaluate what they bring into the environment - the books, songs, art media, true stories, and the activities they prepare for Practical Life to affirm all children’s identities and families. Our goal is to show that while all humans have the same needs for food, clothing, shelter, work, communication, love, and play, we all realize these needs in diverse ways.

It's essential for our students to think about adapting their approach, activities, or presentations because each child's unique experiences. In our programs, we center conversations about the effects of generational stress, trauma, and systemic racism, along with how neurodiversity impacts children's ability to access the Montessori environment.

ABAR is interwoven throughout our programs, a touchstone in our discussions and conversations, helping us ask, “who is being represented?”, “who is being excluded?”, and “how can I do this better?” We recognize this work is lifelong, and with every new group of students we learn more and are better able to support our students in this first stage in their Montessori training. Our goal for our programs is to provide students with a solid foundation to navigate the journey of becoming an ABAR teacher and ally.