Global Citizenship and Meeting the Moment
"Global Citizenship and Meeting the Moment"
Jennifer Robertson, Upper Elementary 2 teacher
What a year 2020 has been! We have all been challenged, felt anxious, and had to make adjustments to our everyday lives to accommodate our new reality. As a new member of the SJMS faculty, I am continually inspired by the creativity and care of our teachers, the resilience and persistence of our students, and the support and strength of our families. I brought my own daughter to SJMS last year because of the commitment to family and community that this school cultivates, and as a teacher, I have been so blessed to see this commitment close-up in all of our stakeholders. In this historical moment, confronting global health crises, political divisions, and environmental challenges, I am so proud of the work that this school and the community does to meet the moment and grow from it.
“An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking: it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.” — Dr. Maria Montessori, Education and Peace
As we prepare learners to leave SJMS, one of our educational goals for our graduates is a strong background in global citizenship. We challenge our learners to expand their sense of collaboration and empathy, to develop their social responsibilities, strengthen their awareness and acceptance of difference, and resolve conflicts peacefully. Dr. Maria Montessori herself was a peace educator, believing that peace education was as integral to a child's development as math or reading. Through education and intentional work to develop those skills, Dr. Montessori believed that engaging with children in an authentic and practical context strengthens children's abilities to act in peace and advocate for peaceful resolution. With these aspirations in mind, SJMS graduates take on the difficult conversations and strive to remain open and empathetic to the struggles people face around the world. They recognize the importance of listening, speaking from truth and fact, investigating and examining complexity, and being aware of the world around us. In a time when our society feels ever more fractured and isolating, the Montessori classroom continually reminds us to reach out, connect, and learn from each other.
“This is the hope we have—a hope in a new humanity that will come from this new education, an education that is a collaboration of man and the universe….” — Dr. Maria Montessori, The Theosophist
While at SJMS, our students meet this expectation of global citizenship in a variety of ways. For example, in the Upper Elementary program this year, our students regularly engage with current events from a variety of sources, including news briefings from reputable sources, and complete independent research projects about different countries, cultures, and historical events. As teachers, we have guided students to engage their critical thinking when encountering online information, including how to sort trustworthy, fact-based information from opinion-based or biased sources. But this critical literacy and global awareness extends beyond "academic" work to social engagement and community awareness. Upper Elementary students also completed two service-learning projects through the local nonprofit, Seeds of Caring. For the winter holidays, our students made holiday cards for residents of two senior communities in Cleveland, who have been isolated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students send messages of hope and care, and our class discussions centered on the importance of our community elders and human connection in times of strife. More recently, as part of our exploration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., our students read a Dr. King's sermon about the relationship between justice, equality, and peace, and have committed to making 100 inspirational bookmarks for students at Dunloe Elementary School to show their solidarity with and support for other students in our community in a spirit of peace and friendship. The students' commitment to and enthusiasm for this work has been uplifting to witness.
“The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.” — Dr. Maria Montessori, Education and Peace
From holistic approaches to cultural studies to examination and analysis of artifacts from all over the world, our students know the world is large and diverse. They understand that conflict is present, but it is not insurmountable. Our students have optimism and compassion for the world and are ready to meet the moment with the tools they have learned with the guidance and foundation of Montessori education. They have a vision for peace and growth, grounded in compassion and mercy. I am inspired every day by our students. I cannot wait to see what they do with this world.
"We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only the power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "The Purpose of Education" (1947).
Photos: On the left, students created "Visions for The Future" on colored strips of paper, and attached them to clouds quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Their visions included an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, an end to world hunger, equal rights for all, and a reduction in global environmental pollution. On the right, students created illustrated quotes of powerful or important lines from National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman's occasional poem "The Hill We Climb." The students chose lines from the poem that they felt a strong, personal connection with, or that conveyed what they felt the main idea of the poem was.