At Cedar House Montessori, our core values reflect how we work with the children in our care and with the adults in our community. We are always striving to be learners as well as teachers and to impart these core values in all of our interactions.
Love, Gratitude, and Connection
We strive to permeate our work as teachers with love - love for the children in our care, the families we support, the joys in the world around us, and the community we all share. Our classroom environment is lovingly prepared and adapted to meet the needs of each individual child. Many of the materials are handmade with attention to detail and a desire to create a beautiful learning experience. We strongly believe in sharing our gratitude with one another and strive to foster opportunities to develop gratitude in our students and to model it in our daily actions. Introducing this practice early makes for happier children and assists with lowering stress which in turn allows for better impulse control, creating a peaceful community full of joy for learning and connection with the world around them. In expressing gratitude for the natural world, we are forming true connections with that which sustains us and introducing the concept of interconnectedness that is so valuable to becoming stewards of the earth.
Respect, Compassion, and Self-Awareness
As guides at the start of a child’s educational journey, we use observation as a way to assess children’s developmental and emotional needs. When conflict occurs, we respond with patience and kindness. We model problem solving, offering help and comfort, practicing creating boundaries and encouraging calming techniques suited for the individual child and situation. Teachers remain consistent and clear with their expectations with both firmness and kindness to establish the guidelines of the classroom. We do not dole out punishments, but instead work with children respectfully to understand their feelings and redirect them to activities that match their needs at the moment. Through this focus on self reflection, we encourage children to have respect and compassion for themselves and others, starting them on a path of strong relationship building and self-awareness that extends beyond the classroom.
Justice, Diversity, and Activism
At Cedar House, we are committed to social, racial, and environmental justice. Our classroom is set up to reflect our students’ unique identities and contradict stereotypes by carefully selecting the books and images we share to include people of all races, sexual orientations and identities, family structures, and abilities. We model standing up against injustice and provide children with the language and tools to stand up for themselves and others, including the Earth. Our goal is to empower children in their own positive self identity through activities that allow them to share their lived experiences and to embrace and find joy in the diversity of the world around them. For our teachers, this means a commitment to anti-bias education and what Maria Montessori called the “spiritual preparation” of the teacher. We understand that this work is on-going and we are committed to the growth and reflection that is necessary to support our community and help to create a more equitable future.