Model as you Teach!

This upcoming weekend I will be presenting a workshop during the national MANZ Montessori conference "In Service of the Child" in Christchurch, New Zealand. The workshop "Beyond recycling, creating a sustainable community" focuses on nurturing sustainability as a frame of mind and as an embedded culture in early childhood settings. While preparing and researching about education for sustainability, and reflecting on our own practices at Tawa Montessori and Little Earth, I have come to realise how important it is to "model as you teach".

One of the aims of education for sustainability at our preschools is to help our children to understand that they are global citizens with shared responsibilities to the environment and humanity. This introduces them, amongst other things, to the concept of caring. For the children to really understand the concept of caring, they have to experience it. At this young age, children learn most from observing and doing, they need to see you model what you are teaching and they need opportunities to practice it. To foster or teach positive attitudes, you need to model positive attitudes. This means that as teachers, introducing our children to the concept of caring, we need to model the concept of caring.

While this may seem simple, I have found it one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. Not that I find it hard to model caring, or kindness. What I find hard is to truly model the frame of mind that is needed to foster these attitudes, especially when that frame of mind is transient. Teaching is a journey, you never stand still. A true teacher is a lifelong learner, and as I learn, my mind shifts.

The positive attitudes needed to support a thriving community need to be integrated in how we think. Becoming a sustainable community is a transformative journey. I am still learning, and I am learning by acting and experimenting. As I am still learning, and practicing, my modeling is not always what I say or teach.

Here is an example from one of our preschools. At Little Earth we take our children on regular walks to a nearby forest reserve full with Nikau palm trees. In the forest we show them how to look for insects, how to listen to the birds, how to feel the texture of the bark and how to smell the scent of the flowers, all in an unobtrusive way. We teach our children about respect for all living things, and talk about the branches and leaves on the forest floor and how they are potential homes for lizards and insects. During one of our walks I took one of the big fallen palm leaves back to preschool, for further exploration. Not long and the children started questioning me: "Why did I take this treasure from the forest?", "Why didn't I leave it where it belongs?", "Why did I disturb the homes of the many insects that live on the forest floor?" Did I model what I teach? What was my agenda? What was the children's agenda?

As teachers and as part of our own self review and reflection, we need not only ask ourself the question "Am I doing the right things, in what way does this activity contribute to a more sustainable living?", we also need to listen to our children. They are our biggest teachers. Their questions, observations and remarks show us that teaching goes beyond our practices, it is about what mind shifts we make as a result of our practices.

The transformative journey of teaching sustainability can be challenging, but very rewarding. At Tawa Montessori and Little Earth we have the privilege to learn from and with each other and the children as we share the journey. We are learning our way forwards to a more sustainable way of living. Reflecting on our own daily thoughts, decisions and actions help us learning to model as we teach, together!

As an educator or parent, does "model as you teach" come natural to you? What are your challenges?
- Anja