Maple and Thistle, Education for Peace

"Everyone talks about peace, but no one educates for peace. In this world, they educate for competition, and competition is the beginning of any war. When educating to cooperate and owe each other solidarity, that day we will be educating for peace." 
-Maria Montessori, Education and Peace, 1949 

During my Montessori training, Gretchen Hall spoke about how meaningful food preparation is for children. Beyond the practical skills, she shared how preparing food for the community,  rather than only for oneself, carries deep purpose. In Thistle, baking has often become an act of generosity. Sometimes we make extra to share. Sometimes, over the years, children have joyfully given the entire treat away. 

A few years ago, the children in Thistle began sharing the fruits of their baking labor with the  Maple Upper Elementary community. Before long, children from Maple started visiting our  Primary classroom twice each week to bake alongside the younger children. Given a recipe, the elementary learners would guide the younger children through the process of creating something together. 

Over time, the partnership evolved naturally. Some days, the Maple children would help a younger child navigate an obstacle in their work. Other times, I intentionally paired a child who needed confidence with an older child who could offer encouragement and patience.  Sometimes the roles are even reversed, and the younger children become the teachers. 

As I watched these relationships grow, I realized something much deeper was taking place. This was not simply older children helping younger children. This was the authentic community building that Montessori dreamt of happening in real time. 

Karin Church and Rachel Atkins graciously welcomed and encouraged this partnership between the Maple and Thistle communities, helping create relationships that have now lasted for two years. Each Maple learner is paired with a specific child from our Primary classroom. We sit together at school-wide events. Sometimes Maple plans art activities for us to do together.  Sometimes we bake, work on projects, or simply play outside side by side. 

While these moments are precious to witness, what matters most is what is happening beneath the surface. 

Recently, several Maple learners reflected on their experiences partnering with children in  Thistle. Their words beautifully capture the depth of what these relationships have meant: 

“I think it’s cool. Everyone thinks they’re really cute, but they’re really intelligent and don’t  need our help as much as you think.” -Alina

“It’s fun. I like helping them discover things that have nothing to do with language or math. I  also like to see that they are not as afraid of bigger children like I was when I was little.” – Louisa 

“It’s cool to see how their brains work. I felt weird around big kids when I was little.”  -Anonymous 

“I have gotten to really know the younger kids and my sister’s friends. They play easily. When  we were younger, we felt so different than the older kids, so it’s cool to see these kids do this  with us.” – Noah 

“I didn’t think we’d have a lot in common, but we do. We both love reading. My first year, I was really nervous and thought my partner didn’t like me. At the end of the year, I knew that wasn’t  true.” – Naomi 

What stands out to me most is that the elementary children are not describing themselves as  “helpers.” They are describing the connection they have created with a grown awareness of themselves now vs. when they were little. They notice moments that call for empathy, shared interests that take place regardless of age, and what it means to achieve belonging. They are learning to see younger children not as less capable but as people worthy of respect for all they bring to the table. 

When I think of what Montessori meant when she spoke about educating for peace, our partnership is it.  

It is built through experiences of cooperation, responsibility, trust, and solidarity. It grows each time we practice how to care for one another, work through discomfort, and recognize ourselves in people who are different from us. 

Our school’s Portrait of a Graduate speaks to this vision. We hope our graduates become genuine, confident, and self-aware because they have been loved, respected, and nurtured as individuals. We hope they become resilient because they have built capacity through struggle and perseverance. We hope they become adaptable, collaborative, and compassionate because they have grown up in a community where social and emotional skills are practiced every day. 

Listening to the Maple learners reflect on their experiences with Thistle, I realized our Portrait of a Graduate is already alive within them. 

They are collaborative when they patiently work alongside younger children. They are compassionate when they recognize the fears they once carried themselves. They are adaptable when relationships do not unfold exactly as expected. They are genuine and self-aware when they reflect honestly about connection, nervousness,  and belonging.

Most importantly, they are learning that community is something we build together. 

The children of Maple and Thistle are not simply spending time together. They are learning to truly see one another. And in doing so, they are creating the kind of world Maria Montessori imagined. A world built not on competition, but on cooperation, dignity, and peace. 

I would like to offer a sincere thank you to the children of Maple for all the patience, kindness,  respect, and care you have offered the children of Thistle. My hope is that one day, when they are in Upper Elementary themselves, they will offer that same gift to someone else.