Decentering Whiteness in Montessori Education
"Either education contributes to a movement of universal liberation by showing the way to defend and raise humanity or it becomes like one of those organs which have shriveled up by not being used during the evolution of the organism"
Maria Montessori, The Formation of Man
GUESTS - Katie Kitchens (they/them) & Natane Lim (she, her, cihuatl)
DATE - March 8, 2025
TIME - 9am-10:30amMT
MODE - Synchronous Virtual: Zoom
What is whiteness? What does it have to do with Montessori? What does it mean to decenter it?
As we strive to create Montessori learning environments that are affirming for all children, we must consider structures and systems that undermine our liberatory aspirations. Together, we will explore the ideas of whiteness and white dominant culture and how they show up in Montessori environments. We will also discuss strategies for uprooting them. We welcome Montessorians of all backgrounds to join us for self-reflection and community building.
(In case it helps, we will be sharing definitions for whiteness, looking at characteristics of white dominant culture and Montessori education, and discussing how whiteness impacts white folks and people of the global majority in different ways).
Meet Your Speakers
Natane Lim (she/her, cihuatl) has been in the field of early childhood special education for 24 years in various teaching roles and classroom settings. She has taught in the Chicagoland area as well as New Mexico. Natane has been involved in community social justice work for two decades, starting as a youth organizer for a nonprofit in Chicago. She is dedicated to dismantling racism to instill a better future for all children. As a Project Manager, Natane leads Embracing Equity’s New Mexico initiative to transform education across the state. Natane takes much pride in the work for New Mexico because it is her home, it is where her daughter attends school and where she and her husband Chris (Check-It) have the honor of teaching breaking to young people in the community at their studio, the Dancing Turtle LLC. Natane runs all preschool breaking (breakdance) programs at the studio.
Katie Kitchens, Ph.D. (they/them): Katie is a white, queer, Jewish educator and researcher. Their nearly 15 years as a Montessori classroom teacher and instructional coach in district, charter, and non-profit Montessori environments deeply informs their work and keeps them optimistic about the possibility of change. In their research, Katie works alongside white families who are trying to raise antiracist white children to uncover how these children develop positive antiracist identities. Katie is Embracing Equity's Lead Program Facilitator and an adjunct professor at St. Kate's University. Katie holds a primary AMS credential and an Elementary AMI credential and has completed the AMI orientation to adolescence.
Why Choose MNNM?
At the Montessori Network of New Mexico, we’re committed to making professional development accessible, affordable, and relevant for educators like you. Our sliding fee scale ($5-$25) ensures everyone can participate, regardless of their budget.
Reserve Your Spot Today
Space is limited, so don’t wait! Join us on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, to connect and learn with Montessorians from around the world as we continue to strengthen skills.
Register Now
Invest in your growth. Empower your teaching. Connect with your community.
Questions? Contact us at info@nmmontessori.org
Registration Fee (Sliding Scale): $5 - $25
We are offering a sliding scale fee to make this event accessible to all. Please pay what you are able to within the $5-$25 range.
"Either education contributes to a movement of universal liberation by showing the way to defend and raise humanity or it becomes like one of those organs which have shriveled up by not being used during the evolution of the organism"
Maria Montessori, The Formation of Man
GUESTS - Katie Kitchens (they/them) & Natane Lim (she, her, cihuatl)
DATE - March 8, 2025
TIME - 9am-10:30amMT
MODE - Synchronous Virtual: Zoom
What is whiteness? What does it have to do with Montessori? What does it mean to decenter it?
As we strive to create Montessori learning environments that are affirming for all children, we must consider structures and systems that undermine our liberatory aspirations. Together, we will explore the ideas of whiteness and white dominant culture and how they show up in Montessori environments. We will also discuss strategies for uprooting them. We welcome Montessorians of all backgrounds to join us for self-reflection and community building.
(In case it helps, we will be sharing definitions for whiteness, looking at characteristics of white dominant culture and Montessori education, and discussing how whiteness impacts white folks and people of the global majority in different ways).
Meet Your Speakers
Natane Lim (she/her, cihuatl) has been in the field of early childhood special education for 24 years in various teaching roles and classroom settings. She has taught in the Chicagoland area as well as New Mexico. Natane has been involved in community social justice work for two decades, starting as a youth organizer for a nonprofit in Chicago. She is dedicated to dismantling racism to instill a better future for all children. As a Project Manager, Natane leads Embracing Equity’s New Mexico initiative to transform education across the state. Natane takes much pride in the work for New Mexico because it is her home, it is where her daughter attends school and where she and her husband Chris (Check-It) have the honor of teaching breaking to young people in the community at their studio, the Dancing Turtle LLC. Natane runs all preschool breaking (breakdance) programs at the studio.
Katie Kitchens, Ph.D. (they/them): Katie is a white, queer, Jewish educator and researcher. Their nearly 15 years as a Montessori classroom teacher and instructional coach in district, charter, and non-profit Montessori environments deeply informs their work and keeps them optimistic about the possibility of change. In their research, Katie works alongside white families who are trying to raise antiracist white children to uncover how these children develop positive antiracist identities. Katie is Embracing Equity's Lead Program Facilitator and an adjunct professor at St. Kate's University. Katie holds a primary AMS credential and an Elementary AMI credential and has completed the AMI orientation to adolescence.
Why Choose MNNM?
At the Montessori Network of New Mexico, we’re committed to making professional development accessible, affordable, and relevant for educators like you. Our sliding fee scale ($5-$25) ensures everyone can participate, regardless of their budget.
Reserve Your Spot Today
Space is limited, so don’t wait! Join us on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, to connect and learn with Montessorians from around the world as we continue to strengthen skills.
Register Now
Invest in your growth. Empower your teaching. Connect with your community.
Questions? Contact us at info@nmmontessori.org
Registration Fee (Sliding Scale): $5 - $25
We are offering a sliding scale fee to make this event accessible to all. Please pay what you are able to within the $5-$25 range.
"Either education contributes to a movement of universal liberation by showing the way to defend and raise humanity or it becomes like one of those organs which have shriveled up by not being used during the evolution of the organism"
Maria Montessori, The Formation of Man
GUESTS - Katie Kitchens (they/them) & Natane Lim (she, her, cihuatl)
DATE - March 8, 2025
TIME - 9am-10:30amMT
MODE - Synchronous Virtual: Zoom
What is whiteness? What does it have to do with Montessori? What does it mean to decenter it?
As we strive to create Montessori learning environments that are affirming for all children, we must consider structures and systems that undermine our liberatory aspirations. Together, we will explore the ideas of whiteness and white dominant culture and how they show up in Montessori environments. We will also discuss strategies for uprooting them. We welcome Montessorians of all backgrounds to join us for self-reflection and community building.
(In case it helps, we will be sharing definitions for whiteness, looking at characteristics of white dominant culture and Montessori education, and discussing how whiteness impacts white folks and people of the global majority in different ways).
Meet Your Speakers
Natane Lim (she/her, cihuatl) has been in the field of early childhood special education for 24 years in various teaching roles and classroom settings. She has taught in the Chicagoland area as well as New Mexico. Natane has been involved in community social justice work for two decades, starting as a youth organizer for a nonprofit in Chicago. She is dedicated to dismantling racism to instill a better future for all children. As a Project Manager, Natane leads Embracing Equity’s New Mexico initiative to transform education across the state. Natane takes much pride in the work for New Mexico because it is her home, it is where her daughter attends school and where she and her husband Chris (Check-It) have the honor of teaching breaking to young people in the community at their studio, the Dancing Turtle LLC. Natane runs all preschool breaking (breakdance) programs at the studio.
Katie Kitchens, Ph.D. (they/them): Katie is a white, queer, Jewish educator and researcher. Their nearly 15 years as a Montessori classroom teacher and instructional coach in district, charter, and non-profit Montessori environments deeply informs their work and keeps them optimistic about the possibility of change. In their research, Katie works alongside white families who are trying to raise antiracist white children to uncover how these children develop positive antiracist identities. Katie is Embracing Equity's Lead Program Facilitator and an adjunct professor at St. Kate's University. Katie holds a primary AMS credential and an Elementary AMI credential and has completed the AMI orientation to adolescence.
Why Choose MNNM?
At the Montessori Network of New Mexico, we’re committed to making professional development accessible, affordable, and relevant for educators like you. Our sliding fee scale ($5-$25) ensures everyone can participate, regardless of their budget.
Reserve Your Spot Today
Space is limited, so don’t wait! Join us on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, to connect and learn with Montessorians from around the world as we continue to strengthen skills.
Register Now
Invest in your growth. Empower your teaching. Connect with your community.
Questions? Contact us at info@nmmontessori.org
Registration Fee (Sliding Scale): $5 - $25
We are offering a sliding scale fee to make this event accessible to all. Please pay what you are able to within the $5-$25 range.
Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email that will include links to the TEDXPrague ED 2017 and the Zoom link for the live Roundtable.