The Role of Infant & Toddler Guides as Tone Setters for New Families
Description
Uniit Carruyo visits the podcast to discuss the additional responsibility that Infant & Toddler Guides have to serve as "tone setters" for new families. Many times, this is their child's first experience away from home. 0-3 Guides must shepherd the entire family through the transition to school, thus setting the tone for the way they view Montessori throughout their entire journey.
Tone setting starts with building the relationship with the family and truly getting to know their family culture. Uniit strongly advocates for doing home visits before the school year begins. Tone setting continues through the phase in process, and includes sharing Montessori philosophy, inviting parents to observe in the classroom, and offering multimodal communication. It requires staying non-judgemental, meeting families where they are, and inspiring them by showing them what is possible.
The community Infant/Toddler Guides help new families to build may last their entire lives!