Happy Mother’s Day!
Yesterday, my mom was playing pickleball with her grandson. She is in her seventies and was a force on the tennis court, so pickleball is right up her alley. Marshall swung away at the ball, either missing entirely or smashing the ball emphatically, but nevertheless determined to try again and again. It reminded me of my youth playing tennis, learning to play tennis with her, which was equal parts fun and frustrating. The frustration stems from a genetic stubbornness I inherited from her, which Marshall certainly has inherited. However, stubbornness, perseverance, determination, and grit live on the same spectrum, so I think having one without the other is hard. And my mom knows something about perseverance, having been a Montessori toddler teacher for over thirty years.
The decades-long journey started in the humble beginnings of a small Montessori school in the basement of a church in the Rogers Park area of Chicago. The decision to send me there for kindergarten would create a chain reaction of untold importance. It would be the genesis for so many things to come. If you believe in the butterfly effect, my parents’ sending me to RPMS was the wing flap that would cause the tsunami. It would completely alter my and my mom’s professional career trajectory. One could connect the dots between meeting my wife at a Montessori training center and that initial decision, which also has ramifications for Marshall. Most people wouldn’t think the kindergarten they choose would be ultimately life-altering for generations to come. However, that is precisely what happened.
After observing the fantastic benefits of the Montessori philosophy on her own son, she would continue that legacy as a teacher at the school. She would be the founder of their toddler program after receiving her training from one of the OG disciples of Dr. Maria Montessori. Having been a teacher for more than thirty years, it is impossible to calculate the total impact she has had on the world. Some of her former students are fully grown adults with children of their own, while others are in elementary school right now. That is quite a legacy.
At our school this past Friday, we had our annual Grandparents Day, where grandparents come to visit their grandchildren at school. We have had the biggest one since Covid, with hundreds coming to the event. Seeing so many multigenerational families in the gym eating lunch together was touching. Anytime I stopped to talk with one of the grandparents, they would look at my name tag, remark that their child loves PE or sports, but immediately pivot to the question, “Are you Diana’s son?” After confirming the connection, they would go into a story about how wonderful my mom was for their grandchild. She was loving but fair, strict when needed, yet gentle in guiding the child. The grandparents always mentioned her powers of observation and how she was like a Montessori Nostradamus. It’s like she was able to see into the future to see the adult already within the child, but that is a hallmark of an observant toddler teacher. Even though she has been retired for a couple years now, those powers of observation are as sharp as ever with her own grandson. He lovingly knows her as “abuela.”
Her coworkers adored her as well. I’ve heard more than once a teacher say, “Diana’s my spirit animal,” alluding to the fact that they loved my mom’s unabashed tell-it-like-it-is attitude in the staff room. While it was an inherent characteristic, it was also necessary when you work with young children. There is no room for sarcasm or veiled words with little ones; direct and to the point is necessary. However, many coworkers admired her directness and leadership. The toddler teachers she worked with as assistants are now head teachers, proving that my mom was a successful mentor to adults as well. They all talk today, so I’m never surprised when my mom has the inside scoop on something happening at school.
Thank you for taking a moment read about Diana Lepine, my mom, this Mother’s Day. She has done so much for me, my sister, and her grandson, and we are forever grateful. As a Montessori toddler teacher, “her children” are better poised to change the fate of the future for the better. Within the Montessori community, her legacy is worth being recognized, remembered, and celebrated. Let’s all wish her a Happy Mother’s Day!