This week, I'm a teacher.

Spring break has started for the kids, and it's always a challenge to plan activities for them. This year, I'm doing something different for the older two, and their friends. I'm teaching a class on religion and spirituality. So far, so good. These Montessori kids are pretty self-motivated. I got them started on a project, and they're off and running.

I have become increasingly convinced that the Montessori method of education is the future of reaching the multiple intelligences in a classroom. The essential focus is that children are given learning tasks and set out to complete them, with guide from a teacher. It avoids nailing children to a desk, and allows them to discover the reality of things for themselves. I spent a few days last week observing in their classrooms and asking questions of their teachers, so I could get a sense of how to design these classes to keep them engaged. It's working!

Here is the invitation I sent to the parents.

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I’m going to be teaching a class for elementary age children that will explore religion and spirituality. (I was a comparative religion major in college.) I’ll be approaching it from the perspective of the Bahá’í Faith, which emphasizes the oneness and unity of all religions, taking the approach that they all come from the same source at different times in humanity’s history to provide socially and historically appropriate guidance to the world.

The subjects that I plan to touch upon include:

• The lives of the Manifestations of God: Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Moses, Christ, Muhammad, and Bahá’u’lláh.

• The key teachings of the major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá’í Faith.

• Exploring the concepts of God, the soul, prayer, meditation, and the purpose of life.

• Developing virtues in our lives: Truthfulness, trustworthiness, courtesy, kindness, etc.

• Social principles related to Peace Studies such as the need for independent search after truth, the oneness of the entire human race, the elimination of all forms of prejudice, the harmony between science and religion, and the equality of men and women.

I hope to convey this information through some lessons to stimulate their interest, and guide the children in their own research of the subjects. We’ll also have art and drama, as well as physical activity.