Montessori teacher brings Irish culture to her students

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St. Patrick’s Day was more than a day to wear green for students at West Side Montessori in Perrysburg on Tuesday.
Students ages 3 through 6 in the school’s Children’s House program learned about authentic Irish culture through their teacher, Ruth Zajac, who was born in Ireland.
She used her years of living in Ireland to teach her students about the country through tactile items they could touch and interact with, including shells from an Irish beach, Euros, and peat straight from the bogs.
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Over the last few weeks, the students learned Irish songs and lessons about the country’s history and culture, including the flag and language. The young lads and lasses, most decked out in green on Tuesday, sang Irish songs and learned the story of Saint Patrick.
“I thought, How can I really immerse them and bring it down to their level in a concrete way?” Ms. Zajac said.
The approach fits well with the Montessori method of emphasizing culture and hands-on learning, she said.
Students snacked on Irish cheese and soda bread. They learned about the ancient sport of Hurley through its equipment; a stick, called a caman, and a leather ball, called a sliotar.
In their lessons, the students were most curious about the food, weather, animals, and language native to Ireland, Ms. Zajac said.
Ms. Zajac, who is originally from Drogheda, Ireland, has lived in Ohio permanently for 15 years, but began visiting the United States about 25 years ago.
She said she came to the Toledo area for adventure, and first stayed with relatives in Ottawa Hills for a summer while a student of Montessori education in Ireland. She later got a job at the Perrysburg school.
She said as her collection of Irish-related items grows, she will continue to delight her classes for years to come.
“They’re getting a true, authentic experience of my culture,” she said.
Contact Lauren Lindstrom at llindstrom@theblade.com, 419-724-6154, or on Twitter @lelindstrom.