A Little Montessori for Traditional Teachers that Worked
In I 1979 was hired to bring Montessori to a private British-Peruvian girls’ school in Lima. There were no Montessori materials, and the curriculum was set to meet the highest standards of both the British and Peruvian governments. Below are some quotes from the chapter describing this experience as recorded in the book Aid to Life, Montessori Beyond the Classroom:
One of the stories we had heard was about a Montessori teacher who was traveling, with her entire family and a large group of adults and children, from one part of Asia to another, migrations caused by the partition of British India into two countries in 1947. Each night as the travel stopped and camp was set up this woman gathered the children and included them, in all of the necessary and important practical life of the group. They had a purpose, value to their community, a way of learning new skills that distracted them from the sadness of their journey. This was authentic Montessori.
“Well,” I thought to myself, “if this woman could create Montessori in such dire circumstances, I should be able to do something valuable for the students in a beautiful girl’s school in one of the world’s capital cities.”
Our class quickly became notorious for the calm and quiet atmosphere and the fact that some of the girls who had not been so keen on school could hardly wait to arrive in the morning. The head of the school asked me to write a paper on the changes, and then to help the other teachers. Here are some of the headings in the paper: Classroom Physical Space, The Class Schedule, The Role of the Teacher (Support Individual Work; Observe, then Protect, Concentration; Teach How to Make Silence and Control Movement; Teach Children How to Help or Teach a Friend), The Attitude and Actions of the Teacher (See Each Child New Each Day), Teach by Teaching, Not by Correcting, and Modeling of the Adult (from Aid to Life, Montessori Beyond the Classroom page 11-26) Click: Aid to Life
After an AMI congress in Colombia I returned to Lima, Peru to lecture at universities for the second time. The first school was one of the oldest teacher-training universities in the country. At Montericco women, and later both men and women, have been learning to be teachers of preschool and elementary classes for more than 100 years.
Above is a picture of a few of the 250 teachers and professors from Montericco who attended the presentation. All in white in front of me is Susana Chavez, the head of the AMI affiliate society for Peru.
After the presentation PowerPoint that was full of pictures and video clips of Montessori throughout life, there we stood, three women in their 70’s and 80’s, smiling, hugging, trying so hard to communicate our excitement over the potential of using the essence Montessori homes and in traditional schools in Peru. We called ourselves the three wise old ladies, because sometimes it can take this many years to truly understand the potential of education. We tried to communicate with a little French, a little Spanish, and a little English. But the understanding, even with the limits of the translators who were university students just as moved as us, was clear. The president of the university, the assistant principle, and I, all shared our understanding of what many teachers around the world over have in common—the belief that education can be much more than an academic curriculum; it can be a way to bring out the very best of happiness and compassion in students of any age.
The professors and several of the teachers said, to use their words, “These things we learned today we can begin to implement tomorrow!” They were referring to my emphasis on observation and working toward an understanding of the dignity and uniqueness of each student (from infancy on), protecting choices of study, respecting and protecting concentration, and providing ways for students to practice helping and giving to others. This beginning can have an influence on the students and on the teachers. It is NOT Montessori teacher training, but such an introduction has brought many people around the world to AMI teacher training. To see more about the 2016 trip lecturing at the first three universities in 2016. CLICK: PERU 2016
What Works Best in Spreading Authentic Montessori
Over the years I have only seen one sure-fire way to spread authentic Montessori in a new country. Provide AMI training for one teacher and after she/he returns require NO other work but to run a class of children for three years exactly the way it was taught during AMI training. Even better, if finances allow, two teachers earning the same level of AMI diploma, also teaching only, no sharing of course information with others. Then observers—parents, university education professors, government officials, etc—will have a chance to see that true Montessori can be.
What Does Not Work
AMI diploma holders teaching other adults before they have gone through the 10-years it takes to become an AMI teacher trainer. Or, spending resources on materials before the training of teachers. Here is an example: Some years ago, there was a publication of support for Montessori in the public-school systems, The Public School Montessorian. One edition was dedicated to reports of the principals of these schools. I will never forget the words of one of these people:
“We have two fully out-fitted Montessori classrooms now, and next year we hope to be able to have two of our teachers take Montessori training.”
Montessori in the Home – What Works
Learning to observe, and serve, the needs of children from the beginning of life works. Above is is a picture of a video clip that I use in my talks and presentations. It is of a small child carefully watching my hands on the piano keys, and then designing his own work. The video clip can be seen at the link at the end of this section, “Musical Babies.”
During my second work trip to Peru the mother of this child sent me a report of the many things they had learned and were using in their home. Some of these, with no mention at all of Montessori materials, were:
— We have learned to respect Matteo’s concentration and not to interrupt him when he is looking at something or trying to do something.
— We do not look away when there is eye contact and Matteo is staring at us.
— We all have learned to speak his language by repeating his sounds, exactly as they sound. Now we have long “conversations” with him.
— We talk to him gently and ask for his permission and understanding.
— We value moments like changing his diapers and nursing as moments to develop attachment. We do not rush through them but we understand that every interaction is important.
— Rather than providing a lot of baby toys we now know that simple objects we have at home are the best toys. We realize that he wants to handle and explore the things he sees other people using
To read the blog post of this experience, and more of what one mother and father learned, go to: CLICK: Musical Babies PERU 2016
What Does Not Work
AMI diploma holders teaching other adults before they have gone through the 10-years it takes to become an AMI teacher trainer. Or, spending resources on materials before the training of teachers. Here is an example: Some years ago, there was a publication of support for Montessori in the public-school systems, The Public School Montessorian. One edition was dedicated to reports of the principals of these schools. I will never forget the words of one of these people,
“We have two fully out-fitted Montessori classrooms now, and next year we hope to be able to have two of our teachers take Montessori training.”
Montessori in the Home – What Does Not Work
Just as with the example in the Public School Montessorian report above, there is today a common idea that setting up a Montessori environment with many “Montessori” materials” in the home, like that one would find in an infant community or primary or elementary class, will create a true Montessori education at home. Nothing could be further from the truth. What often happens in this situation is that parents get upset because the children to not play/work with these expensive purchased materials. Why would they? Children learn from watching others and if they do not see other children playing/working with the materials, what is to inspire them? They want to be able to learn to do what they see others in the home do. Children are always watching us and learning from us. They want to learn to do what we are doing. We can welcome them to our life. This opens the door to real language, and what is called in the Montessori field, “practical life work” or the work of the family and community. This is the best way to begin.
Earning an AMI Diploma
The path to become an AMI Montessori teacher trainer takes ten years after graduating from university, including graduation from an AMI course, five year full time teaching, three years full time working in a teacher training course, and research papers. It is constantly being assessed and updated to keep up with modern times. There are many projects that can be done by an AMI diploma holder—helping teachers of all kind improve their practice, birth preparation classes, lectures on Montessori, helping in orphanages, guiding homeschoolers, sharing Montessori ideas with traditional teachers. All of these can be helpful. I have been writing about Montessori and sharing some of these ideas for more than fifty years now and am so pleased that my own books are helpful: CLICK: books
For information on AMI training centers, teacher-training courses, and other helpful information: CLICK: AMI
Blessings,
Susan
Home page, CLICK: Susan
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