Running Head: MONTESSORI KEYS
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The Keys to Authentic Montessori Munir Shivji EDUC6210 Analysis of Contemporary Issues in Education and Montessori I Submitted to: Sandra Wyner Andrew Advanced Montessori Programs St. Catherine University February 13, 2016
The Keys to Authentic Montessori
MONTESSORI KEYS
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As the director of an authentic, accredited Montessori school, I am frequently asked, "Why is there so much variation from one school to another? How can I know if I've found a ‘real’ Montessori school?" Authentic Montessori schools exude individualized curriculum, prepared classroom environments with Montessori materials, uninterrupted work cycles, mixed age groups, trained teachers and a national affiliation. The word "Montessori" is in the public domain. This means that anyone can use the term without legal restrictions. It also means that a wide range of schools exist that call themselves Montessori. Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambush, founder of the American Montessori Society, and Dr. John Stoops identified many characteristics of an authentic Montessori school in their book; The American Montessori School: A Guide to the Self-Study, Evaluation, and Accreditation of American Schools Committed to Montessori Education. The essential points in this book highlight the key characteristics of the philosophy. A true authentic Montessori education is about understanding and aiding the natural process of child growth, individualized instruction and learning. According to Mark Powell in his article Is Montessori Ready for the Obama Generation, students can truly construct their own understanding at their own pace using concrete experiences and integrated subject matter, without having to worry about keeping up with their peers or conforming to the teacher’s schedule (Powell, 2009 p. 24). The principals, practices and materials used in authentic Montessori classrooms are scientifically supported and researched. In her book The Absorbent Mind, Maria Montessori reconnects her discovery,
MONTESSORI KEYS 3 And so we discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words, but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment. The teacher's task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child. (Montessori, 1988, p. 7) Authentic Montessori classrooms offer a full array of hands-on Montessori materials, and teacher-made lessons for each stage of development. The core materials are arranged from simple to complex and concrete to abstract. In the article How Important are the Montessori Materials, Angeline Lillard states, “The original set of materials… comprised a specific set of materials for each classroom level, carefully designed to confer specific understandings through repeated use in the context of other materials, selected to avoid most redundancies, and quantified to allow mastery in about three years in a classroom” (Lillard, 2008). The focus of activity in the classroom is on the children's learning, not on the teachers' teaching. Authentic Montessori environments meet the individual needs, interests, abilities, and development of the children. According to Patrick R. Frierson’s article Maria Montessori’s Epistemology, the senses that are the foundation of knowledge are active capacities for engagement with the world, and she extends principle even to raw sensory experiences (Frierson, 2014). Authentic Montessori programs provide direct, personal, hands-on contact with real things, Montessori materials, and concrete models to allow children to gain a deep understanding of abstract concepts. Successful Montessori programs have teachers professionally trained by accredited teacher training programs. The Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
MONTESSORI KEYS 4 (MACTE) is recognized by the United States Department of Education as an international standard-setter of the highest level of excellence. Teachers must have Montessori credentials for the level they are teaching. To be effective Montessori directors, we have to be aware of each student and be sensitive to areas of strength and areas of weakness as we continually note progress. We not only need to be aware of academic progress, but also aware of emotional development, problem-solving skills, moral values, and social skills. (Abrahim, 2012, p. 23) Trained Montessori teachers can to prepare classroom environments, using Montessori materials based on the individual needs of their children. Based on Maria Montessori’s theory of Planes of Development, the classroom with threeyear mixed ages is another fundamental characteristic of Montessori. A group with children of varying ages generates a cooperative mentality in which older children spontaneously share their knowledge with younger children. Teachers plan for children daily, rearranging and redesigning activities so that children have the very activity they need at the point they need it, without having to wait for others. To design activities, teachers observe the patterns that children's choices reveal. Maria Montessori believed that children are capable of making responsible choices‌ Montessori students learn to become interdependent and resourceful. (Williams & Keith, 2000, p. 218) The teacher supports free choice of activity within longs periods of uninterrupted work cycles. True Montessori environments encourage children to move about freely, within reasonable limits of appropriate behavior. Brain research shows us that real learning occurs when
MONTESSORI KEYS 5 the hand is in use, the learner feels happy and safe, and movement is involved. When children are allowed to choose their activities, they are more interested in and engaged by the classroom environment. In an authentic Montessori classroom, you will perceive an atmosphere of peacefulness and joy. Authentic Montessori programs emphasize that the real work of learning belongs to the individual child. The teacher recognizes that her role is not so much to teach, as it is to observe and facilitate the learning process. Children learn in many different ways and at their own pace. Trained Montessori teachers understand that they must "follow the child," adjusting their strategies and timetable to fit the needs and interests of each child as a unique individual. The Montessori teacher creates a learning environment where children feel safe and empowered and works to ensure that each child reaches his full potential as a human being. Finally, an authentic school should have a professional affiliation. The American Montessori Society (AMS) and the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), requires members to agree to comply with a Code of Ethics and offers opportunities for accreditation. Each child is born to be a learner, and the full potential of each child is realized through an ordered, planned, prepared and nurturing environment. Schools that call themselves Montessori that does not have trained teachers, multi-aged prepared environments with appropriate Montessori materials and individualized instruction are not authentic. Authentic Montessori programs are places where children’s physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual needs are met. An authentic Montessori education will transform a child into a lifelong learner -- it is truly education for life.
MONTESSORI KEYS
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Abraham, J. (2012). How Much Water Can You Add and Still Call It Lemonade? Montessori Life, 22-25. Frierson, P. (2014). Maria Montessori’s Epistemology. British Journal of the History of Philosophy, 767-791. Lillard, A. (2008). How Important Are the Montessori Materials? Montessori Life, 20-22. Montessori, M. (1988). The Absorbent Mind. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO Ltd. Powell, M. (2009). Is Montessori Ready for the Obama Generation? Montessori Life,18-29. McCormack Rambush, N. & Stoops, J. (1992). The American Montessori School: A Guide to the Self-Study, Evaluation, and Accreditation of American Schools Committed to Montessori Education. New York, NY: American Montessori Society. William, N & Keith, R. (2000). Democracy and Montessori education. Peace Review, 217-222.