Giving Thanks

BY CAROLYN PINKERTON, PH.D. Director of Communication and State Relations Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education

The season of giving thanks is upon us and at MACTE, we

have much to be grateful for. First and foremost, we are grateful for our Montessori teacher education programs (TEPs) and their continued dedication to preparing future Montessori teachers. We are also grateful for the health and well-being of our staff. And while we experience technology frustrations from time to time, we deeply appreciate that technology has allowed us to work effectively from our homes, for Montessori TEP classes to remain in session, for field supervisors to safely observe adult learners in children’s classrooms, and for people to remain connected and communicating with one another.

Thanks to the internet, we have been able to continue participating in conferences where we share the importance of accreditation, grow professionally, and spend time with dear colleagues. While we will not be holding the annual MACTE Symposium this December, we are looking forward to the possibility of an April event. In the meantime, MACTE will continue to conduct webinars about the accreditation process and we plan to host a virtual open forum to provide policy updates and answer questions. (Please

check the MACTE website and follow our Facebook page for dates and details.)

The option to teach online has permitted programs to remain open and dedicated to working with future Montessori teachers. At this time, we have reviewed and approved over twenty accredited TEPs for temporarily providing online instruction. A number of these programs have shared they plan on making online teaching a permanent part of their program after receiving strong positive feedback from their adult learners. MACTE knows creating an effective and engaging online education takes an incredible amount of thoughtful work, and we are incredibly grateful to the program directors and staff who have poured countless hours into doing so.

Finally, while travel has drastically slowed down, MACTE has been able to continue conducting onsite verification visits, one of the final steps in the accreditation process, because of the power of technology. Verifier volunteers are still able to collect the necessary evidence (through interviews, review of materials, tours of sites) that the programs are meeting MACTE’s Qualifying Principles via these virtual visits. Program directors are continuing to find onsite visits to be a positive experience. Dr. Leslie Lasseville, program director of Barry University Montessori Teacher Education Program, recently completed a virtual onsite verification visit for her program’s Secondary I and II levels. Dr. Lasseville shared her feedback regarding the virtual visit experience:

We wanted to thank the ‘Onsite Verification Team’ for their time and

energy during their visit. They epitomized ‘grace and courtesy.’

They were organized and professional throughout the process. We truly

enjoyed the entire experience. It has provided us with opportunities for

deep reflection and growth. We’re hoping the dialogue this process has

started will spark new and exciting improvements to our program and

surrounding Montessori community. We thank you!

While we miss getting to travel and see programs in-person, we are grateful technology allows us to keep the accreditation process moving right along.

There is a deep grieving for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost due to the coronavirus. We know there is economic hardship and stress, and we miss so many things from our time before COVID-19. While we at MACTE look forward to resuming a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy, we give thanks for our blessings as well: health, technology, dedicated TEPs, the hope that comes with the preparation of future Montessori teachers. We are grateful for all the work that you do.

Dr. Carolyn Pinkerton is the Director of Communications & State Relations at the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). MACTE is the national accreditor for Montessori Teacher Education programs and institutions and is recognized by the US Department of Education. Carolyn shares vital and up-to-date information with accredited programs, as well as connects others in the Montessori teacher education community. She has been involved in all parts of the accreditation process, including the review of Self-Studies, site visits, and training. Prior to her tenure with MACTE, Carolyn worked with children teaching English as a Second Language and creating a reading curriculum with the Core Knowledge Foundation. Carolyn received her doctorate in the Social Foundations of Education from the University of Virginia.