Some notes on Montessori:
- Multi -Age Groupings that foster peer learning. Younger children learn from the older ones and the older children reinforce what they’ve learned by teaching concepts they have already mastered and are great role models. Generally, Montessori age groupings are Infant & Toddler (birth to 18 months), Early Childhood preschool through Kindergarten (ages 2 ½-6), Lower Elementary grades 1-3 (ages 6-9), Upper Elementary grades 4-6 (ages 9-12), Middle School grades 7-9 (ages 13-15), and High School grades 10-12 (ages 16-18).
- Uninterrupted blocks of work time…usually between 2-3 hours where the children have the opportunity to develop deeper concentration while working with materials and begin developing a flow in their work cycle and time management
- Prepared Environment made specifically for them. Shelves, tables, tools, chairs, things hung at their level and minimal, everything has a place and is straightened and ready for use. The environment should be clear of clutter and dusted and cleaned often. The children help maintain the environment as much as the teacher though by placing work back on the shelf ready for the next child and helping to clean and tidy the classroom.
- Spiral Curriculum that moves from concrete to abstract (left to right, top to bottom, increasing in difficulty) Montessori believed that “what the hand does, the mind remembers”. Concrete materials make concepts real, and therefore easily internalized; they can be manipulated and repeated over and over. After much work in the concrete, children begin moving towards abstraction when they have internalized the pattern and no longer need the Montessori material.
- 3 Year Cycle Children are with the same teacher for 3 or more years….so the teacher really gets to know their students, their learning styles and their families. Materials can be adapted to draw children into using them….we call that the Point of Interest. If a child isn’t drawn to certain materials, teachers have the ability to create work that appeals to their individual interests….For instance, I had a child that wasn’t interested in the math materials whatsoever. I knew that he was obsessed with lizards so I went to work making small lizard counters. By the end of the lesson, he was ecstatic about counting and adding lizards. When he was over the lizards, we switched to snakes, then before long, he naturally explored other materials on the shelf.
- Process Vs. Product: Montessori found that children best achieved mastery of concepts and materials through exploration, imitation, repetition, and trial of error. Repetition of the same material encourages children to develop the concentration and self-discipline required for more advanced work. In addition, the Montessori materials, which are multi-sensory learning tools, teach children how to problem solve and self-correct through repetition and practice. So, Montessori focused more on the process of learning rather than the product. For instance, take a child who knows their letter sounds….they can begin writing words with the moveable alphabet long before they may be ready to write the words with a pencil and paper.
- Freedom within limits: Montessori classrooms balance freedom with responsibility. Children in a Montessori classroom have the freedom to make choices about what they learn, when they do it, and who they want to work with….under the careful guidance from their teacher. This helps them develop their decision making skills and helps build confidence in their own abilities.
- Independence: Independence is an ongoing and organic process. As children learn to pour water, put on their own shoes, pack away their work, or solve their own problems, they become more confident, independent, and intrinsically motivated. Montessori once said, "How does the child acquire independence? He acquires it by means of continuous activity. Independence is not static. It is a continuous conquest. And by means of continuous work, one acquires not only freedom but strength and self-perfection" As a result, Montessori philosophy advocates never giving more help to a child than is necessary because…..practice and repetition leads them to the attainment of developing power; power to do it for themselves. The active child, who feels skillful as well as capable, naturally exerts maximum efforts. If the guide were to interfere, they become an obstacle to the child’s growing independence.
About the EMTA:
EMTA is dedicated to training Montessori teachers with the fundamental principles upon which Maria Montessori centered her philosophy. We believe that when the same principles that Montessori applied to educate the child are used with adult learners, deeper comprehension and a joy of learning evolve.
At the heart of an authentic Montessori education, the values and aptitudes of the teacher as a model and mentor are of high importance in understanding and implementing the Montessori method. That is why EMTA is committed to provide adult learners with a positive learning environment, enriched with opportunities to work, and learn with highly qualified Montessori teachers in a beautiful classroom setting.
This program will allow people from all over the world to potentially participate in our program! The majority of the courses will be offered online through the use of ZOOM and the Schoology platform, with the exception of the 5-week residence in Eagle, Idaho in the summer (July-August). The Montessori Early Childhood program takes eighteen months to complete and begins with Online Learning approximately once a week from January-May. Following this is an in-residence five-week summer Academic phase in July and August to be taught on the campus of Montessori Academy Eagle. The adult learner then enters their nine-month student teaching Practicum phase from September to May of the following year under the supervision of a qualified Supervising Teacher. The practicum is an essential part of this program. It’s like an internship essentially. This is where the adult learner applies their knowledge in a practical way with a supervising teacher mentoring them on a daily basis. This experience is where transformation really gains speed; much like a child who has an environment that meets all of their needs.
Online Learning resumes approximately once a week until the end of the Practicum year in May 2024. Academic Online seminars are required throughout the Practicum year and will occur approximately once a month on Saturdays. Upon successful completion of the program, adult learners will graduate and be awarded an AMS Early Childhood if they hold a bachelor's degree, or an AMS Associate Early Childhood teaching credential.
In addition to the core and foundational courses that other Montessori Training Programs offer, EMTA offers courses unique to the program such as Anti-Bias Anti-Racist Education, Peace Education, Positive Discipline in the Montessori Classroom, and Collaborating with a Montessori Assistant.
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