aboutmontessori

As the news of the astonishing accomplishments of her first set of children
spread, people from diverse backgrounds in government and
educational/childhood research came to observe her work. She devoted
the rest of her life to the dissemination of her ideas through teacher
education, lectures and publications.
Almost a century later, various reputable Montessori associations such as
the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI, which she founded in
1929), National Center for Montessori Education (NCME) and American
Montessori Society (AMS) both based in the USA, carry on her work.

The Child

education, the teacher is the focal point of the classroom. She directs the
every point in time. In contrast, the Montessori Method's focal point is the
pace of the work, determining what the children as a group will learn at
every point in time. In contrast, the Montessori Method's focal point is the
child. He determines what he needs to learn and how long it will take him
to learn it. There are children who must not be rushed through concepts,
but be able to take their time to go over it until they have attained a true
understanding. There are also those children who want to move faster do
than we think they are capable of moving. It is very important for them to
do this to avoid the problems associated with an under-stimulated mind.
Each child is recognized in the Montessori classroom as an individual, and
work is done individually.
the method allows each child to be on his/her own time-table. Almost all
work is done individually.

The Environment

(Click Photos for a larger view)

There are many people in the world today whose inabilities to solve the
most basic problems stem from a lack of understanding of the problem
itself. So many schools use a system of education that encourages rote
learning, assuming that education has taken place when a child performs
well on tests. The Montessori philosophy is more concerned with what a
child understands than what he has memorised. Montessori classrooms
are enriched with materials which contain an abstract concept in material
form. They have a built in control of error so the child can teach himself.
The child has the opportunity to use his hands, and develop a love of
learning. In her book, The Absorbent Mind, Dr. Montessori says that “the
child’s intelligence can develop to a certain level without the help of the
hand. But if it develops with his hand, then the level it reaches is higher”.

"The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to
render the growing child independent of the adult. "
- The Secret of Childhood, Dr. Maria Montessori

The Directress

The teacher in a Montessori classroom is referred to as the "directress".
This is because the child is really his own teacher. The teacher serves
less as an "instructor" and more as a guide and facilitator. In the words of
Dr. Montessori:

"In brief, the teacher's principal duty in the school may be described as
follows: She should explain the use of the material. She is the main
connecting link between the material, that is the objects, and the child.
This is a simple, modest duty, and yet it is much more delicate than that
found in the older schools, where the material simply helps the children to
understand the mind of the teacher, who must pass on her own ideas to a
child, who must in turn receive them."
- Discovery of the Child, Dr. Maria Montessori