Feature Article Crossing the Aisle

Transcription

Feature Article Crossing the Aisle:
Summer 2011
Conversations about Collaboration
volume23 number2
A Publication of the American Montessori Society
MontessoriLife
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A Publication of the American Montessori Society
Summer 2011
volume23 number 2
MontessoriLife
STORIES
18 FEATURE ARTICLE
Crossing the Aisle:
Conversations About
Collaboration
Mark Powell
30 Children’s Memories of their
Montessori Experience
Joyce Tatsch
34 The Gift of Silence
Cathleen Haskins
25
D E PA R T M E N T S & SECTIONS
2 From the Editors
Montessorians Unite!
Kathy Carey
3 From the AMS Executive Director
Treating Each Other with Respect
Richard A. Ungerer
8 Montessori Milestones
46 Book Review
50 Opportunities
56 The Last Laugh
4 From the AMS President
A Time of Change
Dr. Kathy L. Roemer
6 From the Peace Committee
A Time to Demonstrate Kindness,
Respect, and Generosity
Chandra Fernando
35
30
MONTESSORI LIFE SUMMER 2011
1
MONTESSORI LIFE
Editors Kathy Carey & Carey Jones
Art Directors Ross Rezac & Martin Skoro, MartinRoss Design
Director of Advertising Michele Eldon
Copy Editor Brenda Modliszewski
Editorial Advisory Board
ELIZABETH BRONSIL, Director, Children’s Home Space,
Cincinnati, OH.
JOHN CHATTIN-McNICHOLS, PhD, Associate Professor, Education, Seattle University, Seattle, WA; Founder, Montessori
Teacher Education Institute/Pacific Northwest; Past President,
MACCESS and AMS.
ELISABETH COE, PhD, Teacher, School of the Woods;
Director, Houston Montessori Center, Houston, TX.
WILLIAM C. CRAIN, PhD, Professor & Chair, Psychology,
City College of New York, New York, NY.
MARIE M. DUGAN, Former AMS Executive Director; Chair,
AMS Archives Committee; Chair, AMS Centennial Campaign
Committee, Wilmington, DE.
DAVID ELKIND, PhD, Professor, Child Study, Tufts University,
Medford, MA.
ALICE STERLING HONIG, PhD, Professor Emerita, Child
Development, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.
LILIAN KATZ, PhD, Director, Educational Retrieval
Information Center (ERIC), Champaign, IL.
MARGARET LOEFFLER, PhD, Director, Montessori Teacher
Education, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, OK.
SYLVIA O. RICHARDSON, MD, Distinguished Professor,
Communication Sciences/Clinical Professor, Pediatrics, University
of South Florida, Tampa, FL; Past President, Orton Dyslexia Society.
MARTHA TORRENCE, Past President, AMS; Director,
Toddler and Primary Programs, Cambridge Montessori School,
Cambridge, MA.
BRETTA WEISS WOLFF, National Director Emerita, AMS;
Consultant, Albuquerque, NM; Past President, Council for
American Private Education (CAPE).
Montessori Life (ISSN 1054-0040), published four times a year,
is the official journal-magazine of the AMERICAN MONTESSORI
SOCIETY (AMS), a nonprofit organization. Through this publication, AMS hopes to provoke thought, promote professional development, and provide a forum for discussion of issues and ideas in
our field. In addition, calendar information and milestone events
keep readers abreast of the latest Society news and opportunities.
The opinions expressed in Montessori Life editorials, columns,
and features are those of the authors and do not necessarily
represent the position of the magazine or the AMS. Printed by
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bulk rate in Minneapolis, MN.
Reprints Requests for permission to reprint material from
Montessori Life in another form (e.g., book, newsletter, journal,
electronic media) should be sent in writing to Kathy Carey at
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for copies to be shared with parents, teachers, or students; for
library reserve; or for personal use. Our copyright notice must appear
on each copy: “Copyright (year of publication) by the American
Montessori Society. All rights reserved.”
Manuscript Submissions Exclusive submissions only. Style
guide is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
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Cover photograph: Frida Azari Photography
Valley Montessori School
Livermore, CA
FROM THE EDITORS
Montessorians Unite!
By Kathy Carey
According to the AMI website (http://montessori-ami.org), the Association
Montessori Internationale was founded during the World Conference on New
Education in Denmark in 1929. Begun by Dr. Montessori and with her as leader
and driving force, the organization was intended to foster the spread of
Montessori education as well as to protect her methods and materials.
The AMS website (www.amshq.org) credits Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambusch
with the conception and inception of the Society in 1960 in Greenwich, CT, with
the stated mission “. . . to promote the principles and practices of Dr. Maria
Montessori within the context of the American culture.”
Initially, AMS functioned under the auspices of AMI and with the support
and approval of Mario Montessori, but before long, according to Dr. Phyllis Povell,
Because of the crucial difference between the AMS’s goal to insert Montessori
insights into the American culture as opposed to the goal of the AMI to simply
establish Montessori schools in the United States, the differences in outlook on
teacher training, and the trans-oceanic control of the organization with its inherent financial agreement, relations between AMS and AMI were becoming more
and more strained. (Povell, p. 130)
Two issues were of paramount importance to Rambusch: validation through
research that supports the belief that Montessori education surpasses other
models, and the use of ancillary courses of study that incorporate American values and American educational goals. When she resigned as head of the Society
she did so to avoid what she described as “. . . petty politicking. . . at the heart
of this movement. . . .” This politicking, she believed, had driven many people,
otherwise committed, out of the movement.
Today the issue of education, in all 50 of the United States, is fraught with
controversy over issues of curriculum, testing, teaching methods, and teacher
rights and responsibilities, and beleaguered by special interests who stand to profit handsomely from textbooks and other educational materials, or who use these
issues as a means of acquiring power through local, state, and national politics.
Films with alluring titles such as Waiting for “Superman” and The Race to Nowhere
challenge citizens to consider the dire straits our children are in but, when the
lights go up and the fervor fades, we are left with the status quo and may even
feel powerless to effect change that benefits all children, especially as states across
the country slash education budgets while blaming teachers for low test scores.
What is a Montessorian to do? Angeline Lillard suggests that
Traditional schools have not fared well owing to the fact that the models of the
child and school on which they are built—the empty vessel in the factory—fit
poorly with how humans learn. The solutions Americans have devised to fix the
problems in our schools repeatedly fail because they do not change the fundamental models. The educational system should instead draw on scientific study of
how children learn. Taking such an approach clearly points to the value of revising these fundamental models. (Lillard, p. 36)
Continued on page 5
2
FROM THE AMS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AMS 2010–2011
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kathy Roemer, President
Treating Each Other with Respect
Joyce S. Pickering, Vice President
Sharon Damore, Secretary
Jerry Speier Photography
Mary Ellen Kordas, Member-at-Large
By Richard A. Ungerer
Dane Peters, Treasurer
I invite you to consider the following proposition: The
Montessori classroom and the values we embrace that
inform how we want our Montessori children to work
and to learn together provide incredible insights for a
vision for how we adults should treat and relate to
each other.
The first months of 2011 were a time of turbulent
change throughout the world, most notably in the
Middle East and neighboring countries. Here in the
United States, President Obama, in response to the shootings in Tucson, AZ,
addressed the nation and encouraged civility and a new tone in how we discuss
public issues and politics. What is the connection between the Montessori classroom and these larger issues?
I started a list of the practices I have observed in Montessori classrooms that
help create a culture of respect and caring among children:
Richard A. Ungerer, Ex Officio
Carolyn J. Daoust
Marge Ellison, Chair, Heads of Schools Section
Michael E. Fassiotto
Michelle Hartye
Tom Jankowski
Young Soon Jun
Heidi Larson, Chair, Teachers Section
Ginger Kelley McKenzie
Darla Miller
Alyssa Morishima Moore, Family Representative
Ginny Riga
Mary Schneider
AMS STAFF
Richard A. Ungerer, Executive Director
Robert E. Bates, Webmaster
Jessica Carhuapoma, Member Services Associate
• Supporting the freedom of each child to pursue her or his own interests,
while at the same time encouraging responsible choices.
• Using mixed-age classrooms as a vehicle for providing time for the
development of relationships between younger and older children
• Respecting and following the child
• Promoting cooperation and peaceful behaviors—seeing children as
capable “peace builders”
• Dealing with conflict by using conflict as a source of creativity
• Encouraging self-control, self-discipline, and self-regulation
• Coping with bullying (physical, verbal, and relational) and gossiping
• Providing opportunities for intentional conversations
• Creating a safe environment where children are not intimidated by others
• Acting on trust
• Understanding how decisions are made, and teaching decision-making
skills and the art of making good choices
• Supporting rather than attempting to control children
• Helping children to value differences and to be open to contrasting
points of view
• Practicing listening skills—guiding children to listen and to learn from
one another
• Building positive self-esteem
Marie T. Conti, Senior Director of School Accreditation
& Member Programs
Kristine N. Cooper, Director of Development
Marcy Fay Cunningham, Office Assistant
Andrew Hofland, Manager of Information Technology
Carla Hofland, Director of Member Services
Evelyn Jackson, School Membership Coordinator
Gregory A. Jones, Senior Director of Operations
Angelique Keller, Teacher Education Services Associate
Abbie Kelly, Manager of Teacher Education Services
Marcy K. Krever, Senior Director of
Marketing & Communications
Joan LaRacuente, Senior Director of Finance
Angie Meadows, Interim Manager of School
Accreditation & Professional Development Programs
Maria Meyerovich, Bookkeeper
Gary Nelson, Conference Coordinator
May Parker, Business Services Associate
Marcy Rice, School Accreditation Coordinator
Doris Sommer, Senior Director of Teacher Education
Jim Williams, Information Officer
Roger Williams, Mailroom & Order Fulfillment
Assistant
AMS CONSULTANTS & ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Kathy Carey, Carey Jones, Editors, Montessori Life
I am sure you can add to this list!
We adults involved in Montessori education can and should practice these
same behaviors in conducting the work of our schools (teachers, school administrators, and families), teacher education programs, professional societies, other
Montessori organizations, communities, societies, and in the larger global community. This is a large and ambitious task! Respectful communication requires
us to listen, to strive to find common ground even in the difficult discussions we
Michele Eldon, Director of Advertising
Brenda Modliszewski, Copy Editor
Martin Skoro, Ross Rezac, Art Directors,
Montessori Life
Continued on page 5
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FROM THE AMS PRESIDENT
A Time of Change
By Dr. Kathy L. Roemer
I am greatly honored to be president
of the American Montessori Society
Board of Directors—your president.
My confidence in accepting this position comes from my professional and
academic experience associated with
Montessori, including as a parent,
teacher, head of school, and, through
AMS, as a school consultant, accreditation commissioner, and Board member.
Maria Montessori began a reform movement in education. However, most of what we Montessorians have accomplished has not been recognized by society as a whole. This
lack of visibility will change as a result of the efforts of the
AMS community, including staff, board, and several committees, such as the AMS Research Committee. Chaired by
Dr. Sharon Damore, with vital input from AMS research coordinator Angela Murray and a robust group of members, this
committee is assisting graduate students, attending national
conferences, publishing articles, and promoting success.
Some recent evidence of progress in public recognition
came from Clark Montessori School, Cincinnati, OH. Clark
achieved high honors under the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top Program, which recognized public
schools that were providing exemplary education. Coincidentally, President Obama pointed out in his January 25,
2011 State of the Union address that economic competitiveness and a path to the American Dream depend on providing
every child with an education for success in a global economy. His principles of education emphasize that success is
predicated upon knowledge and innovation starting in
early childhood education. Collaboration, a productive social
activity long advocated by the Montessori approach, finally
is being recognized as an essential element in our children’s
future effectiveness and well-being.
Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally recognized leader
in the development of creativity, innovation, and human
resources, and a keynote speaker at the 2011 Annual
Conference, stresses the importance of helping children
retain their divergent thinking skills. He points out that children at age 5 are exploding with creativity and developing
original ideas. For most children, this ability diminishes
when they go to traditional schools, experience the test-taking culture, and are coached to supply the “right” answers to
questions. Our Montessori classrooms, by their very method
and design, allow divergent thinking to thrive.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama also
4
applauded the high value teachers bring to our society.
Teachers must be acknowledged for their talents and their
dedication. This relates to teachers’ accountability to students, parents, their local community, and the broader society. At AMS we promote this respect by providing ways for
teachers to develop and to continue lifelong learning.
Without extraordinary teachers, AMS would not exist.
A presentation at the AMS Heads of Schools Retreat
(January 2011) by psychiatrist Edward “Ned” Hallowell,
MD, author of 18 books including Shine, reminded me
about the importance of human connections with regard to
the mission of AMS. Our students rely on their school experience to learn how to communicate as individuals and as
part of a community of learners. We operate under an
umbrella of respect for one another. The development of
students’ moral compasses is supported in Montessori classrooms. We have a tremendous responsibility for our students
as we influence the adults they are to become.
In 2010, the AMS Board of Directors initiated work on a
new strategic plan. Perhaps the most important goal of the
new plan is the theme of sustainability. One provisional
goal states “AMS will ensure that it has the leadership,
resources, practices, and policies for sustainable growth as
a significant and enduring voice for Montessori education.”
This includes strengthening our finances, and maintaining
our quality personnel and reliable technology so that AMS
continues to be essential to Montessori in the United States
and globally. Our AMS must continue to support the crucial
work that you do. Our students are the world’s future!
As President of the AMS Board, I am responsible to you
to keep the conversations going at all levels. I hope to hear
about your stories, successes, and challenges, and the research
going on in your classrooms. Our connection with each
other strengthens AMS.
I thank immediate past president, Marilyn Stewart, and
those who preceded her, for their vision that moved AMS
into the 21st century, facilitating its growth and success. In
this dynamic time of cultural and economic transitions,
AMS is well positioned as a vibrant educational organization. We will make a difference!
KATHY L. ROEMER took office as president of the AMS Board
of Directors in March 2011. She has over 25 years of experience as
a Montessori teacher, director, and consultant. She has served on
the AMS Board since 2006 and is the director of Twin Parks
Montessori Schools in New York City. She is AMS-credentialed
(Early Childhood). Contact her at president@amshq.org.
Carey, continued from page 2
Montessorians, whether they hold
an AMI or an AMS credential, reflect
in their practice the wisdom of Dr.
Montessori with regard to how children really learn. Slowly the research
is developing, supporting the fact that,
if done right, the Montessori approach
frees children to learn and develop their
potential as individuals and prepares
them well to take the reins of citizenship.
Members of AMS and AMI should
be engaged in ongoing dialogue about
research: how we can fund it, how we
can support teacher research from the
classroom, how we can translate the
power of Montessori education into
political clout that can effect real
change, how we can support each
other in our chosen life mission. There
are many models: public, private,
charter, parochial. . . . the model is not
the hurdle; the mindset is the hurdle.
The Montessori approach can effectively educate children in prep
schools, under-sourced public schools,
and on the rough-hewn terrain of
Africa. The question is, can we come
together at least at the level of the mission so that we are seen and experienced as the “power of one?”
To collaborate means to work
together toward a higher goal; it
means treating the other not as an
occupying army or an unsophisticated, needy relative but as an ally.
Collegiality implies recognition of the
equality of the other, that we are associated with like-minded professionals,
that we respect as we wish to be
respected. The 1960 founding of AMS
was 52 years ago. Perhaps it is time to
put aside our differences and build
upon our similarities, recognizing that
this may be our time—but if we let it
pass, it may not come again.
References
Lillard, A.S. (2007) Montessori: The science
behind the genius. New York: Oxford
University Press, Inc.
Povell, P. (2010). Montessori comes to America.
Lanham, MD: University Press of
America.
http://www.montessori-ami.org. Retrieved
02/21/2011.
www.amshq.org. Retrieved 02/21/2011.
KATHY CAREY is co-editor of Montessori
Life and a teacher educator at Oklahoma
City University. She is also professor of family services and child development at Rose
State College. She is AMS-credentialed
(Early Childhood). Contact her at edmontes
sorilife@aol.com.
Ungerer, continued from page 3
must have at times, and to validate
each other in agreement and in disagreement.
Here are three concepts with references that I hope you will find useful
in your work with others:
Dialogue
Dialogue—especially “facilitated
dialogue”—is a tool I use to encourage
frank conversations over areas of disagreement with the goal of achieving
resolution. Participants are encouraged to exchange ideas or opinions
with a view to reaching an amicable
agreement or settlement. Dialogue:
Rediscover the Transforming Power of
Conversation by Linda Ellinor and
Glenna Gerard (John Wiley & Sons,
1998) is an excellent resource.
Appreciative Inquiry
My experience with Appreciative
Inquiry (AI) has helped me to view my
work within the AMS community in
ways that can stimulate creative ener-
gies in others and in organizations
without focusing on the negative. AI is
a theory of collaborative change and a
process for facilitating positive change
in human systems (organizations,
groups, and communities). Together we
think about what is possible in strengthening and expanding Montessori
education. It is a methodology that I
encourage you to learn more about
since it will stimulate you to think
about change in a very different way.
A good resource is Appreciative Inquiry:
A Positive Revolution in Change by
David L. Cooperrider and Diana
Whitney (Berrett-Koehler Publishers,
Inc, 2005).
Deliberative Democracy
Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, in creating the organization AmericaSpeaks,
wanted to develop new democratic
practices that would strengthen citizens’ voices in public decision-making.
A major part of her work recently
has included organizing “democratic
renewal town meetings” designed to
help citizens find common ground in
developing long term solutions to
address national problems. The “21st
Century Town Meetings” utilize small
groups and facilitated table discussions, allowing groups of 10 participants to actively listen and learn from
one another, thus experiencing real
deliberation and democracy. Check
out www.AmericaSpeaks.org.
We should hold a mirror up to
ourselves. What do we see about the
way we relate to each other? Do we see
a positive image that parallels the values and practices we promote for our
Montessori children? Or do we see a
different image?
RICHARD A. UNGERER is executive
director of AMS. He welcomes your comments, questions, and ideas. Contact him
at richard@amshq.org.
5
FROM THE PEACE COMMITTEE
A Time to Demonstrate Kindness,
Respect, and Generosity
I
t is hard to believe that almost 10 years
have passed since I delivered an
address on “Moments of Reflection” at
the Teacher Education Committee
meeting in Las Vegas on November 11,
2001, exactly two months after 9/11.
Even though many people were nervous about flying, we showed our
Montessori resilience and gathered in
Las Vegas, a venue used by some of the
hijackers to plot that plan of destruction on American soil.
We were united in grief and calm
in spirit. I felt the common bond of
support as I spoke in a room of silent
reverence.
My message, in the aftermath of
9/11, addressed
• The value of dialogue
• Mutual respect
• Patience
• The work “at home”
• A global network of peace
These points are as relevant today
as they were then. Social networking
has provided us with a platform for
dialogue. However, more often than
not, only individuals with similar
views tend to participate in these conversations, thus isolating themselves
from others with different views. It is
important to listen to opposing views
with mutual respect and see commonalities as starting points for discussion.
We can agree to disagree with some
level of civility, for civility combined
with patience provides opportunities
for problem solving and peace making.
Time has eased our pain but we
have not forgotten the loss we shared
not only as Americans but also as
members of the human family. In spite
6
of many challenges, our Montessori
family has continued to honor Dr.
Montessori’s legacy of peace through
education. Montessorians continue to
undertake tasks of immense proportions in order to relieve pain and suffering at home and around the world.
For example, after the Indian Ocean
earthquake and tsunami of 2004, the
outpouring of compassion and generosity by the Montessori community was
unprecedented. The AMS office led our
community with an appeal on the AMS
website. Soon afterwards, Montessori
children, teachers, and families all over
the world responded quickly and supported the work of local volunteers in
the affected countries.
Long before official action was
taken to deal with the Katrina hurricane disaster, Montessorians joined
together to provide basic essentials
to children and families. They helped
Montessori schools in disaster areas
as well. During the AMS 2009 Annual
Conference in New Orleans, volunteers worked tirelessly to repair and
paint schools and homes still in a state
of disrepair.
Other Montessori groups have
come to the aid of those affected by the
earthquake in Pakistan and more
recently the earthquakes in Haiti and
Japan. The AMS Peace Committee, under
the leadership of Sonnie McFarland,
has led the Montessori community in
identifying service projects and continues to disseminate information about
these projects. These examples reflect
only a fraction of what Montessori
teachers, children and families undertake in their daily lives.
For current information on peace
By Chandra Fernando
activities under the auspices of AMS,
go to the AMS website (www.amshq.
org), click on Get Involved, then click
on Committees, then click on Peace.
There you can access current activities
and/or gatherings for peace as well as
issues of the Peace Seed Connection.
Montessorians continue to focus
on the well being of others without
regard to race, creed, or color. They
have transcended political divisions
and cultural differences. This is the
true Montessori spirit!
To love a beautiful sunset or to look
with wonder on a tiny insect does
not necessarily awaken a greater
feeling of affection towards humanity; nor does a love for art in a man
beget a love for his neighbor. What
is necessary is that the individual
from the earliest years should be
placed in relation with humanity.
What is first wanted is no
patronizing charity for humanity
but a reverent consciousness of its
dignity and worth. (Montessori,
1967, pp. 26–27)
Let us instill in our children the
true value of compassion and kindness. Let us be a beacon of hope in a
troubled world.
Reference
Montessori, M. (1967). To educate the human
potential. Madras, India: Kalashetra.
CHANDRA FERNANDO is program director of the Northern Virginia Montessori
Institute in Ashburn, VA. She is the AMS
2012 Living Legacy. Contact her at
chancy1@earthlink.net.
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7
MONTESSORI MILESTONES
DISSERTATION AND THESIS AWARDS
The American Montessori Society offers
annual awards for graduate-level
work (for outstanding doctoral dissertations and master’s theses) that furthers the public understanding of
Montessori education.
This year’s winners are as follows:
Pedagogy in the United Republic of
Tanzania and the Russian Federation”
2nd place award, winner of a $500
prize: Wendy LaRue, for her dissertation “Empowering Adolescents: A Multiple Case Study of U.S. Montessori
High Schools”
Doctoral Dissertations
1st place award, winner of a $1000
prize: Candy Schnepf, for her dissertation “A Comparative Case Study of
the Implementation of Montessori
Master’s Theses
1st place award, winner of a $750 prize:
Tracy Crawford, for her thesis “Does
Working With Sets Contribute to
Conservation of Number for Young
Children?”
2nd place award, winner of a $250
prize: Shawn Elizabeth Carroll, for
her thesis “Finding Balance Without
Compromising Integrity: Montessori
in the Public School Setting”
Submissions for 2012 research
awards will be accepted through
November 1, 2011. For further information, contact Phyllis Povell at
wwprof@optonline.net.
URSULA THRUSH PEACE SEED GRANT
The Ursula Thrush Peace Seed Grant is
an annual award given to a
Montessorian who has formulated a
project that fosters education for peace.
This grant was created by the
American Montessori Society Peace
Committee to honor the memory of
Ursula Thrush, whose dedication to
fulfilling Maria Montessori’s vision for
peace through children opened doors
to many Montessori educators, inspiring them to include peace education in
their classrooms and communities.
This year there are four recipients,
each winners of an $1100 award. (This
doubles the amount of Peace Seed
grants awarded in previous years.)
Two of the grants were funded by
Lesley Nan Haberman, of The Family
Schools in New York City, and the
other two were funded by the AMS
Peace Committee.
One grant goes to Chicago’s Linda
Bechtle for a project she calls “Incorporating Native American Education
in the Montessori Classroom.” Linda,
in collaboration with the Midwest
Institute for Native American Studies,
has created materials and bibliographies and established a lending library
based on some of the native indige-
8
nous tribes in the Midwest. Her project
will help fund native artists in creating
original art for these materials, developing materials for other tribes, and
completing books that have been
approved by the elders.
Another grant goes to Joyce
Brown of East Fort Worth Montessori
Academy, a charter school in Dallas,
TX. The title of Joyce’s project is
“Breaking the Cycle of Poverty through
Sustainable Montessori Programs.”
This program will provide instruction
in Montessori methods and peace education for teachers and teenage parents
in the African countries of The Gambia
and Sierra Leone, who will in turn
work with orphaned, HIV-positive, and
other disadvantaged children in childcare centers and community homes.
The third grant recipient is Vicki
de Lilla of the South Florida Montessori
Education Center in Lake Worth, FL.
Vicki’s project is called “The Children’s
Garden; Nurtured by Nature.” The
grant will help fund the publication of
a book she has written, of the same
title, about a group of children and
their teachers who planted a garden
and, through it, found their connection
to the earth. The book has a strong
research base for the importance of
children being in nature and includes
activities for helping children move
their spirit toward peace.
The fourth grant goes to Kyndra
Irwin of the Montessori Center
Montessori Center School in Santa
Barbara, CA, for her project entitled
“Picturing Peace.” This project will be
a creative collaboration between elementary students in two distinct educational settings: the Sikkim Rumtek
Orphanages for Tibetan Refugees in
northern India and the Montessori
Center School. Students from both
schools will be documenting both conflicts and peaceful resolutions, with
photographs and text, and they will be
receiving support from a teacher of
Tibetan Buddhism as well as from the
Stanford Center for Compassion and
Altruism.
For more information on the Ursula
Thrush Peace Seed Grant, please contact
Judi Bauerlein at judi4trees@sbcglobal.net
or visit the AMS website. The application
deadline for next year’s grants is February
1, 2012.
AMS 2012 LIVING LEGACY HONOREE: CHANDRA FERNANDO
The American Montessori Society
Living Legacy is an honor created by
the AMS Scholarship Committee to
recognize individuals whose exemplary achievements have had significant
impact within the Montessori community. Donations to the AMS Living
Legacy Scholarship Fund support
future teachers in AMS teacher education programs. Each fall, nominations
are made from the general membership to the AMS office. The nominations are sent to a committee that
reviews applications through the lens
of several criteria: breadth of influence
in Montessori education and general
education, service to AMS, and volunteerism. Recommendations made from
the committee are passed for final
approval by the AMS Board of
Directors. Nominations for the AMS
2013 Living Legacy are due September
20, 2011.
The AMS 2012 Living Legacy is
Chandra Fernando. Chandra is an
active member of the AMS Teacher
Education Committee, and has served
on multiple committees within AMS.
Born in Sri Lanka, Chandra immigrated to the United States in 1963 to
teach at a Montessori school in Long
Island. Visas were not secured for her
family, so she came alone. Eventually,
her husband and two young children
joined her, and the family moved to
Corpus Christi, TX, where Chandra
became
the
first
credentialed
Montessori teacher in the state. In 1968,
her husband died unexpectedly;
Happy Anniversary !
Congratulations to the following AMS-member schools on achieving a significant
anniversary milestone. We wish them continued success in the future.
40th Anniversary
Children’s House of Norman
Norman, OK
Susan Jones Jensen, Head of School
30th Anniversary
Montessori Family School
Berkeley, CA and El Cerrito, CA
Jane Wechsler, Head of School
25th Anniversary
La Casita Bilingue Montessori School
Pinole, CA
Zamahara Rojas Rivera,
Founding Director
10th Anniversary
California Montessori Project
Sacramento and El Dorado Counties
Gary S. Bowman, Executive Director
If your AMS-member school or AMS-affiliated teacher education program will soon be
celebrating a 5-year, decade, or quarter-century anniversary, we want to know about it!
Contact Carey Jones at carey_ink@yahoo.com. Please include your school name, city and
state, and head of school, and put “School Anniversary” in the subject line of your e-mail.
another child was on the way, so
Chandra went home to Sri Lanka for
support. In 1970, she returned to the
U.S. Since then, Chandra has enjoyed
an illustrious career in Maryland
where she founded a teacher education
center, wrote two children’s books
(donating the proceeds to charity),
helped orphanages, schools, and people in need, and received two citations
of appreciation from AMS. Additionally, this mother raised her three children singlehandedly on a Montessori
teacher’s salary.
. . . Mahatma Gandhi summed
it up in one sentence, “The best
way to find yourself is to lose
yourself in the service of others.”
About the Living Legacy honor,
Chandra said: “I am humbled by your
kind words and the honor to be
bestowed on me by AMS. I really don’t
feel I am special; I try to do what so
many people do each and every day, to
serve others to the best of their
ability. In our constant effort to understand ourselves and our world, we seek
ways to explore the hidden paths of life
and try to find the ultimate role we play
in the universe. I think Mahatma
Gandhi summed it up in one sentence,
‘The best way to find yourself is to lose
yourself in the service of others.’”
CORRECTION
In the article “Montessori Elementary
Philosophy Reflects Current Motivation Theories” (Volume 23, Number
1, Spring 2011, p. 26), large and small
bead frames were misidentified in a
photo caption as an abacus. The editors regret the error.
9
MONTESSORI MILESTONES
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
FY 2010
010
FY 2009 FY 2008
REVENUE AND O
OTHER
THER SUPPORT
Dues and Fees
$1,953,984
$1,722,613
$1,765,197
1,483,283
1,157,400
1,368,525
Products and Publications
46,517
86,377
138,080
Heads of Schools Retreat
10,615
8,555
12,600
Royalty Income
44,207
52,326
61,940
Conferences
Advertising
133,053
117,941
126,993
Contributions
332,695
234,147
445,146
Interest Income
41,733
57,652
91,720
Miscellaneous Income
3,071
4,220
5,119
$4,049,158
$3,441,231
$4,015,320
1,025,264
977,958
964,699
TOTAL REVENUE
REVENU AND OTHER SUPPORT
EXPENSES–PROGRAM SERVICES
SERVICES
Membership
Te
eacher Education
358,312
331,774
281,390
Products and Publications
566,830
477,978
488,799
Heads of Schools Retreat
17,183
16,137
15,781
1,307,023
1,063,730
1,323,319
114,833
68,577
39,786
$3,389,445
$2,936,154
$3,113,77
74
Management and General
$225,629
$182,072
$233,703
Fundraising
208,079
145,723
140,610
TOTAL SUPPORTING
SUPPOR
SERVICES
$433,708
$327,795
$374,313
TOTAL EXPENSES
EXPENS
$3,823,153
$3,263,949
$3,488,087
226,005
177,282
527,233
2,382,899
2,205,617
1,678,384
$2,608,904
$2,382,8
99
$2,382,899
$2,205,6
17
$2,205,617
Conferences
Scholarship, Peace and Research
TOTAL PROGRAM
PROGRA SERVICES
VICES
SUPPORTING SER
SERVICES
Increase in net assets
Net assets at beginning of year
ASSETS AT
AT END OF YEAR
NET ASSETS
All financial information presented here is based on the Financial Statements provided in the Independent Auditors Report
prepared by Condon O’Meara McGinty & Donnelly LLP for the American Montessori Society
Society..
10
AMS FINANCIAL STATEMENT
AMS operates on a fiscal, or financial, year
basis. The fiscal year is a 12-month period used
for planning the use of funds and for calculating annual financial reports. Most nonprofits, including AMS, use a July 1 to June
30 fiscal year. For more information, please
contact Joan LaRacuente, Senior Director of
Finance, at joan@amshq.org.
RESTRICTED
RES
TRICTED FUNDS
FUNDS
The Statement of Activities (p. 10)
shows a comparison between fiscal years
2008, 2009, and 2010, including revenues,
expenses, and net assets.
Revenue is any income earned from
services or products sold.
Expenses are debts to others including
accounts payable, principal payments on
debts, and any other accrued expenses
including the ones listed on the chart.
Assets include all property owned by
the organization, including cash, investments,
and other assets that can be used or converted to cash. Net assets refer to the difference between total assets and total expenses.
Restricted Funds (see below) are contributions designated by the donor for a specific use. Funds can be temporarily restricted
to a certain time period or
a permanently
restricted, reflecting the donor’s wish that
the funds may not be spent but are to be
invested to produce a revenue stream.
Balance
Balanc
e as of 06
06/30/09
/30/09
Balance
Balanc
e as of 06
06/30/10
/30/10
$17,377
$22,412
9,909
9,909
Peace Fund
Research Fund
Scholarship Fund
87,310
98,906
Centennial Fund
345,774
285,651
—
50,000
$460,310
$466,878
Gravel Fund*
TOTAL
ASSETS
NET A
SSETS
FY 10
$2,608,904
FY09
$2,382,899
FY08
$2,205,617
*The G
Gravel
ravel F
Fund
und was cr
created
reated
eated in FY10
F
All financial information presented here is based on the Financial Statements provided in the Independent Auditors Report
prepared by Condon O’Meara McGinty & Donnelly LLP for the American Montessori Society
Society..
LETTER TO THE EDITORS
I just finished reading “Montessori Elementary Philosophy Reflects
Current Motivation Theories,” (Volume 23, Number 1, Spring 2011)
and I have to say how much I enjoyed it. I was first introduced
to Deci and Ryan when I devoured Dan Pink’s Drive, so to read
even more about their work in a Montessori publication was not
only reaffirming but it put intrinsic v. extrinsic rewards in a much
better perspective for me.
Full disclosure—I was first drawn to the article because it has
two pictures of students from my school! Nevertheless, it was
my lucky day to see and read a wonderful article.
Thanks to Angela Murray and the Research Committee for
all of the good work you do for AMS and Montessori education.
—Dane Peters, Head of School
Brooklyn Heights Montessori School, Brooklyn, NY
ADVERTISERS
MATERIALS
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In Other Words
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Maitri Learning
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Montessori Outlet
Montessori R & D
Naturalist in a Box
Nienhuis Montessori
Shining Mountains Press
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SCHOOLS
The Right to Learn
SERVICES
inResonance
Moneris Solutions—Simple Simon
10
Inside Front Cover
Inside Back Cover
TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Center for Montessori Teacher Education/
NY (CMTE/NY)
Chaminade University
Chestnut Hill College
Cincinnati Montessori Secondary
Teacher Education Program (CMSTEP)
Columbus Montessori Education Center
Houston Montessori Center
The Institute for Advanced Montessori
Studies (IAMS)
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Lander University
Maryland Center for Montessori Studies
Mid-America Montessori Teacher
Training Institute
Montessori Education Center of the Rockies
Montessori Education Institute of the
Pacific Northwest
Montessori Teachers Education of
San Francisco Bay Area
Montessori Western Teacher Training Program
Montgomery Montessori Institute
Oklahoma City University Montessori
Teacher Education
St. Catherine University
Seacoast Center for Education
Seton Montessori
Summit Montessori Teacher Training Institute
Washington Montessori School
Xavier University
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11
A Look Back
AMS 2011 Annual Conference
On March 24-27, 2011, more than 3000 Montessorians gathered in Chicago for the AMS 2011 Annual
Conference, “A Timeless Promise for Our Changing World.” They were entertained and enlightened
by keynote speakers Sonnie McFarland, Yong Zhao, Ellen Galinsky, and Sir Ken Robinson. In addition, numerous workshops offered the opportunity for learning, networking, and community.
5
4
7
10
12
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2
1
6
9
8
11
12
13
14
15
Photography © 2011 American Montessori Society.
Jerry Speier Photography. All rights reserved.
17
18
#1 Cleaning and repairing toys and musical instruments at the Elliott
Donnelley Youth Center during the conference’s Day of Service
#2: 2011 Living Legacy Sonnie McFarland (holding plaque) and
her family
#3: A musical moment
#4: Got Montessori?
#5: Keynoter speaker Ellen Galinsky on “The Seven Essential Life
Skills Every Child Needs”
#6: Listening and learning at a workshop
#7: Exploring the properties of water at a workshop
#8: 2011 Conference Committee member Fosca White with AMS’s
Doris Sommer
#9 AMS’s Marie Conti gets a book signed by keynoter Yong Zhao
#10: Sir Ken Robinson delivers a keynote address on “Learning to
Be Creative”
16
19
#11: Some members of the 2011 Annual Conference Committee
gather for a picture
#12: Greeting the day with early-morning yoga
#13:Yong Zhao on “American Education in the Age of
Globalization”
#14: Learning about movement activities for young children in
a workshop
#15: In the Exhibit Hall
#16: Munir Shivji, honorary chair of the “Chicago: The Musical”
fundraiser, with AMS’s Kristine Cooper
#17: Hanging out at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
#18 Sonnie McFarland thanks the crowd after her Living
Legacy address
#19: The Ron Harris Music Group hoofs it at “Chicago: The Musical”
To order CDs of conference sessions, go to the AMS website, or contact EGAMI A/V: 817-577-2564 or
montessoritapes@aol.com. Handouts from many of the conference workshops are available on the AMS website.
13
BUILD YOUR
MASTER’S DEGREE
AROUND MONTESSORI
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Earn your AMS credential
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CALL FOR PHOTOS!
We are building our archive of photos
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we welcome high-quality photographs
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• Children with Montessori materials
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We pay $25 for each photo published
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Contact Kathy Carey at edmontessori
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CClassic
l a s s i c Montessori
M o n t e s s o r i TTraining
r a i n i n g for
f o r Today's
To d a y ' s Teachers
Te a c h e r s
American
American Montessori
Montessori Society
Society Affiliate
Affiliate
MACTE
MACTE AAccredited
ccredited Course
Course Offerings
Offerings in
in Early
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Childhood and
and Elementary
Elementary 1
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ighlights
ss
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o n t e s s o r i PPhilosophy
hilosophy
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Development
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C l a s s r o o m Management
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u r r i c u l u m DDesign
e s i g n aand
nd
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trategies
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c a d e m i c Subjects
Subjects
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r a c t i c a l LLife
ife
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ut
T eacher
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um
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Source: U.S. Department of Education,
National Center for Education Statistics.
(2007). The Condition of Education 2007
(NCES 2007–064), Indicator 2.
*Center-based programs include daycare
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nursery school, prekindergarten, and
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17
By Mark Powell
Crossing the Aisle:
A Conversation Among Many
Like many Montessori teachers, I happened upon this lifechanging method by chance. What convinced me to make
it my life’s work was not so much the conversations with
adults who shared this well-kept secret, or anything I read,
but the young children I observed in classrooms managing
their own learning peacefully and cooperatively, and so
intently.
And like many others inspired by Dr. Montessori’s
revolutionary vision, I threw in my lot with this community,
ignorant of the history and politics that divide it. My decision about which teacher education program to enroll in
was made by circumstance and convenience, and not after
any consideration of the differences between the traditions
of AMI, AMS, and other Montessori associations.
Montessori teacher preparation helped me feel that my
work made a difference in the lives of children, that I was
part of a progressive movement making a positive difference in society. Mentioning Montessori to acquaintances
evoked smiles from some, their faces lit by fond memories
of their early childhood classrooms. At last schooling made
sense: education wasn’t about textbooks and passing tests
but about assisting children to think for themselves, about
reforming society from within by rearranging the power
relationship between adults and children.
But more often than knowing smiles came questioning
stares. I had my elevator speech, but each explanation to a
stranger fed nagging questions of my own. Why, after a
century of consistent results around the world, is Montessori
not getting more attention from educational leaders and
government officials? With America’s public education
system crumbling, how could Montessori not be a household word?
Ignorance and conservatism seemed obvious culprits,
but for me they have become less and less satisfying explanations. If the educational establishment is incapable of
appreciating Montessori, why are there public systems
around this country willing to give it a try? I have met
educators steeped in behaviorist traditions who have come
to love and practice Montessori. Barack Obama even men-
18
tioned the M-word in his campaign document, Transforming
and Strengthening America’s Schools for the 21st Century. When
Obama won the 2008 presidential election, it seemed anything was possible. A black family was moving into the
White House . . . perhaps Dr. Montessori could move in
with them!
In a 2009 article for Montessori Life entitled “Is
Montessori Ready for the Obama Generation?” I calculated (with figures provided by Dennis Schapiro at Public
School Montessorian) that Montessori schools account for
perhaps 1½% to 3% of K-12 schools in the United States.
(Accredited schools are an even smaller fraction.) Even
triple this estimate seems too low to have any significant
impact on America’s children. I wondered whether our
small numbers had as much to do with the political and
economic divisions among Montessori organizations as
with forces outside the Montessori movement. Why wasn’t
AMS—the largest organization in the world representing
Montessori teachers and schools, and the public face of the
movement in the U.S.—doing more to actively promote
collaboration and project an effective, unified message to
the general public, to educational researchers, and to our
elected representatives?
In April 2009 I put these questions to AMS executive
director Richard Ungerer. With much experience leading
non-profit educational organizations, Rich understands
the need for Montessorians to consolidate efforts and focus
resources on projecting a strong, coherent image. But in his
6 years as executive director of AMS, he is also aware that
the decades-long split between AMS and AMI, in particular, has worn deep grooves in the psyche of the movement.
Rich is a pragmatist; he was not convinced that there was
enough support in either organization for anything more
than the current cordial agreement of the leaderships to
respect their differences and stay out of each other’s way.
For me, this was an assumption worth testing. I
decided to start a web-based petition to sample the mood
myself. On January 7, 2010, my petition went live at www.
thepetitionsite.com/1/montessori-unity-and-cooperation
with its stated goal “to strengthen the organization of the
Conversations about Collaboration
Montessori community in the U.S. in order to more widely
and successfully promote Montessori education as a practical solution to our current national educational crisis.” It
requests that the leaderships of AMS and AMI meet regularly to discuss steps toward meaningful collaboration, in
particular:
1. the definition of a list of shared essential tenets
about Montessori education;
2. an agreement to hold joint annual national conferences so that members of each organization can
mingle and exchange views about Montessori; and
3. how to mount a jointly funded and operated national
marketing strategy that includes effective use of
the new digital media.
By December 2010 the petition had 412 signatures: 341
responses from the U.S. (representing 41 states) and 71
responses from 26 other countries. The largest numbers of
responses came from California, Illinois, Britain, Canada,
Arizona and Massachusetts, in that order. Just under half
of those who signed declared an affiliation: of those, 66%
held AMS credentials, 22% held AMI credentials, 9% held
credentials from both AMS and AMI, and 3% had credentials from other organizations. Just over half the respondents
stated their roles: of those, early childhood teachers, elementary teachers, and teacher educators were fairly evenly
represented at 16%, 17% and 18% respectively; 14% had
preparation at multiple levels; 21% were administrators;
11% were parents; and 2% were former Montessori students. One teacher of adolescents responded.
A petition is not a survey, so whether the views of
these 412 respondents are representative of the Montessori
community as a whole is unknown. Clearly there is diversity
of opinion, most of it laced with the strong emotions of a
longstanding family feud. Even among my closest AMS
colleagues there was a surprising array of feelings. Some
displayed the indifferent resignation of those who won’t
vote in any election. Many were encouraging or relieved,
but others called the petition divisive because it involved
only AMS and AMI. A few felt that a petition was an inap-
propriate way to promote change, or that promotion of
Montessori in the public sphere is more properly the role
of the International Association of Montessori Educators
(IAME). Some at the highest levels of both organizations
denied that there are significant tensions between the
two associations. And yet those who signed the petition
included several Montessori academics and 20 current or
former AMS officeholders—among them two AMS Living
Legacies, three past presidents of AMS, and a past vice
president of the AMS Board of Directors.
None of the respondents who left comments seemed
in any doubt that a half-century of division has damaged
the Montessori community in the United States. For example, a retired early childhood teacher and head of an AMSmember preschool in Texas left the following comment
when signing the petition:
I was struck by the irony of it all some years ago when I
attended a NAMTA [North American Montessori
Teachers’ Association] conference on peace education.
Here we are talking about how to bring peace and reconciliation to the world, when we can’t even reconcile the
‘warring factions’ of our own beloved community. Enough
is enough, people!…Without trivializing our differences,
we must set them aside in order to have a real impact on
the entire system. If we can’t work together so that more
than just a few thousand children, here and there, can
realize the benefits of Dr. Montessori’s insights, shame
on us! We will deserve to be the educational fringemovement we are today.
Others echoed this sentiment. One respondent referred
to “this silly rivalry” while a school owner from Rhode
Island wrote, “Having training from both institutions, I
strongly believe that it is critical to the future and success
of the Montessori movement to have unity and one organization, or at least cooperation and support between the
two organizations, rather than animosity towards each
other.” Another, from Georgia, implored, “Let us extend a
peace rose to each other and join forces.” One AMI-trained
19
early childhood teacher from California commented that
“AMI and AMS may not actively be working against each
other, but they are not working together for the betterment
of all Montessori schools or to promote general knowledge
of Montessori as a strong and valued educational system.”
An AMS member from Massachusetts with AMI training
wrote:
Having been a school head, a classroom teacher, and a
teacher trainer, I think the time has come to bury this
hatchet and to collaborate and model the kind of citizenship we advocate for our children. The educational
challenges faced by our civilization are enormous. The
differences are less important than the commonalities
and we should pursue peace and cooperation with all
possible speed.
An AMS Living Legacy who signed the petition was
an intern at Whitby School when a faction split from AMI
and AMS was created. She recalls:
Discussions about the split . . . took much of our energy
[and] had a great effect on the ability to train enough
teachers to meet the growing interest of parents. It is time
to forgive and forget and combine our energy and experience to provide a better life for children.
A common refrain was that although AMS and AMI
differ in the ways they do things, Montessorians need to
focus more on our commonalities because to do otherwise
makes us hypocritical in light of the behavior we expect of
our students and less effective in bringing our message to
a wider public audience. Some saw the two organizations’
differences as unimportant because it is ultimately a teacher’s
experience and “willingness to grow, develop, and mature
as a learner” that determines the quality of a classroom.
However, respondents from both sides of the divide
identified the issues of standards as key to easing strained
relations in the Montessori community. A retired administrator from Connecticut summed up a common sentiment
succinctly: “AMS could use some tightening of standards,
and AMI needs to let go of the past and allow the Montessori
system to change with the times.” Similarly, a well-known
AMI-trained administrator, AMS teacher educator, and
consultant who views himself “as an ecumenical independent” wrote that “the differences between AMI and
AMS could be the springboard and catalyst for a fresh and
updated inquiry into Montessori ‘best practice’ in classroom pedagogy as well as teacher education.” One respondent from Texas with 35 years of experience teaching at all
levels and administrating an AMI school commented that
The differences that I see between AMS and AMI are
basically that one is geared more toward understanding
Montessori as a philosophy, a way of being in the world,
and the other more toward utilizing the methodology as
a way to enhance academic achievement. . . . A strong
national, reinvigorating effort by both AMS and AMI to
strengthen and standardize the philosophy and methodology would go a long way toward re-establishing Montessori
as being in the forefront of resolving our educational
crisis and adapting to the social challenges educators
are facing.
An AMS-trained administrator from Colorado identified the stumbling block this way:
I do think that there is a reliability about AMI training
while other versions (whether it be AMS, the former
NCME, or the “Here’s the albums; now answer the questions and get a certificate”) have a broad range of quality
and that, as a parent, you may not find yourself in a successful Montessori environment simply because it bears
the [Montessori] name.
Montessorians need to focus more
on our commonalities because to do
our students.
20
Photograph by Jude Keith Rose
light of the behavior we expect of
Photograph by Frida Azari
otherwise makes us hypocritical in
Similarly, a charter school administrator from
California with both AMI and AMS training offered
a similar observation:
I do believe that we need to address teacher training programs. There is a discrepancy between the standards that
is reflected in the classroom practices. There must be an
increase of the number and distribution of high quality
teacher training programs. They must also be affordable
and scheduled so that people with jobs can take them during the school year on weekends at universities or colleges
that offer a dual degree program.
From a newcomer’s perspective, an assistant teacher
from Arizona who wanted to pursue training found it
. . . confusing and terribly inconvenient that there are
two major organizations heading Montessori training,
with two different focuses. And, schools attaching themselves to one or the other, limiting themselves from highly
qualified candidates who didn’t have the foresight to
train with the “right” organization. Stop the infighting
and join forces to make Montessori training as strong as
it should be!
And then there were the comments of a few others,
like this public Montessori principal from Washington,
who has “witnessed firsthand the gifts of both AMS- and
AMI-educated teachers working side-by-side to provide
the very best school community imaginable.” These examples inspire optimism that although impediments to greater
collaboration may still exist at an organizational level, “not
only can it be done, it is being done at a local level” wherever teachers celebrate one another’s differences, work
collaboratively, and keep their eyes on the child. If such
local instances of the integration of teachers from different
training affiliations are to be emulated at the organizational
level for the good of the wider Montessori community,
the concerns of the teachers, administrators, parents, and
students who responded to the petition will need to be
reflected in the priorities of those who represent them in
their associations.
A Conversation Eschewed
Why have these issues and concerns, voiced so passionately by a cross-section of Montessorians responding
to the petition, not been addressed more directly at the
institutional level?
The Association Montessori Internationale has striven
to protect its universal and timeless inheritance through
tight and corporate quality control of the schools that bear
its seal of approval and the guides prepared by its handpicked cadre of trainers in full-time, 1-year postgraduate
diploma courses available at about 50 locations around
the world. To achieve “recognition,” the highest level of
accreditation with AMI, schools must place at least one
teacher with AMI credentials in every classroom. (There
are other stipulations that can be accessed at www.
montessori-ami.org; go to AMI-USA > Schools > School
Recognition). Thus, the 2010 AMI School Directory lists 36
“associated” schools, four “affiliated” schools, and 176
“recognized” programs nationwide, though some of these
216 programs are part of the same school.
Conversely, the American Montessori Society, it seems
to me, was founded on the belief that the end users of the
Montessori philosophy and method can and should be
trusted to implement it in ways that best meet their community’s particular needs. AMS teacher education is available in a variety of shorter, more accessible models at
roughly 100 locations mostly in the United States. These
programs often blend more modern educational theories
and practices with the Montessori Method, and tend to
have less restrictive requirements for those who serve as
teacher educators, with variability among teacher educa-
Photograph by Paula Keller
21
tors in terms of their years of classroom experience and in
terms of their academic degrees. For a school to achieve
full AMS accreditation, all teachers must have credentials
but these can be issued by AMS, AMI, NCME, or another
MACTE-accredited teacher education program. AMS
teacher education programs are accredited by the
Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
Commission (MACTE), and their quality is seen by some
(including many signers of the petition) as variable. The
AMS website (www.amshq.org) publishes a directory of
nearly 1,200 member schools worldwide, although only
154 U.S. schools and four international schools have full
accreditation.
The tactful coexistence between AMS and AMI begs a
conversation that is no longer engaged in at an institutional level in public. I wondered if it might be possible to
have the same conversation with Rich Ungerer as well as
his AMI counterpart. However, Virginia McHugh Goodwin,
the executive director of AMI/USA, declined to be interviewed for this article, stating in an email to the author
that she and Rich Ungerer “have a very amicable rapport
and strive to support one another whenever it is appropriate.” In November 2010, Rich agreed to a more formal
interview continuing our previous casual discussions.
With the help of Konsul Peter Hesse I was able to connect
with André Roberfroid, president of AMI, who agreed to
answer the same questions. What follows are edited transcripts of separate Skype conversations, 10 days apart,
with Rich in his office at AMS headquarters in New York
and André at his home in Vétraz-Monthoux, France.
A Conversation With Richard Ungerer
Powell: What are the most urgent challenges now for the
Montessori movement?
Ungerer: Number one is to find a
way to raise the visibility of Montessori
education. We all believe very strongly
that Montessori education is a tremendously powerful philosophy and
method, and we know it works, but
we are all concerned that more people in the public are not aware of
Montessori education . . . parents,
school officials, state officials, federal
government, many of them don’t even
know that Montessori education exists! Many of our colleagues
will say “Show me the research findings, the data that proves it’s
effective, and I think we’re all aware that there isn’t that kind of
proof that demonstrates why it’s more effective.
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Powell: Why do you think Montessori is still such a small
percentage of the U.S. school system after a century of
growth?
Ungerer: Montessori independent schools are growing incrementally, and could grow more, but the challenge is that parents
have to be able to afford tuition. So I see small, incremental,
and, I hope, more aggressive growth in Montessori private
and independent schools, but it’s still going to be a very tiny
percentage. The real opportunity or challenge is in public and
charter schools, where most children are and where children can
gain an education without their parents having to pay private
school tuition. Why aren’t governments embracing Montessori
education? That’s where I have questions; I don’t have answers.
I’ve worked with the Office of Education (before it was the
Department of Education), in state government in Massachusetts,
I’ve worked with city schools in New York. I’ve seen so many
‘fads’—action learning, project-based learning, drug education—
it seems like every year something new is coming along . . . .
I think our public officials are very suspicious of a new form of
education named after a person, even if it goes back a hundred
years . . . . I can’t think of any other example where the public
sector has taken a dramatic turn toward some new type of education. Even with Obama’s embracing charter schools, he talks
about innovation, “Race to the Top,” and I often say, well, what’s
at the top? What is the form of effective education that is so
innovative, and I find very little, lots of debates, and to me
Montessori should be right at the top, but it’s just not being
embraced.
Powell: What are the roles of AMI and AMS in the
Montessori community as a whole? Are they parallel roles,
do they overlap, or do they serve different functions?
Ungerer: In the U.S. I think we both have very parallel missions—
we’re all about supporting Montessori schools, and having some
form of standards of quality. [AMS] has a more formal approach
to school accreditation than AMI does. Teacher education—we’re
both very involved in that, and again we have a more decentralized, diverse system for setting standards. We have over a hundred
MACTE-accredited programs affiliated with AMS. AMI, as I
view the organization, has a more formal—I don’t know if narrow is the right word—but a pretty straightforward way of what
they think a quality teacher should look like coming out of their
program. And we both have our teacher membership organization, looking for ways to serve members through information—
newsletters, magazines, conferences, workshops. And we both
have an interest in more research and public policy. Since we’re
larger, and have more staff and resources, we’re obviously able to
do more. AMI is smaller, but the model of the organizations is
pretty parallel.
Powell: Do you think it’s important for AMI and AMS to
collaborate more purposefully in promoting Montessori as
a successful alternative to traditional education?
mutual interests. We do have a general culture of believing in
partnerships, collaboration, joint ventures, working together,
but it’s at that more generic level.
Ungerer: In the policy arena—absolutely! This past summer
AMI and AMS joined together at the invitation of the U.S.
Department of Education to participate in a briefing on early
learning. It was a very small step, but it was the kind of thing
we want to do more of, not only with AMI but with other organizations. It’s a matter of finding opportunities with policymakers. . . . to help them understand the power of Montessori, and
then to find ways that they can learn more about what we’re
doing. Another area would be marketing and public relations.
We both have very, very modest resources to do that. There may
be differences in the way AMS and AMI define Montessori, but
to . . . the public and to policymakers, the major challenge is to
understand Montessori education. So in that sense we have
a common mission. To the extent we can join forces, join resources,
then it’s clear that we can have a greater impact. That’s still a
major challenge because there’s a tremendous amount of work to
be done, both at the national level and in each of the 50 states.
Powell: What are the impediments to greater collaboration between AMS and AMI?
Powell: The historical reasons for the original split between
AMS and AMI, between Nancy Rambusch and Mario
Montessori, are well documented. But what are the reasons—philosophical or organizational—that keep them
separate now?
Ungerer: I really think we need to find the answers to that question. We need to find a way for educators in AMS and AMI—
and other groups—to come together and really understand the
differences and similarities in method. Some of it may be with
how quality schools are defined, some of it with an approach to
teacher education. My hunch is that there are some differences,
but my prediction is that there is a lot more we have in common.
The one I hear most often from my colleagues is that an AMSaccredited school will hire a broader array of qualified teachers.
My understanding is that most AMI schools generally will not
consider a teacher with an AMS credential. To many of my
AMS colleagues, this is a sticking point. We’re so busy doing
our own thing that I don’t spend much time worrying about
AMI. If I can get people interested in Montessori, I’m less
concerned about whether they’re in an AMS or AMI school.
Powell: What is the policy of AMS towards collaboration
with AMI?
Ungerer: It’s positive, but we as an organization are working
right now to find mechanisms to be more proactive in having policies. Our formal policy likely will be to collaborate with AMI
and other Montessori organizations on projects where we have
Ungerer: The greatest one has to do with time and resources.
Then it’s a question of whether there is a will—is this a priority?
I think there’s interest there for greater communication that will
lead to greater collaboration. But I wouldn’t generalize. I run
across people at board level, staff level, member level, in all of
those categories, who are very eager to have those conversations,
and I run into people at all levels who are more cautious who ask
“Why, what’s in it for us?”
Powell: What do you think AMI and AMS need to communicate about?
Ungerer: Two things: education policy and raising the visibility
of Montessori education. A third topic of communication would
be enhancing quality standards. I think we have a lot to learn
from each other about the challenge of how to define standards.
Multi-age groupings is another that I hear so many different
conversations about.
Powell: What opportunities do you see for the leaderships
as well as the rank and file of the two organizations to
communicate about these important topics?
Ungerer: A good opportunity would be the AMI Congress in
Oregon in 2013. I’ve been waiting for someone to invite me
into their planning process. . . . but I’m done waiting and am
now going to take the initiative in asking to be included in that
event [Editors’ note: in March 2011, after giving this interview,
Ungerer did hear from AMI]. For an AMI member who has only
limited funds to go to a professional development event I’m not
sure there’d be much interest in an AMS conference over an
AMI refresher course or other event. Just as I think many of my
members would feel the same—even though I’m not sure AMI
is as open to our members. The difference with the International
Congress in Portland, OR is that it’s a global event and the rhetoric I’ve seen is that [AMI International] wants to encourage
openness and dialogue. So I want to take them up on it and see
what we can do. I have some ideas, but I really want to start
early on helping them to plan. . . . but they have to be willing to
invite me into their planning process.
Powell: In many circles I move in, both AMI and AMS, as
well as from comments left on the petition, I have heard
the belief that AMI represents the “true Montessori way”
23
and that the quality of AMS schools is at best variable.
Some people on the AMS side resent what they see as selfrighteousness on the AMI side. Do you think this is an
accurate impression and could it be part of the cause of
the persistent separation between the two organizations?
Ungerer: It’s a perception that I hear too. I’m not the one to say
whether it’s accurate. My priority is to get the key people from
both organizations to have a conversation—not just an email,
but around a table for a day or two—really trying to address
that question, trying to talk about whether it’s philosophy,
whether it’s the method or the history, trying to give examples.
My own hunch is that there will be more commonality than differences. In talking to people, I find that they frequently go back
to personal experience. . . . like when you talked to me once
about an AMI school to which you applied and were not even
offered an interview, or another person I know who was AMIeducated and has left that community and is now part of the
AMS community and has very strong feelings about this issue.
So I have to believe that sometimes when adults do what they
do, often it goes back to childhood.
Powell: Do you think, personally and as executive director of AMS, that there is a need for stronger leadership of
the Montessori community in the U.S. and/or worldwide?
Ungerer: I would say absolutely yes! But I think the strategy
would be for leaders of AMS, AMI, and other organizations to
come together and define the need for that leadership. And in
defining that need, I think it’s obvious we’ll be more successful
in raising visibility, quality standards, public awareness, public
policy if we work together. Working together means a higher
profile and a more effective leadership.
Powell: But you just listed some obvious needs there! Are
you saying that there is not agreement that those are the
needs of the Montessori community?
Ungerer: I think there’s a superficial awareness that there are
needs, but when it gets down to specifics, then I think we have
a lot more conversation to engage in. If there was a threat to our
existence, a conflict, a crisis, then I do believe that’s when organizations come together, out of survival instinct. But short of a
threat to our existence or an obvious opportunity, it’s going to
take time.
Powell: Isn’t the threat to the American child represented
by the accelerating collapse of the traditional public education system enough?
Ungerer: The film Waiting for “Superman” makes a very
24
compelling statement about the plight of inner-city schools
serving disadvantaged children. If you ask what might the
Montessori community do about it, then it’s the beginning of a
conversation. I’m not sure there are answers, because much of
the Montessori experience I’ve observed is in the private and
independent schools, and we’re not going to set up many private
and independent schools in the inner city. We can promote more
public and charter schools, but that again is another challenge.
If you take the Super Bowl ad idea that Trevor Eissler came up
with as an example, initially people thought, “Wow, this is a
neat idea. Let’s get big time major air time!” But when people
started to look at it and wonder if this was really the way to go,
then I saw a lot of caution, a lot of negativity—“This won’t
work”—and it’s a big hurdle to get over.
Powell: What level of interest or awareness does the
Federal Department of Education have in Montessori, and
what recent steps has AMS taken to capitalize on any new
awareness that was awakened by your recent meeting
with them?
Ungerer: Well, that meeting was in September 2010, the
C.A.P.E. [Council for American Private Education] Board meeting. This was a group of private and independent schools, even
though several of the groups like Waldorf, AMI, and AMS represent public and charter also, but the majority are the faithbased groups and NAIS [National Association of Independent
Schools]. We had an hour with Secretary Duncan. It was a meeting we had been trying to schedule for over a year, and we were
almost close to the point of giving up, that he was never going to
meet with us. I heard a very sincere willingness to better understand the role of private and independent schools in American
education, and to look for ways to support private and independent schools, look at ways that funds can go to private schools.
We also talked about charter schools—I think he really believes
that charter schools are an opportunity for achieving innovation
in education reform.
Powell: Do you think Secretary Duncan, and his Department,
appreciate the potential of Montessori, specifically to revitalize education, or was he just being inclusive?
Ungerer: I think he was being inclusive, but he does know
about Montessori education. I believe a family member’s children are at a Montessori school in Chicago, and he was at
Clark Montessori for the graduation ceremonies in Spring 2010.
So I can say that he is aware of Montessori education. I think the
challenge is that he’ll say things like, “Wouldn’t it be fantastic if
we could take some of those components of Montessori education
that are effective, and bring them into public and charter schools.
My observation is that one of the things that is unique about
Montessori is that it is philosophically a very comprehensive
approach to the learning of the child, and it’s not like you can
take one little piece and replicate it in a school. I don’t think he
understands that, or—maybe that’s presumptuous of me—if he
understands it, I don’t think he sees the federal government and
the Department of Education as promoting any one unique
approach to education.
What may also help, more with the public, is our ambitious
new website, launched early in 2011. It is dramatically more
robust and more navigable than the old website. We hope we’ll
be able to attract resources and hundreds of thousands of families
who will see not just an article about what is Montessori, but
famous people like Maya Angelou endorsing AMS, and information on graduates who have done remarkable things. Our current
website and tradition has been to serve our members—our
schools, our teachers, and teacher ed programs. The major addition to those three stakeholder groups will be the public—families and parents. We’re not assuming “build it and they’ll come”
because we also need to develop a more robust public relations
initiative, and that’s going to cost money. That’s what I call
“stage two.”
A Conversation With André Roberfroid
For André Roberfroid, AMI’s elected president, there
is a conversation Montessorians must have with one
another. Like Rich Ungerer, André
Roberfroid brings an outsider’s
perspective to his leadership of
AMI, as well as skills learned
through decades coordinating
humanitarian agencies and fighting to improve children’s lives in
a variety of war-torn developing
countries, including Congo, Yemen,
Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Mali, and
Rwanda. As UNICEF’s Deputy
Executive Director for Program and Strategic Planning,
André developed and implemented programs for children
in extremely difficult circumstances. Both André and Rich
are in their 6th years leading the largest and oldest organizations in Montessori education.
André, like Rich, clearly appreciated the opportunity
to engage in this discussion, and both interviews lasted
over an hour. I began with the same questions asked of
Rich Ungerer, although each conversation took its own
direction.
Powell: What are the most urgent challenges now for the
Montessori movement?
the Montessori movement has demonstrated over the last century
that the method is effective, useful, and can help societies to
develop better generations. We know how it works in the classroom. We do not know how to stimulate the development of the
Montessori method in large numbers—that is, in public systems.
If we want to have an impact on the world’s children, we will
need to achieve a capacity to influence the world of education in
a manner that is much, much more effective than what we have
done so far.
Powell: Do you think that Montessori does offer a credible
alternative to traditional education on a large scale?
Roberfroid:Yes, I believe so, and that’s not just wishful thinking. Over the last 5 years I’ve been traveling extensively around
the world and I’ve witnessed two things. First, there is a consensus around the world that the traditional education system does
not work. And that’s true in the U.S. as well as in South Africa
and China or in Europe, or anywhere. Number two is that wherever there is an approach to education that is transcendent—that
is, based on the conviction that the capacity exists within the
child and that it is the role of education not to impose anything
but to stimulate existing capacities—there are many, many experiences of various kinds that all work. The question is, how do we
convince traditional authorities—that is, ministries of education
and the like—who by nature are conservative, and have a hard
time to accept any change.
Powell: Why do you think that the number of Montessori
schools remains so low, a century after the introduction of
this successful method?
Roberfroid: I think there is one element that I see everywhere.
It’s the fact that the Montessori approach to education removes
one major element in the status of teachers and educators—it
removes the element of power, the element of domination. And
that approach, as much as it is stimulating the natural capacities
of the child, it is very unnatural for the adult to give up its
dominating capacity over the child. That is a change that is
extremely difficult to achieve, and very few among the educationalists are prepared to do that.
This being said, I observed recently in the emerging world
that the resistance of the conservative educationalists is much
less there than it is in our countries because their systems are
newer than ours. I have had clear indication in both India and
China that people are aware that their potential for the future
depends on their capacity to unleash the potential of their children. And they are very much open to these new approaches to
education. The strong conservatism of the former systems is
much less effective than it is in our own countries in the West.
Roberfroid: The challenge is, to me, numbers. That is, I think
25
Powell: In what ways do you think the Montessori community can organize itself better to have a greater impact
on the education system worldwide, in Europe or in the
U.S.?
Roberfroid: Yes, that’s a key question of course. The Montessori
world is currently divided, and too often (particularly in the
Western countries) acts as a system of competition based on the
U.S. system where education is almost a commercial product.
We need to move away from that by recognizing that the Montessori
movement is rich with its diversity. We should never think that
the answer will be to overcome our small technical differences. I
believe that most Montessori outfits of various kinds do share
the essentials of the method—which is the centrality of the child,
the feel of the multiple age group, and a supportive role for the
teacher rather than a dominating role. When these three elements
are there, we are in Montessori. We must put in front the importance of the child rather than competition between school administrators. Too many Montessorians consider education as a commercial product. Countries where education is a commodity are
facing many more difficulties than others in unifying the movement. And by unifying the movement I am not talking about
unifying everything that we all do. We must not put as a condition
that we need to do all the same things. We need to agree on certain
very basic principles and then continue to do what we do best.
Powell: So you’re saying that there are so many organizations representing the Montessori community because of
this preoccupation with competition in education?
Roberfroid: That’s one element, yes—I believe it’s a major factor. Then second is quarrels of theories. It looks to me sometimes
a bit Byzantine. The reality is that these two organizations [AMI
and AMS] are actually in competition for a market. I do recognize that there are differences in theory, but that is not the real
problem, and we are missing the boat if we think that we will
sort out the problems between us by discussing theories and
willing that one must win over another. If we do that we will
not progress.
Powell: In many circles I move in, both AMI and AMS,
I’ve heard the belief expressed that AMI represents the
“true Montessori way” as envisioned by Maria Montessori,
and that the AMS represents a watered-down popularization of Montessori. Do you think that impression is accurate?
Roberfroid: I would certainly not present it in that way. To
describe the situation in that way is a recipe for immobility,
for creating impotence. I believe that AMI does represent an
instrument of training in the Montessori method that has
demonstrated its value. And when I say that I am not talking
26
about what the others are doing, and I refuse to talk about it
that way! I’m not willing to make any judgments. I’m simply
saying, as President of AMI, that the training process that we
have for teachers is . . . I wouldn’t say the best, but it’s probably the most demanding for teachers.
We believe that our courses have a thoroughness and depth
because in order to qualify to deliver AMI training, a trainer has
first to have completed a minimum of 5 years (3 years in one
school) Montessori teaching, and this has to be authentic, high
quality teaching, and also completed a minimum of 3 years of
in-service trainers program. So those trainers authorized to take
responsibility for delivering courses must have been deeply
involved in the work for at least 8 years before passing on their
knowledge to prospective teachers. This is indeed a very demanding process, requiring high level of motivation and personal
dedication.
And, fine, that’s something that might be considered positive, and that others may consider an obstacle because it is sometimes considered too demanding. So be it! We are supporting
and promoting the training process that is demanding, that is
putting a lot of emphasis on the need for the teacher to transform
from within in order to truly evacuate the attitude of domination
over the child. And in normal experience that usually requires
an immense effort on the part of the teacher. Others are putting
emphasis on something else. Fine and good! I am not willing to
enter into any kind of judgment on what’s being done—only the
impact on the children is what counts to me. The impact on children can be various—as long as it produces progress, I will
support it.
Powell: My own daughter is in a school that is AMSaffiliated where most of the teachers are AMI-trained. Do
you believe that it’s important for AMI and AMS to collaborate more purposefully to promote Montessori?
Roberfroid: I believe it’s essential that we collaborate, but the
best collaboration is just what you mentioned—a school that
calls itself AMS with a lot of AMI teachers is fine for me. What
I think is wrong is for a school to be qualified as AMS or AMI.
I believe our role is not to promote schools, but to promote the
training of the best possible teachers we can, and then let them
go and be fruitful. I believe that having schools that are labeled is
creating the competition. That would mean that an AMS school,
even though it has AMI-trained teachers, would be different to
an AMI school with the same kind of teachers?
Originally there was a matter of ego and problems between
people in the origin of the movement, and I will not dig into that
because the past is the past and we should look forward to the
future. Looking worldwide, we have started developing AMI
training of teachers in close collaboration with the Chinese
authorities. But it is clear to me that if China decides to go to
scale—meaning, not training 200, 300, or 500 teachers a year,
but 2 million—it won’t be done the same way. The sheer problem of numbers will create a different situation. We will have to
adapt the way we operate—not change the principles, but the
way we operate. Going to scale at that level is something the
Chinese ministry knows how to do—we don’t. It’s not, in my
view, reasonably possible to have China operated with AMI
schools—this is simply nonsense! But to have China that will
train the future generation based on the principles of the
Montessori method with teachers trained in the best possible
way and continuously progressing, that’s what I’m aiming at.
And our role in that will be developing with our partners the
best possible ways of teacher training. To me, that’s the key.
The emphasis of the Montessori movement for me is not on the
schools but on the teachers.
Powell: One of the main reasons for the division between
AMI and AMS in my experience has been the exclusivity
of AMI training. AMS schools are allowed to employ AMI
teachers, but AMI-affiliated schools are not allowed to
hire teachers without AMI training. However, most future
Montessori teachers don’t know about this division when
they enter the movement, and there’s no overarching
authority to tell them that one training program is more
rigorous than another.
Roberfroid: The last thing I want to do is to see AMI continue
to consider itself exclusive. We have been and I plead guilty for
that. If some people, including within AMI, are saying it’s
“us or nothing,” I think they’re wrong. I think that we must,
at all costs, maintain the level of excellence in the way we are
training, and I would be very happy if many others are doing
the same. What we need to continue to provide to the world at
large is a training process that is not only excellent today but
will continue to progress.
A training center operating as we do in AMI is normally
(not always, but most of the time) producing teachers that are
delivering a more effective Montessori education—that is true.
But so it is that an engineer who is trained at Caltech is probably better trained than an engineer trained in a technical college
in North Dakota, would you agree? And still, the question is not
to say that one is an engineer and the other is nothing. I’m not
sure that the U.S. would be better off if every single engineer
had been trained at Caltech. So it’s a matter of being reasonable
also in the way we are approaching the world. We need to strive
for excellence continuously, being aware that success will not be
universal—it is never—but will be a process that will be looked
at by all those who are training as the model of excellence and as
something to try to emulate, not to compete with.
So what I am trying to say here is that I think there are various degrees in the level of excellence in the way we are doing
Websites and Sources of Montessori Information
www.amshq.org: American Montessori Society
www.montessori-ami.org: Association Montessori Internationale
www.iame.com:International Association for Montessori
Educators. Autonomous post-secondary membership organization; see website for mission and vision statements
www.jolapub.com: Publishes Public School Montessorian
and other related Montessori publications
www.macte.org: Montessori Accreditation Council for
Teacher Education. International standard-setting and
accrediting body for Montessori teacher education
www.michaelolaf.net: Papers on Montessori philosophy
www.montessori.edu: International index of schools and
teachers
www.montessori.org: The Montessori Foundation
www.montessori-namta.org: North American Montessori
Teachers Association
www.montessori.org.uk: Resource for information, employment, schools, etc., in the United Kingdom
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/montessori-unity-andcooperation/ Petition sponsored by Mark Powell
things. And I’m not saying that a teacher is necessarily better if
trained in an AMI center because, believe me, I know there are
some AMI teachers who are no good and I know some AMS
teachers who are very good. There is nothing mechanical in that.
What is true is that our training system is more demanding and
therefore more susceptible to obtain the best from our trainees.
It is not better because it’s AMI, it is not better because it was
founded by Maria Montessori, or its history. When it has become
a commercial argument to say, “My school is AMI therefore it’s
better for you to bring your children to me rather than to the
school next door that is AMS!” that is a matter of business, that
is the worst possible situation to me.
The U.S. is the only country in the world where there are
AMI-labeled schools. We do not accredit schools, except in the
United States. In Europe there is no such thing as an AMI
school. There are only AMI training centers or courses. No
schools. In the majority of countries in Europe, public education
represents 90% of the education system. Therefore the concept of
competition for a market hardly doesn’t exist. People consider
27
education as a public service.
Powell: So what percentage of schools in Europe would
you say are Montessori?
Roberfroid: A very small percentage . . . because we have not
been able, nor willing, to approach the public system, which
represents probably 90% of schools in Europe. It’s very difficult
because there the conservatism is at its highest. Again, I do not
believe that a breakthrough will come neither in Europe nor in
the U.S. but in the New World where some of these obstacles are
less heavy. And then the influence will come back to Europe and
to the States.
Powell: What opportunities are there for the AMI and AMS
to collaborate in bringing Montessori to the minds of the
public and also to governments?
Roberfroid: I think we should start by seizing every opportunity
to be together on any occasion that is possible. Certainly my
intention is to have our coming International Congress in
Portland, OR be truly a Montessori congress. Organized by
AMI, no question, but open to others. I want to seize every
opportunity to attend conferences together, to get used to seeing
each other and talking to each other. I am aware that the division
has been extremely deep, and very difficult to overcome. There is
a lot of suspicion. I have the privilege of coming from outside.
Basically I am not a Montessorian. I believe in what is done, but
my loyalty goes to children, and there will be no compromise on
that. At our Centenary celebration [in Rome], some people from
AMS were there. I attended the celebration of the Centenary in
New York organized by AMS. I believe that this slow process of
getting used to working together will achieve it, starting for us
to invite AMS people to talk at our various conferences and the
other way around.
Powell: Do you think that the main impediment to greater
collaboration between AMI and AMS is the differences
between their training traditions?
Roberfroid: The obstacle is not that we have different ways of
training, it’s that there is this perception of exclusivity. We have
to accept the differences and accept each
other. As I said, not everybody is going to
Harvard. And that’s fine—and the world
would probably not be too good if everyone
was going to Harvard. But Harvard is there
as a beacon—and that’s what we should try
to be, not because we are AMI but because of
the way we operate, because of the process
we are supporting, because of our work,
because of what we do, not because of what
we are. I think it’s very, very important to
28
have that modesty, to say that it’s not enough to be called AMI,
it’s what we do that counts.
I think that one of the contradictions that we are living in,
is that as Montessorians we are preaching that education is certainly not about power. It’s about guiding and supporting and
respecting, and that’s what we do in our classrooms. That’s what
we tell our teachers to do. And when it comes to organizing the
movement, power has come back as an element that has been
very negative, I believe. So, what I’m saying is very simple. I
want the movement to behave as Montessorians.
Join the Conversation
Conversation builds community, encourages collaboration, and can lead to convergence. You can participate by
leaving comments online at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/
montessori-unity-and-cooperation/. The petition will be
available for several more months, then delivered to the
leaderships of both organizations.
Although there is some agreement on the important
characteristics of a Montessori classroom, there are many
things about which Montessorians disagree. Does the
Montessori philosophy and method apply universally to
children of different cultural backgrounds across the world
at all times, or does it need to be adapted to suit different
cultures and updated over time as societies evolve? Did
Dr. Montessori leave us with a complete set of presentations and materials for each age group, or should teachers
be encouraged to add to or update their albums as they
see fit? What place should digital technology have in
Montessori classrooms? Which model of teacher education
produces effective teachers and the best results in classrooms? Does Montessori’s method need to be adapted to
work effectively in a public school setting? Montessorians
of different persuasions tend to have strong opinions about
these and other issues based on their personal experience,
but as a community we have yet to produce enough objective scientific evidence to support definitive answers to
these questions—evidence that can excite the attention of
academic researchers, governments, or a critical mass of
support from parents.
Montessorians look back to Dr. Montessori for guid-
ance and inspiration. Let us also look
forward, without bias or the constraints
of dogma, to a future where Montessori
education plays a more significant role
in the education of children in the
United States and around the world.
References
Obama-Biden Campaign. (n.d.). Reforming
and Strengthening America’s Schools for
the 21st Century. Retrieved October 20th,
2008 from www.barackobama.com/
pdf/issues/education/Fact_Sheet_
Education_Reform_Speech_FINAL.pdf.
Powell, M. (2009). “Is Montessori Ready
for the Obama Generation?” Montessori
Life, Vol. 21, No. 2, Summer 2009.
MARK POWELL has been an educator
for 17 years, 14 of those in Montessori
elementary classrooms in the Boston area
and most recently in the San Francisco
Bay Area. Mark is also a teacher educator
with the Center for Montessori Teacher
Education, New York. This fall, he will
become 6–12 co-teacher at Ameican International Montessori in Berkeley, CA. His
is AMS-credentialed (Elementary I, II).
He lives in Berkeley with his wife and 2year-old daughter. Contact him at mipowell
@sbcglobal.net.
Expand your knowledge and
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Shaping the future of education!
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MMI is affiliated
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Did You Know?
If you missed the AMS 2011 Annual
Conference in Chicago this past
March, you can still hear from the
keynote speakers:
Sir Ken Robinson at www.ted.com/
speakers/sir_ken_robinson.html.
Yong Zhao at http://zhaolearning.
com/2009/08/07/no-child-leftbehind-and-global-competitiveness/.
Ellen Galinsky at http://www.cbs
news.com/8301-500803_16220003607-500803.html.
29
Children’s
Memories
of their
Montessori
Experience
By Joyce Tatsch
A
30
s an Early Childhood Montessori
teacher of 26 years, I have always
wondered what impressions I was
making on the absorbent minds of my
students. Thus, I decided to conduct a
survey at the Princeton Montessori
School (PMS) in New Jersey, a school
serving age levels from infants through
middle school.
I designed a series of five to six
questions about memories of activities, teachers, and friends for all current K-8 students with a minimum of 1
year of Montessori schooling and for
former students for whom we had
contact information (Total Responses133: Kindergarten-33, Elementary-70,
Middle School-13, Graduates-17).
All current students from K-middle
school responded and 17 out of 38
graduates responded. Questions posed
varied slightly in wording and in the
method of inquiry according to age
level, but remained the same in content, i.e. for Ks “What do you remember about your toddler class?” For
Elementary and beyond, “What do you
remember about your early days at
Princeton Montessori School? Infant?
Toddler? Primary? Jr. 1 or Jr. 2? Which-
Children’s memories of school, of teachers, of friends—wouldn’t
you be fascinated to learn what sticks in your students’ minds
one year or five or twenty years from now?
ever applies to you?” and a final question only for former students and/or
graduates of PMS, “What do you find
that you learned at Princeton Montessori
School has helped you the most in your
school years or in your life experience?”
Teachers asked younger children
questions and wrote the responses for
them. Older children responded independently and graduates responded to
an online questionnaire. Questions progressed as follows: students responded
to questions about memories from
previous classes on what they enjoyed
doing throughout the day, what specific
activities they remembered and enjoyed,
if there was anything they did not like
to do, and what they remembered
about their teachers and their friends.
Graduates were asked an additional
question regarding the most valuable
thing they learned at PMS.
One example of the survey results
is the response from Xan, age 25, who
recalled her teachers telling her that
she had an affinity for doing chores in
the classroom. She mentioned she continues to find a lot of pleasure in cleaning and organizing the spaces in which
she lives and works. “I think PMS
enhanced this innate trait by instilling
a sense of responsibility in students
about their surrounding environments.”
Another student remembered, “I
learned how to walk at school and said
my first word ‘ball’ because we always
played with big bouncy balls.”
Montessori students’ positive and
detailed responses suggest that concrete materials did make a difference
in their learning processes. Monica S.,
now 32, remembered learning how to
spell and do math in Primary. “We had
these letter sets with clear “Es.” The
teacher always showed me that the
clear ones were silent “Es.”
Responses also revealed the influence of teachers and impressions of the
Montessori philosophy on the students.
One of many responses in this vein was
from Albert K., age 25.
The inculcation of true independence
in the students by way of the teachers’ attitudes and the teaching methods was crucial. If I take anything
away from Montessori, it is this. I
think that the ability to decisively act
and make concrete decisions without
input from superiors (or anyone) is a
valuable life skill that has served me
(and I’m sure many others) well in
academia and in life.
In the questionnaire children were
able to make more than one response
to the question What do you remember
about your class? Most responses to
the question fell into the following categories: Work-49, Friends-26, Outside
Play-20, Teachers-16.
What Do You Remember
About Your Class?
Teachers 16
Outside
Play 20
Work 49
Friends 26
Respondents vividly recalled memories of their work in all areas of the
classroom. Many children remembered
sequential food activities, i.e. apple
preparation, eating popcorn with chopsticks, or math activities, such as long
chains and fractions using Hershey
bars. Language, science, art, and geography works were included. A graduate recalled the “freedom to explore . . .
baskets of possibilities with an entire
day before me.”
Interactions with friends and unsupervised access to them in an outdoor
environment are positive and essential
contributors to the development of the
“whole” child. “No homework, reading
buddies, recess 2x a day” was a typical
comment from an elementary student.
Many elementary children recalled
twice-a-day recess time.
Only 16 students mentioned teachers, perhaps indicating that these
Montessori teachers seemed to be
successful following the traditional
Montessori teacher role of one who
remains in the background and entices
the child to learn through direct access
to the well prepared materials within
the child’s reach. Children perceived
teachers as helpers, comforters, or
guides as opposed to the traditional
classroom where the teacher clearly
leads and controls the flow of the day
and imparts information. Children
described teachers as “kind,” “helpful,”
“patient,” and “caring.”
Results imply that these Montessori
teachers direct children toward independent learning through free choice
and access to an attractive, rich, and
carefully created environment designed
to meet the sensitive periods of each
child. One graduate remembered the
QQ or Quick Question, a sign-up sheet
for children who have questions about
assignments that needed clarification
used by PMS elementary level teachers. “QQ was cool and you could sign
up for a lesson if you didn’t understand it,” the graduate said. Another
recalled her experience in Primary: “I
looked forward to going to school,
especially Primary—so much to explore
and be creative with.”
When students were asked, Which
works do you remember? Did you have
a favorite work?, the largest number,
44, chose food work. Creative activities
followed with mentions by 34 respondents while 49 mentioned either math
or language activities. Twelve students
noted that extracurricular activities were
a vital component of their education.
Children expressed fond memories
of apple, pickle, banana, cereal, and egg
work in Primary. “Shaking cream to
make butter” was one comment. Their
love of food continued later in Elementary with Cooking Club, a time for
socialization, relaxation, and comfort.
Following in popularity were creative
activities such as blocks, painting,
drawing, and musical performances.
Children mentioned math and language most frequently among the
31
About The Work?
Language 21
Math 28
Creative
Activities 34
Food 44
Extracurricular
12
academic subjects they remember.
Algebra, quadratic equations, number
roll, and counting beads received honorable mentions. Timothy, age 13,
remembered “stretching out a tape
with my friend to measure the blue
whale. We got tangled up in it, it was
hilarious.” Concrete materials such as
chains, beads, strips and Mortensen
math materials were prominent in elementary students’ responses. Comments
regarding language were mostly related
to reading and to the written word
versus the frequently used complementary objects and pictures used for
pre-reading and writing.
Extracurricular choices included
music in the classroom, opera productions, ski trips, cooking club, ceramics in
art class, playing instruments, and more.
Children spoke fondly of extracurricular
activities such as ski trips, play productions, and art shows. A 12-year-old had
positive memories of “Recess, cooking
club, and math. They were all our
fun social times.” Graduates recalled
their extracurricular activities as having
an influence on their career choice.
Participating in the school opera influenced two former students who are now
in the performance field.
When responding to What did you
enjoy doing the most throughout the
day (not just the work)?, children of all
ages favored being outdoors, mostly
32
engaging in free play to run and socialize
with their friends, i.e. “outside on the
slide,” “swings,” “recess.” Organized
activities such as ski trips, ice skating,
playing parachute, gardening, and climbing on the play car were also mentioned.
Students also indicated their love
of coloring, self-portraits, play dough,
art class, painting, and drawing.
Friends were cited as a critical
component of the student’s day. Students responses reflected a preference
for activities that involved friends.
Usually when a child didn’t like an
activity (as indicated in the question
Was there anything you did not like to
do?), it was because of negative interactions or responses from peers.
Twenty-six children responded “no”
to Was there anything you did not like
to do? Others said things such as “I
liked everything about this school. I
am going to miss it.” “I didn’t like to
stop playing to eat.” Negative responses related more to social interactions: “children made fun of me”, “getting into trouble for something I didn’t
do,” “getting in fights with G.”
Work activities were rarely mentioned in this vein. Children mentioned
running the mile, singing in circle,
sharing in circle, fitness (“because I’d
watch big kids climbing the rock wall
and I got jealous”), fire pole and monkey bars (“I was afraid I would fall”).
Responses suggest that children
have negative memories of group activities where they may have felt inadequate or were embarrassed in front of
their friends.
About Your Teachers?
150
120
90
60
30
0
Positive
Mentions Activity Negative Misc.
by name related
What Did You Enjoy Most
Throughout the Day?
Art
Activities
9
Friends 20
Work 32
Recess,
Gardening,
P.E. 88
Snack,
Lunch,
Naps
22
The questions Do you remember
any of your friends? What do you
remember about them? and, for elementary students and graduates, Have you
made many new friends since primary/or outside of school or do you
have mostly the same friends? received
balanced responses. Almost all children
remembered at least one special friend
or a small group of peers they played
with. Some of the kindergartners’ comments were “Katie, she didn’t talk to
me, she wore a pink shirt.” “Hannah
started to like puppies, not dogs.”
“Ishika wanted me to walk together.”
Older children have many new
friends, but have retained PMS friends
through Facebook or reconnected occasionally at social gatherings like sports
events and school functions. One student said she had some new friends,
but is still close to one friend from PMS
who left at 2nd grade.
The question What do you find that
you learned or are learning at PMS
that has helped you the most in your
school years or in your life experience?
was asked of middle school students
and graduates.
Responses from 13 middle school
students showed they felt their
Montessori experience helped them
academically, personally, and socially.
McKenna, age 13, spoke of “study skills,
kindness, respect, acceptance.” A 12-year-
old student said, “preparation for high
school, real life skills.” He added, “I
learned who I was and who I wanted to
be.” From John E. age 13, “I was shy at
first but now I am a strong confident
leader.” “Organization, time management, honesty, respect, responsibility,
leadership,” said Julia E., age 13. Finally, a
12-year-old had this insightful comment:
“Always remember your homework or
have plenty of homework passes!”
Many of the comments from 17
PMS graduates indicate that students
considered their Montessori background to be a great asset in their later
school experiences and careers. High
on the list of responses were independence, time management, self-direction,
respect, freedom, being an active participant, and appreciation of arts.
One graduate compared her present career to her learning experience.
“Now, as a college professor, I continually struggle with the challenges of
teaching: how to inspire students, to
push them further than they have gone,
to create a creative learning environment, to encourage them to take risks,
whether they succeed or fail, and to
make the learning experience more
about them than it is about me.”
Daniel M., age 28 and an actor,
reflects on performing in the school
operas that developed his love of acting.
Daniel’s sister Tessa, age 26, an attorney
in the military, wrote,
Using the most of senses you can
engage. I incorporated that knowledge into my study strategies
throughout high school, college, and
law school. It also taught me that if
you continue to be proactive, you
can seek out learning experiences
everywhere and I have sought them
out around the world by looking for
experiences and opportunities that
might not otherwise be apparent.
Katherine S., age 30, mentions reading several Montessori books and incorporating a lot of what she learned into
her current early childhood teaching.
“For example,” she says, “the importance of setting up an environment
and allowing children to work undisturbed are two ideas I use regularly.”
This study suggests that the
Montessori approach as practiced at
the Princeton Montessori School works.
Results in areas of memories of classroom
and favorite works are consistent in supporting the use of concrete materials
for internalization of abstract concepts. Responses from all areas of this
study at PMS provide support for
Montessori educators’ implementation of the principles of independence,
freedom to choose, socialization, and
movement in their classrooms. Students
participating in the study liked food
work because they could eat, move
around, and share. They enjoyed and
remember the concrete materials, especially the math materials because of
their beauty and concrete quality. All
levels enjoyed being outdoors and
those in the Elementary and Middle
School programs, in particular, liked
having specials, not only because of
the activity, but because they developed skills while having fun.
Further corroboration of comments
from PMS students is found in a study
conducted by Lillard and Else-Quest
comprising 53 control students and
59 Montessori students reported in
Science (Lillard, Else-Quest, 2006, 18931894). They found significant advantages for the Montessori group over
the control group for ages 5 through 12
years in cognitive, academic, social, and
behavioral skills that were selected for
importance in life.
References:
Lillard, A. & Else-Quest, N. (September, 2006)
“The Early Years: Evaluating Montessori
Education,” 29, 3135795,1893-1894,
www.sciencemag.org. Retrieved Oct.
10, 2010.
JOYCE TATSCH has taught at Princeton
Montessori School as an Early Childhood
teacher for 26 years and presently teaches at
the Princeton Center for Teacher Education
where she has been an instructor in Practical
Life and Community Development for 17
years. Contact her at jtatsch@pmonts.org.
Questions asked of Kindergartners:
1. What do you remember about your
toddler class?
2. What do you remember about the
work? Did you have a favorite work?
teachers?
4. Can you remember what you liked
doing the most?
5. Is there anything you remember that
you did not like doing?
6. Do you remember any of your
friends? What do you remember about them?
Questions asked of Elementary
I and II students:
early days at PMS? Infant? Toddler?
Primary? Jr. 1? (Whichever applies to you)
2. Which activities do you remember? Is
there any one that stands out in your mind?
3. Was there anything you did not like
to do?
4. What did you enjoy doing the most
(during the entire day, not just work period)?
teachers?
6. Have you made many new friends or
do you still have mostly the same friends?
Questions asked of Middle School
students, PMS former students and
graduates of PMS:
early days at PMS? Infant? Toddler?
Primary? Jr. 1? (Whichever applies to you)
2. Can you name some of the activities
that you remember?
3. What did you enjoy doing the most
during the course of your day (during the
entire day, not just work period)?
4. Was there anything you did not like
to do?
teachers?
6. Have you made many new friends or
do you still have mostly the same friends?
7. What do you find that you learned or
are learning at PMS that has helped you the
most in your school years or in your life
experience?
33
The Gift of Silence
It is only in solitude and silence that our life is really present,
that we are truly responsive to the heartbeat of the universe
and free to contemplate the miracle of existence. (Lane, p. 19)
By Cathleen Haskins
I live in a small fishing village in
Wisconsin, a state often alluded to as
the land of cheese and beer, grazing
dairy cows, waving wheat fields, and
towering sunflowers. It is a place of
amazingly beautiful lakes, bountiful
parks, and persistent, enduring cold
and snowy winters. My neck of the
woods is the northern part of Door
County, a string of quaint little villages
bustling with tourists during summer
months, then vacated by all but the
locals and occasional winter visitors
the rest of the year. People from all
over the world make Door County
their vacation destination, referring to
it as the Cape Cod of the Midwest.
They come to enjoy the natural beauty,
Lake Michigan, inspiring sunsets, and
all of the renewing, restorative powers
offered by the simplicity, charm, and
natural wonders of the area.
Last November, my niece Amy
and her two young children visited us
for Thanksgiving. They arrived late on
34
Wednesday evening. “Ohhh,” Amy
whispered as she breathed in the still,
crisp night air, “It’s sooooooo quiet.”
We paused, wrapped in the beauty of
the moment, looking up, listening,
when 4-year-old Nora added her
unsolicited approval. “I like it,” she
said in her soft voice. “I like the quiet.”
We moved here, in part, for the
cycles of activity and solitude that the
seasons offer. The vibrant summers
(the shops and restaurants reopening,
the tourists arriving, the music and art
communities expanding), and then the
change and calm that descends each
autumn: the putting away and closing
up, the emptying out and shutting
down. And with winter comes the
great gift of quiet, spreading like a
blanket over the peninsula, humbly
offering silence, the serenity of solitude. I need this slowing down time.
We all need some slow, silent time
because it brings a peace that anchors
us to our essential selves, to that inner
place of stillness, self-reflection, creativity, and calm. Paradoxically, we
human beings tend to feel uncomfortable, if not fearful, in silence. This is
understandable when one considers
how our lives have been stripped of
silence and solitude with and replaced
by noise, restlessness, entertainment,
and action.
Trappist monk Thomas Merton
wrote about solitude and silence, spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh teaches
about it, Mother Teresa spoke of it,
spiritual guide and author Eckhart
Tolle addresses it, Jesus spent 40 days
in it. From Christianity to Buddhism,
Hinduism to Judaism to Quakerism,
the practice of silence has held particular significance. At the same time,
engaging in times of silence or practicing periods of solitude are not born of,
nor do they belong to, any particular
religion, but are rather of a spiritual
nature.
Slowing down, quieting the mind
and body, and experiencing silence
nourishes the spirit. Montessori educators are mandated to cultivate not
just the intellect but the whole child.
We recognize that nurturing the spirit
of the child is part of what makes this
form of education work so well. Thus,
it seems important to ask:
• What are the benefits of stillness
and silence for children?
• What do exercises in stillness
and silence for children look like?
• What about a place in the classroom designated for practicing silence?
What would that look like?
When I was teaching I created a
poster that read, “Don’t just do something, sit there!” Those words were
not my own, but I liked the concept
because that message suggested a shift
in my active, productivity-based life
toward the notion that non-action has
merit. It is a radical movement away
from the widely held belief that has
taken deep root over the last half century, in which activity and productivity are the true measures of success
(Don’t just sit there, do something!),
and promote busyness over rest and
efficiency over craftsmanship (Carl
Honoré, 2004, p. 122). This is the same
paradigm that values output more
than inward-focused attention and
values intellectual progress over inner
growth. Yes, we do want to see children engaged in purposeful work, but
introducing them to the benefits of
non-doing will serve them as well.
Today’s children have inherited an
unbalanced childhood agenda and
lifestyle, too often consisting of perpetual daily activity and fraught with
adult oversight and omnipresent technology (and lacking quiet moments).
Lured by such cultural icons as largescreen TVs and vehicles with DVD
players, children become dependent
upon external devices to fill what
might otherwise be quiet moments of
observation or contemplation. Rushed
from one event to another, shuttled off
to summer classes and camps, or
immersed in adult-structured tasks,
Photograph by Cathleen Haskins
How Silence and Stillness
Benefits Children
Montessori was captivated:
there is little time to do nothing or just
to be. But children, just as adults, benefit immensely from non-doing. When
children engage in non-doing, it isn’t
so much about emptying out (as it may
be for some adults practicing specific
forms of meditation) as it is about making room and slowing down for inner
experiences. Children need to have time
to meander, to observe, to wonder, to
stroll along a trickling stream, to lay
beneath a shade tree on a warm day, or
to ponder the night sky.
Exercises in
Stillness and Silence
Teachers can help children experience the benefits of balancing doing
(activity) and being (stillness and
silence) by preparing a space and
offering opportunities to engage in
stillness and silence activities during
the school day. Maria Montessori
developed the Silence Game when she
recognized (and sought to understand) the love and desire children feel
for silence. She described how she
discovered accidentally children’s
extraordinary love of silence while
holding a tiny baby wrapped up in
blankets, surrounded by children. The
baby lay peacefully in her arms, and
when Montessori asked if they could
be as still as the baby she held, she was
amazed at their response. “I should
never have believed that children
could love this mysterious, simple
thing called silence so much”
(Montessori, 1989, p. 54).
All the children lent themselves
to the task, not it must be said
with enthusiasm, since enthusiasm
implies something that is impulsive
and openly manifest. But here was
something that rose up from a deep
desire. The children all sat perfectly
still breathing as quietly as possible, having on their faces a serene
and intent expression like those
who are meditating. Little by little
in the midst of this impressive
silence we could all hear the lightest sounds like that of a drop of
water falling in the distance and
the far off chirping of a bird.
(Montessori, 1982, p. 126)
Montessori understood that stillness is the precursor to silence, and
she explored this further by providing
opportunities for children to become
still and create silence, helping them to
pay attention to each part of their bodies as they worked together in this
endeavor. She emphasized collective
effort and cooperation, necessary for
group silence, and she found that the
children expressed great interest and
delight in achieving silence.
It is important that the teacher integrates into his or her own understanding the value of non-doing. If she does
not fully accept the benefits of taking
time for silence, most likely she will
urge the child onward to get busy with
“real work.” By doing so, the message
is sent to children that moments of stillness and silence are not a valuable use
of time. I once worked at a public elementary school where some of the
faculty did not want benches or picnic
tables on the playground because they
feared the children would sit and do
nothing. And yet, “just sitting” is beneficial! The task of the adult is to understand silence and stillness in a different
way, not as a demand from adult
authority but as a doorway to the sanctuary of the inner self.
35
Inner Awareness
As technology has advanced and the
world has gotten progressively noisier,
it is more difficult to find places where
silence can be found. Montessorian
Aline D. Wolf captured this topic in
her little book for children, I Want to
Hear the Quiet (2001), in which she
brings the child’s attention to all of the
noises in an ordinary house on an
ordinary day—the television, washer
and dryer, radio, video games, vacuum cleaner, and more—making it hard
36
roadblock to concentration. For example, consider a time you were reading
in a quiet environment, yet your mind
was distracted by other thoughts. You
realized that because your active mind
interfered with your ability to concentrate, you didn’t really know what you
just read. Although inner silence is the
more difficult silence to cultivate, it is
the more important kind of silence,
because even when our environment
is quiet, if the mind is turbulent, it is
nearly impossible to achieve deep or
lasting concentration. Montessorians
want to help children achieve normalization, which is dependent upon concentration obtained through work.
Experiences in stillness and silence can
be launching pads in the elementary
classroom for further discussion on the
role of internal silence on focused
attention and concentration.
to think. It’s important, she suggests,
sometimes to turn everything off in
order “listen to the silence” and to
hear one’s own thoughts. With simple
language, Wolf reminds the child to
turn inward.
It is true that, from the time they
wake up in the morning until they go
to bed at night, children’s environments are awash in noise: dishwashers, garbage disposals, coffee grinders,
blenders, music, computers, and cell
phones. Going outdoors, we can add
lawnmowers, leaf blowers, snow
blowers, and rototillers, as well as car
alarms and the noise from traffic, aircraft, and trains. This storm of noise
poses an obstacle to looking inward.
“Silence,” says Montessori, “often
brings us the knowledge which we
had not fully realized, that we possess
within ourselves an interior life”
(Standing, 1984, p. 226).
Mindful Awareness and Presence
Photograph by Cathleen Haskins
Two increasingly popular practices, mindfulness and meditation, are
based in stillness and silence, and
there is a small but growing body of
research on their benefits, some of
which is being conducted on children
in schools. Canadian researchers
working with fourth through seventh
graders found that a mindfulness pilot
program had a positive effect on optimism, attention, and introspection
(Suttie, 2007). Visitors to the Mayo
Clinic website (Mayo Clinic Staff,
2010) will read that meditation exercises such as yoga, qigong, and mindfulness promote calm and inner
peace by “building skills to manage
stress, increase self-awareness, [focus]
on the present, and [reduce] negative
thoughts.” Furthermore, painter, author,
and educator John Lane, in The Spirit of
Silence, Making Space for Creativity
(2006), argues that silence is the source
of infinite creativity. Referring to
Emily Dickinson, Henry David
Thoreau, Paul Cezanne, and Thomas
Merton, he says, “All spoke of the
importance of silence and solitude as
the conducive ground for creativity
and a focused awareness of the miracle of existence” (p. 50). In this vein,
stillness and silence activities can be
introduced to children with the expectation that possible benefits include
awareness of the inner self, improved
attention, mindful awareness and
presence, increased calm, and increased
creativity.
. . . silence is the source of
infinite creativity.
Attention
From personal experience we are
aware of the elusive nature of concentrated attention, the ability to focus
exclusively on one subject. Our attention is easily split by distractions.
External noise is not the only barrier to
attaining focused states of mind. Our
own internal chatter also acts as a
Concentration is a single-point focus, to
the exclusion of all other thoughts or
surrounding activity, whereas mindfulness, as described by author Jon Kabat
Zinn, is “. . . paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present
moment, and non-judgmentally. This
kind of attention nurtures greater
awareness, clarity, and acceptance of
present-moment reality” (1994, p. 14).
By paying attention to our own breath,
we can become more mindfully aware.
In The Mindful Child, Susan Kaiser
Greenland (2010, p. 63) shares an activity she devised called the Clear Mind
Game in which she adds baking soda to
a clear glass container of water and stirs
it up until the water is no longer clear.
“This is like your mind when you’re all
jazzed up and feeling excited,” she tells
children. “But by focusing on your breathing, you can settle your emotions down
and see things as they really are, just as
when the baking soda settles to the bottom of the container and you can see
through the water again.”
In silent mindfulness exercises,
children focus on their own breathing,
learn to pay attention to the sensations
in their bodies, and become more aware
of themselves and their surroundings.
Mindfulness is an experience in slow-
ing down, increasing clarity, and heightening sensory awareness. Simply put,
Creating a Silence Place
Making space for a Silence Place in the classroom can be as simple as a small
table in a corner, a comfortable chair near a low window, or a cushion on a rug in
an out-of-the-way area. Choose a quiet place away from foot traffic. A low
divider or shelf partitions can define the area. If space allows, include a shelf for
peace objects or activities. A simple art print, a plant, or fresh flowers add to the
aura of peacefulness. Students should have free access to this place with a reasonable time frame agreed upon for a visit. An exact amount of time need not be
stipulated but sometimes it is helpful to give students a general idea of how
much time they may spend in the space. Consider a small clock for older children, or a sand timer for younger children.
Activities to Enhance Stillness and Silence
Below, I have described a few of the items I have made available for children in
my classroom’s Silence Place.
Zen Rock Garden
For centuries, the Japanese have
created gardens of harmoniously
arranged rocks and white raked gravel,
creating silent retreats for peaceful
contemplation. This ancient process of
arranging stones and raking sand is a
calming activity and even very young
children enjoy using the miniature
rakes to create paths in the sand
around the pebbles. This activity can
be purchased or handmade.
Japanese Brush Painting
Although more expensive (available through Montessori Services or
local toy stores), the brush painting
activity is a welcome addition to the
Zen Rock Garden
Silence Place. Using a tapered brush
and a small amount of water, images
can be created on a special board that
sits on a large sturdy easel. The design
that appears as black ink slowly disappears as it dries.
Pendulum
A pendulum set on a small table
provides a quiet, restful activity. Put a
small amount of sand in the base and
watch the designs created as the pendulum swings back and forth. (Also
available through Montessori Services.)
Mandala Peace Ring
I first found a peace ring for 50
cents at a Goodwill Store years ago.
Japanese Brush Painting
Beautiful multicolored beads representing the diverse colors of life and
earth are arranged on seven silver
rings that represent the continents and
the oceans. The peace ring is used by
gently manipulating the rings to create
different shapes. Originally created as
an aid in Buddhist meditation, it is a
natural fit for the Silence Place.
Individual Silence Game
The Individual Silence Game is a
simple, easy-to-put-together activity
that is a must-have in Montessori
classrooms. In a basket place a small
rug (different from work rugs), a 3- or
5-minute sand timer, a doily for the
timer to sit on, and a sign that reads
SILENCE. Present this to the children
by removing the items carefully and
slowly from the basket, placing the
doily on the rug, the timer on top of
the doily, and the SILENCE sign facing
outward as a reminder to other students not to interrupt. Sit in a crosslegged position, still the body, and
begin watching the sand run through
the timer. Encourage children to observe
the sifting sand until it has all has fallen to the bottom. Remain sitting for a
minute or so more, then place the
timer, doily, and sign aside. Roll the
rug and return all items to the basket.
Mandala Peace Ring
37
mindfulness is about being in the present moment. For children, exercises
in mindfulness have the potential to
increase calm, reduce stress, improve
attention, act as a natural conflictresolution tool, and cultivate compassion (http://mindfulschools.org/about
mindfulness).
Creativity and Problem Solving
Artists, authors, painters, poets, and
scientists have long extolled the
virtues of silence in the process of creating. Author Anne LeClaire was
already an established writer with a
lifestyle that was fast-paced and frenzied when she became interested in
the study of solitude and decided to
engage in 2 days of silence every
month. “Stillness centered me and
allowed me to focus . . . . this kind of
attention to our work—complete and
without interruption, an undisrupted
concentration—enables us to tap into a
groundwater of creativity not readily
available when our attention is fractured” (2009, p. 132). Children, like
adults, need quiet time to mull over
ideas, to contemplate and reflect. If
creativity rises up when the mind is
still enough for ideas and visions to
surface, then children need time to be
quiet or “bored” enough to let in their
own creative thoughts. When the surroundings are quiet and the mind
slows down, there is space available to
organize thoughts and for new ideas
to germinate. “Solitude,” wrote Ester
Buchholz, “is required for the unconscious to process and unravel problems.
Others inspire us, information feeds us,
practice improves our performance, but
we need quiet time to figure things out,
to emerge with new discoveries, to
unearth original answers” (Buchholz,
2010).
Cultivating Calm
One August, just prior to the beginning of my second year as an elementary Montessori teacher, as I was setting up my classroom the principal
38
informed me of a new student
enrolled in my third-grade class. This
young boy (I’ll call him James) had
tried to hurt himself just 3 months earlier. Although I was a new Montessori
teacher, I had years of experience
working with children of all ages in
many different environments. Nevertheless, I was concerned about meeting the needs of this little boy.
I had just read Aline D. Wolf’s
book Nurturing the Spirit of the Child
(1996) and had decided to create a
place in my classroom to include one
or more of the simple silence activities
she suggested. Since we were a small
country school and my classroom was
at the end of a short hallway, I found a
suitable space directly outside the
classroom door. Here, where a large
window provided a view of the pastoral country setting, I hung a poster
of a young child on the grass holding a
small bunny, and on a small wooden
table I placed a homemade Japanese
rock garden. On a wicker chest I placed
a large, thriving philodendron plant.
It was simple, but James, a tense,
hesitant, though very sweet child, was
clearly drawn to it; he used it often (as
did other children). At first, when he
seemed anxious or uncertain of what to
do next, I would encourage James to
spend some time in our Silence Place.
Having come at age 8 from a traditional educational classroom into a
Montessori learning environment, this
was quite a change from his prior elementary experience, and it took him a
while to grasp that this special space
was available to him at almost any time.
It wasn’t long before he was comfortable enough to make that choice for
himself. I observed that this simple
quiet activity of placing the small stones
in the sand and then raking little paths
around the pebbles in the rock garden
really seemed to calm him. Sometimes
he just sat and looked out the window.
At the end of the year he gave me a
hand-drawn picture of himself in the
classroom; across the top he had writ-
ten, I love this class and wish I could be in
it next year. After that, I was never without a Silence Place in my classroom.
Time For Silence
Consider incorporating a daily
inner peace time into the classroom.
Prepare for such a time by discussing
with students what this time is for and
how it should be used. Some guidelines for keeping this time simple and
workable are:
• Focus inward; it is a time for quiet.
• Choose a place to sit or lie where
you are least apt to be interrupted or
distracted.
• Activities allowed include daydreaming, resting, reading, journalwriting, drawing, or coloring.
• Doing nothing is absolutely
acceptable.
• Holding a 20-minute inner peace
time following the noon recess works
especially well because it is a perfect
transition from high-energy recess
activities to calmer in-class activities.
Conclusion
Montessorians are aware of and
open to implementing activities and
providing experiences that cultivate
the spirit of the child, because we
know that our work is about more that
just an alternative education experience for children; it is a holistic approach
to child development. We realize that
we have the opportunity and responsibility to nurture the spirit of the child.
Yet Montessori reminded us that when
the spirit is well-tended, so is the intellect, and that little reminder may be
enough to encourage us to contemplate our own classrooms and reflect
on how we prepare our environments
to protect and nourish the spirit of the
child. We have already been introduced to the sacred splendor of silence
in the classroom through the Silence
Game. Are we able to look more
deeply and with a broader vision at
other inward exercises and experi-
(DUO\&KLOGKRRG
7HDFKHU&HUWLÀFDWLRQ
ences in stillness and silence? If yes,
then we give children what no textbook will: the knowledge that they
have an inner life, which is a source of
concentration, mindful awareness,
calm, and creativity.
References
Buchholz, E. www.psychologytoday.com/
articles/199802/the-call-solitude.
Retrieved March 3, 2010.
Greenland, S. K. (2010). The mindful child.
New York: Free Press, A Division of
Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Honoré, C. (2004). In praise of slow: How a
worldwide movement is challenging the
cult of speed. London: Orion.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there
you are. New York: Hyperion.
Lane, J. (2006). The spirit of silence: making
space for creativity. White River Junction,
VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.
LeClaire, A. (2009). Listening below the noise.
New York: Harper Collins.
Mayo Clinic Staff. Mayo Clinic. Meditation:
Take a stress-reduction break wherever
you are. www.mayoclinic.com/health/
meditation/HQ01070. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
Montessori, M. (1989). The child, society and
the world. Oxford: Clio, Ltd.
Montessori, M. (1982). The secret of childhood. New York: Ballantine Books.
Suttie, J. (Summer 2007). Mindful Kids,
Peaceful Schools. Greater Good: Science
of a Meaningful Life. http://greater
good.berkeley.edu/article/item/mind
ful_kids_peaceful_schools/. Retrieved
February 7, 2011.
Standing, E.M. (1984). Maria Montessori,
her life and work. New York. Penguin
Books Ltd.
Wolf, A. D. (1996). Nurturing the spirit of
the child in non-sectarian classrooms.
Hollidaysburg, PA: Parent Child Press.
Wolf, A. D. (2001). I want to hear the quiet.
Westminster, MD: Parent Child Press.
http://mindfulschools.org/about-mindfulness. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
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REVIEWS
BOOKS
A Good Read
By Cindy Clevenger
Darwin was plagued throughout his
life by serious stomach issues, and we
observe his obsession for meticulous
documentation. We even gain insight
into why it might have taken him so
many years to actually publish his
work—a delay that lends considerable
suspense to his life story.
Superbly researched and
engagingly told, [Krull’s]
new book is extremely
accessible and appropriate
for readers 10 and up.
Charles Darwin
By Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by Boris Kulikov
New York: Viking, 2010
Hardcover: $15.99
In this book, biographer Kathleen Krull
has illuminated the fascinating and
very human side of her subject,
Charles Darwin. Superbly researched
and engagingly told, her new book is
extremely accessible and appropriate
for readers 10 and up. Imagine, for
example, the dilemma of a young
Darwin passionate about collecting
beetles, when, with two interesting
specimens already in hand, he spotted
a third oddity. The solution? He
popped the last one in his mouth for
safekeeping, with rather undesirable
consequences.Through the course of
the book, we learn of a boy with difficulties at school, who reveled in the
natural world, and relished experimenting in a laboratory where he and
his brother enjoyed setting off explosions as well as replicating complex
experiments. We read about a young
man who found it impossible to
become a doctor as his father had
dreamed, because the sight of blood
made him woozy. We learn that
46
Charles Darwin is the latest in
Krull’s Giants of Science series, a collection that brings the world’s greatest
scientists to life as very human individuals, while distilling their ideas
and contributions into comprehensible
prose. Other scientists portrayed thus
far are Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac
Newton, Sigmund Freud, Marie Curie,
and Albert Einstein. The reading level
is appropriate for older elementary
and middle school students and, certainly, the subject should be of interest
to Montessorians. With evolution at
the core of Montessori’s cultural curriculum, it seems that this book is a
must for any well-stocked Montessori
elementary library. It is not only a
great book for independent reading,
but also can serve as a read-aloud with
plenty of fodder for discussion.
Krull points out that great discoveries are made by “standing on the
shoulders of others.” During Darwin’s
lifetime ideas of evolution were certainly in discussion, but it was he who
determined the mechanism by which
the process unfolds. Through incredibly meticulous collection and study, he
determined that organisms changed
over time not as a result of some random or strictly predetermined process,
but as a result of natural selection and
the survival of the fittest.
Kathleen Krull is an award-winning author best known for her biographies. She is the author of the highly
acclaimed Lives of series—books that
highlight the lives of famous musicians, writers, presidents, women, and
even pirates. Her popular picture books
include such subjects as Wilma
Rudolph, Cesar Chavez, and Dr. Seuss.
Check out her website at www.kathleenkrull.com.
The book’s illustrator, Boris Kulikov,
graduated from The Institute of Theatre,
Music And Cinema in St. Petersburg,
Russia. Since 1997 he has lived and
worked as an illustrator in Brooklyn,
NY. His work has been chosen in different years as “Best Books Of The
Year” by The School Library Journal,
Publishers Weekly, Child magazine, and
Time magazine.
#FDPNFB.POUFTTPSJDFSUJmFEUFBDIFSUIJTZFBS
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“St. Kate’s Montessori program
is the cream of the crop.”
Amy E. Frazier
Rhein-Main International Montessori School
Frankfurt, Germany
Our Montessori programs and faculty are internationally recognized for innovation, professional connections, flexible
study options and credentials you can take anywhere in the world.
s3TARTYOURCAREERBYEARNINGYOUR!MERICAN-ONTESSORI3OCIETY!-3TEACHINGCREDENTIALTHROUGHOURSUMMER
intensive program in St. Paul.
s!DVANCEYOURCAREERWITHA-ASTEROF!RTSIN%DUCATIONTHROUGHOUR!-PROGRAMWITHOUTINTERRUPTINGYOURLIFE
It’s nine months of Web-based study and one weekend on campus. Credits earned for your AMS, AMI or other
credential count toward your master’s degree.
s/URWORKSHOPSSTAFFDEVELOPMENTTRAININGAND!-3CERTIlCATION
can be customized to your school system and implemented
on site anywhere in the world.
Center for Contemporary Montessori Programs
%XTsSTKATEEDUMONTESSORI
Montessori Mozarts
Now Available in Chinese!
St. Paul
Minneapolis
Send your words
to Montessori Life!
Add
a musical spark to your
teaching - It’s as easy as
do re mi!
The complete Montessori music
curriculum. Montessori bell
lesson plans and fun music and
movement exercises!
Handbooks and sing-along
CDs for all ages.
We welcome article submissions yearAvailable online at www.montessorimozarts.com
Contact Maureen Harris at 519-564-8862
round on Montessori-related topics.
For more information or to send in
a submission, contact Kathy Carey at
edmontessorilife@aol.com.
International award recipient for excellence in teaching!
47
ACCREDITED SCHOOLS
We salute our AMS-accredited and Montessori School Accreditation Commission (MSAC)-accredited schools.
By undergoing the voluntary and rigorous accreditation process, these schools have demonstrated that they
meet an unparalleled level of excellence in the implementation of Montessori education and have made a
commitment to continuous improvement. The listings below are based on information available when this issue
went to press. For the most up-to-date information, please visit the AMS website at www.amshq.org.
For more information about school accreditation, or about nominating candidates for the AMS School
Accreditation Commission, please contact Marie Conti, AMS senior director of school accreditation and member programs: marie@amshq.org.
WINDSOR MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
WINDSOR
RENAISSANCE SCHOOL, INC. (AMS)
FORT MYERS
JOSEPH S. BRUNO MONTESSORI ACADEMY
(AMS)
BIRMINGHAM
DELAWARE
ARIZONA
ELEMENTARY WORKSHOP
MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
WILMINGTON
THE RIVERVIEW MONTESSORI SCHOOL
AT RIVERCREST (Satellite) (AMS)
RIVERVIEW
ALABAMA
MONTESSORI EDUCATION CENTRE/
MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S CENTRE (AMS)
MESA
HOCKESSIN MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
HOCKESSIN
MONTESSORI SCHOOL HOUSE (MSAC)
BULLHEAD CITY
URSULINE ACADEMY (AMS)
WILMINGTON
ST. LUKE’S SCHOOL (AMS)
PRESCOTT
WILMINGTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
WILMINGTON
ARKANSAS
FLORIDA
WALNUT FARM MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
BENTONVILLE
ALEXANDER MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(Satellite) (AMS)
MIAMI
CALIFORNIA
CALIFORNIA MONTESSORI PROJECT
AMERICAN RIVER (Satellite) (MSAC)
CITRUS HEIGHTS
CALIFORNIA MONTESSORI PROJECT CAPITOL
(Satellite) (MSAC)
SACRAMENTO
CARMICHAEL (Satellite) (MSAC)
CARMICHAEL
ELK GROVE (Satellite) (MSAC)
ELK GROVE
SHINGLE SPRINGS (Satellite) (MSAC)
SHINGLE SPRINGS
LAGUNA NIGUEL MONTESSORI CENTER
(MSAC)
LAGUNA NIGUEL
MONARCH BAY MONTESSORI ACADEMY
(MSAC)
DANA POINT
VALLEY MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
LIVERMORE
(Satellite) (AMS)
MIAMI
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF
NORTH HOFFMAN (AMS)
HOFFMAN ESTATES
RIVERWOODS MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
RIVERWOODS
RONALD KNOX MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
WILMETTE
SETON MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
CLARENDON HILLS
INDIANA
BUNCHE ELEMENTARY MONTESSORI
SCHOOL (AMS)
FORT WAYNE
MONTESSORI OF MACON (AMS)
MACON
THE MONTESSORI ACADEMY
AT EDISON LAKES (AMS)
MISHAWAKA
OAK MEADOW MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(MSAC)
LAWRENCEVILLE
MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S
SCHOOLHOUSE, INC. (AMS)
HAMMOND
HAWAII
MONTESSORI SCHOOL
OF GREATER LAFAYETTE (AMS)
WEST LAFAYETTE
L. ROBERT ALLEN MONTESSORI CENTER
(AMS)
HONOLULU
KENTUCKY
PROVIDENCE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
LEXINGTON
ALEXANDER SCHOOL, INC. (AMS)
MIAMI
MONTESSORI HALE O KEIKI (AMS)
MAUI
LOUISIANA
ALTAMONTE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS
STAR OF THE SEA EARLY LEARNING CENTER
(AMS)
HONOLULU
BRANDON MONTESSORI SCHOOL
AT RIVER HILLS (AMS)
VALRICO
CHILDREN’S HOUSE OF BOCA RATON (AMS)
BOCA RATON
LAKE MARY MONTESSORI ACADEMY (AMS)
LAKE MARY
MAITLAND MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
MAITLAND
THE MONTESSORI HOUSE DAY SCHOOL (AMS)
TAMPA
BOULDER MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
BOULDER
MONTESSORI ISLAND SCHOOL (MSAC)
TAVERNIER
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF DENVER (AMS)
DENVER
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF PENSACOLA (AMS)
PENSACOLA
CONNECTICUT
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF PENSACOLA
(Satellite) (AMS)
PENSACOLA
48
MONTESSORI ACADEMY AT SHARON
SPRINGS (AMS)
CUMMING
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF LONG GROVE
LONG GROVE, IL
MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL (AMS)
HONOLULU
THE MONTESSORI HOUSE DAY SCHOOL
(Satellite) (AMS)
TAMPA
WHITBY SCHOOL (AMS)
GREENWICH
GEORGIA
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF LAKE FOREST (AMS)
LAKE FOREST
(Satellite) (AMS)
MIAMI
COLORADO
HUDSON COUNTRY MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
DANBURY
WEST GLADES MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
BOCA RATON
MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE
OF NORTH BARRINGTON (Satellite) (AMS)
NORTH BARRINGTON
MONTESSORI TIDES SCHOOL (AMS)
JACKSONVILLE
NEW GATE SCHOOL, INC. (AMS)
SARASOTA
ILLINOIS
BRICKTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
CHICAGO
BUFFALO GROVE MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
BUFFALO GROVE
CARMEL MONTESSORI ACADEMY
AND CHILDREN’S HOUSE (AMS)
WARRENVILLE
THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL
FOR SHREVEPORT (AMS)
SHREVEPORT
MAINE
DAMARISCOTTA MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
NOBLEBORO
KENNEBEC MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
FAIRFIELD
WINFIELD CHILDREN’S HOUSE (MSAC)
FALMOUTH
MARYLAND
CHIARAVALLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
EVANSTON
BARRIE SCHOOL (AMS)
SILVER SPRING
CRYSTAL LAKE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
WOODSTOCK
THE FRANKLIN SCHOOLS (AMS)
ROCKVILLE
DEERFIELD MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE
(Satellite) (AMS)
DEERFIELD
JEFFERSON MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
GAITHERSBURG
DEERFIELD MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(Satellite) (AMS)
DEERFIELD
GLENVIEW MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(Satellite) (AMS)
NORTHFIELD
LOTUS MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(Satellite) (AMS)
HOFFMAN ESTATES
THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
LUTHERVILLE
THE WOODS ACADEMY (AMS)
BETHESDA
MASSACHUSETTS
ANDOVER MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
ANDOVER
CAMBRIDGE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
CAMBRIDGE
HARBORLIGHT MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
BEVERLY
KINGSLEY MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
BOSTON
LEXINGTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
LEXINGTON
OAK MEADOW MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
LITTLETON
PIONEER VALLEY MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
SPRINGFIELD
STONERIDGE CHILDREN’S MONTESSORI
SCHOOL (AMS)
BEVERLY
THACHER MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
MILTON
WALNUT PARK MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
NEWTON
MICHIGAN
NORTHGLADE MONTESSORI MAGNET
SCHOOL (AMS)
KALAMAZOO
TWIN PARKS MONTESSORI SCHOOL–
PARK WEST (AMS)
NEW YORK
TWIN PARKS MONTESSORI SCHOOL–
RIVERSIDE (AMS)
NEW YORK
PENN-MONT ACADEMY (AMS)
HOLLIDAYSBURG
WYOMING VALLEY MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
KINGSTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
WEST SIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
NEW YORK
CLEMSON MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
CLEMSON
WOODLAND HILL MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
NORTH GREENBUSH
TENNESSEE
NORTH CAROLINA
LAMPLIGHTER MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
CORDOVA
GREENSBORO MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
GREENSBORO
MONTESSORI ACADEMY (AMS)
BRENTWOOD
MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE OF
DURHAM (AMS)
DURHAM
TEXAS
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY MONTESSORI
CHILDREN’S HOUSE (Satellite) (AMS)
TECUMSEH
MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL (AMS)
DURHAM
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF RALEIGH (AMS)
RALEIGH
GILMOUR ACADEMY MONTESSORI
PRESCHOOL PROGRAM (AMS)
GATES MILLS
THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF
BOWLING GREEN, INC. (AMS)
BOWLING GREEN
NEW JERSEY
THE ALBROOK SCHOOL (AMS)
BASKING RIDGE
CHILDREN’S HOUSE OF THE WINDSORS
(Satellite) (AMS)
WEST WINDSOR
MONTESSORI CORNER AT
PRINCETON MEADOWS (AMS)
PLAINSBORO
MONTESSORI COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
(Satellite) (AMS)
PLAINSBORO
PRINCETON MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
PRINCETON
MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF MCLEAN (AMS)
McLEAN
MOUNTAINTOP MONTESSORI (AMS)
CHARLOTTESVILLE
RICHMOND MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
RICHMOND
HILL COUNTRY MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
BOERNE
THE MONTESSORI ACADEMY (AMS)
ARLINGTON
MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE (AMS)
FORT WORTH
REDEEMER MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
IRVING
SHERWOOD FOREST MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
HOUSTON
ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL (AMS)
HOUSTON
BELLEVUE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
BELLEVUE
ETON SCHOOL (AMS)
BELLEVUE
LAKESIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL AT
HIGHLANDS (Satellite) (MSAC)
ISSAQUAH
LAKESIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL PINE LAKE
(Satellite) (MSAC)
ISSAQUAH
LAKESIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL
SAMMAMISH (MSAC)
SAMMAMISH
MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S HOUSE (MSAC)
REDMOND
THE NEW SCHOOL MONTESSORI (AMS)
CINCINNATI
VIRGINIA
THE SAMMAMISH MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(MSAC)
REDMOND
WEST SIDE MONTESSORI CENTER (AMS)
TOLEDO
THE BOYD SCHOOL–ALDIE (Satellite) (AMS)
ALDIE
SULTAN MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
SULTAN
WEST SIDE MONTESSORI CENTER
(Satellite) (AMS)
PERRYSBURG
THE BOYD SCHOOL–BROADLANDS
(Satellite) (AMS)
ASHBURN
WOODINVILLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL
NORTH CREEK CAMPUS (AMS)
BOTHELL
WEST SIDE MONTESSORI CENTER
(Satellite) (AMS)
TOLEDO
THE BOYD SCHOOL–CASCADES–LOLA’S
PLACE (Satellite) (AMS)
STERLING
INTERNATIONAL
PENNSYLVANIA
THE BOYD SCHOOL–FAIRFAX
(Satellite) (AMS)
FAIRFAX
MONTANA
WOODLAND MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
KALISPELL
THE BOYD SCHOOL–WESTFIELDS (AMS)
CHANTILLY
WASHINGTON
OHIO
ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY MONTESSORI
CHILDREN’S HOUSE (AMS)
ADRIAN
THE BOYD SCHOOL–RESTON
(Satellite) (AMS)
RESTON
GREENE TOWNE SCHOOL (AMS)
PHILADELPHIA
THE BOYD SCHOOL–HERNDON
(Satellite) (AMS)
HERNDON
THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
DRESHER
COLEGIO MONTESSORI SIERRA MADRE (AMS)
MONTERREY, MEXICO
INTERNATIONAL MONTESSORI SCHOOL
OF PRAGUE (AMS)
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
LAKEVIEW MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
ONTARIO, CANADA
ST. MAARTEN MONTESSORI SCHOOL (MSAC)
ST. MAARTEN, N. A.
NORWOOD FONTBONNE ACADEMY (AMS)
PHILADELPHIA
THE RED OAKS SCHOOL (AMS)
MORRISTOWN
THE VILLAGE SCHOOL, INC. (AMS)
WALDWICK
WESTMONT MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
MENDHAM
NEW YORK
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS MONTESSORI SCHOOL
(AMS)
BROOKLYN
METROPOLITAN MONTESSORI SCHOOL (AMS)
NEW YORK
NARDIN ACADEMY (AMS)
BUFFALO
A Groundbreaking
Contribution That
Transforms Lives
“A must read for all Parents and
Teachers of young children.”
From the Forward, by Betsy Coe, PhD
Place book orders today:
OUR LADY OF GRACE MONTESSORI
SCHOOL (AMS)
MANHASSET
ShiningMountainsPress.com
or email:
shiningmts@aol.com
49
OPPORTUNITIES
CLASSIFIEDS
AMS requires that full-member schools have Montessori-credentialed lead teachers in
all classrooms. AMS recognizes Montessori credentials from AMS, the Association
Montessori Internationale (AMI), the National Center for Montessori Education (NCME),
and all Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE)-accredited
teacher education programs as meeting the standard for full-member status. We encourage advertisers to include all recognized credentials with their employment postings.
Sister schools are seeking credentialed
Montessori teachers. Work in Manhattan
Beach or Santa Monica area of California.
Need teachers for Primary (3–6)/kindergartenage classrooms. There are opportunities for
newly credentialed and experienced teachers.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance benefits, along with successful 401K program.
Email marm@manhattanacademy.org or fax
to 310-374-1138.
Elementary and Primary Guides
needed for the 2011-12 School Term.
The Montessori Learning Center, located in
Salinas, California, the heart of Steinbeck
country, has openings at our primary and
upper school campuses. Our school consists
of three primary classes, two lower elementary classes, and an upper elementary class.
We offer a competitive salary and benefits
package. Our classrooms are fully equipped,
and we provide association membership,
professional development, and continued
education for our faculty. All inquiries should
be directed to: Adrii Helgren, Administrator
Montessori Learning Center, 30 Hitchcock
Road, Salinas, CA 93908, Phone: (831) 4551546 Fax: (831) 455-9628, Email: MontLrnCntr
@aol.com
The Right to Learn
seeks volunteers and interns to serve as
Montessori trainers at our school in Nicaragua.
To learn more, contact Alex Fuller-Young at
director@therighttolearn.org.
Montessori Teachers
(Cumming, Georgia)
Successful SACS & AMS Accredited Montessori
school seeks toddler, primary, and lower elementary certified Montessori teachers (hiring now for Fall 2011-2012). We will also
consider sponsoring experienced individual
for training. We offer competitive salaries and
benefits. Visit our website at www.Montessori
AcademyGeorgia.com for further information
on our programs. Please email resumes to
MontessoriFocus@ aol.com.
Montessori School of Central Vermont Inc.
is seeking the services of an AMI or AMS
Montessori trained Elementary Guide to
begin August 2011 in a growing elementary
program. Please send cover letter, resume,
and references to 89 Karl Circle # 3, Berlin
VT 05602 or email info@mscvt.org.
Director and Teachers
Laramie Montessori School, a new charter
Montessori elementary school in Laramie
Wyoming is seeking a Director and three
teachers. Ideal candidates will have previous
experience in a Montessori school. See www.
laramiemontessori.org for full job description
and qualifications, or email laramiemontessori
@gmail.com for more information.
Cost of classified ads in Montessori Life
is $10 per line (46 characters per line,
including spaces and punctuation).
E-mail classified ad text to michele@
amshq.org for a price quote.
AMS
AMS affiliated
affiliated MACTE
MACTE accredited
accredited
Seacoast C
Seacoast
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enter ffor
or E
Education
ducation
Montessori
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lementary I-II P
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rogram
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lorida
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eacoast NH near P
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ortsmouth
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Proffessional Development
Development for
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Schoo
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Updated curriculum materials
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el. 1.800.968.5254 vvoicemail/fax:
oicemail/fax: 603.590.6360
M.Ed
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AMS 2012 Heads of Schools Retreat
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$PSQPSBUF"EWJTPS#FSU/JFOIVJT'PSNFS/JFOIVJT.POUFTTPSJ$P0XOFS$&0
1SPEVDUTNBEFCBTFEPOBVUIFOUJDCMVFQSJOUTBQQSPWFECZ.S/JFOIVJT
t0GG/JFOIVJTCFGPSFBEEJUJPOBMEJTDPVOU
t.BUFSJBMTJOTUPDLGPSGBTUTIJQQJOH
t$PNQBUJCMFXJUI/JFOIVJTNBUFSJBMT
t5FTUFEBU6,*OUFSUFL(FSNBO567MBCPSBUPSJFT
t4BUJTmFT'FEFSBM$14*")34BGFUZ-BX
t4BUJTmFT64""45.'5PZ4BGFUZ4UBOEBSET
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t'4$1&'$DFSUJmFEMVNCFSHSFFOQSPEVDUT
add: 1926 West Holt Ave. Pomona, CA 91768 USA
tel: 888.MOUTLET (668.8538) fax: 800.891.3880
email: info@montessorioutlet.com web: www.montessorioutlet.com
51
AMS TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The listings below are based on information available when this issue went to press. For the
most up-to-date information, please visit the AMS website at www.amshq.org.
WESTERN REGION
CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY OF HONOLULU
MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
Early Childhood
3140 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96816-1578
Director, ELIZABETH PARK epark@chaminade.edu
808-735-4859 FAX 808-739-4607
www.chaminade.edu/education
FOUNTAINHEAD MONTESSORI ADULT EDUCATION
Fountainhead is dedicated to the education of children
in an environment designed to stimulate and develop
the love of learning.
Early Childhood
6665 Amador Plaza Road, Suite 200, Dublin, CA 94568
Director, MARYANNA HEGINBOTTOM
info@fms.org, Maryanna@fms.org
925-820-1343 FAX 925-820-9193
www.fms.org
MAIN STREET MONTESSORI ASSOCIATION
TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
Early Childhood
1942 5th Street, Springfield, OR 97477
Director, CARLA MCQUILLAN
admin@mainstreetmontessori.org
541-726-6924 FAX 541-726-5527
www.mainstreetmontessori.org
MONTANA MONTESSORI
TEACHER EDUCATION INSTITUTE
Early Childhood, Elementary I
5 Park Hill Road, Kalispell, MT 59901
Additional Site: Eagle, ID
Director, SALLY WELDER teach-ed@mtmont.com
406-755-3824 FAX 406-755-7234
www.mtmont.com
MONTESSORI CENTER FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
Early Childhood, Elementary I, Elementary I–II
4544 Pocahontas Avenue, San Diego, CA 92117
Director, LOANN JUNDT loannj@aol.com
858-270-9350 FAX 858-273-4254
www.montessoricenterforteachereducation.org
MONTESSORI CENTER FOR TEACHER
EDUCATION–WASHINGTON STATE
Early Childhood
10723 NE 38th Place, Bellevue, WA
Director, JEANNINE HANSON
info@chestnutmontessori.com
425-822-6233 FAX 425-822-6008
www.chestnutmontessori.com
MONTESSORI EDUCATION INSTITUTE
OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood,
Elementary I, Elementary I–II
13965 NE 166th Street, Woodinville, WA 98072
Director, MARY SCHNEIDER krichter@meipn.org
425-486-5092 FAX 425-482-3188
www.meipn.org
MONTESSORI INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES
Emphasis on Montessori Philosophy. Small classes.
Experienced Faculty. Summer Intensive and Year-Round
cycles. Beautiful facility, in heart of Bay Area.
Early Childhood
22781 Canyon Court, Castro Valley, CA 94552
Director, MEHER VAN GROENOU
montias@sbcglobal.net
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510-581-3729 FAX 510-581-6824
www.montessori-training.com
MONTESSORI TEACHER ACADEMY
Early Childhood
32920 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, CA 92629
Director, PALOMA JOHNSTON
montessorita@gmail.com
949-240-3344 FAX 949-429-3103
www.montessorita.org
MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION CENTER /
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
Celebrating 25 years of excellence in Teacher Education.
Our newest location is in the heart of the Silicon Valley.
Early Childhood, Elementary I–II
16492 Foothill Boulevard, San Leandro, CA 94578-2107
Additional Site: Taipei City, Taiwan (EC)
Director, DR. PAMELA ZELL RIGG
pamelarigg@montessoritrainingusa.org
510-278-1115 FAX 510-278-1577
www.montessoritrainingusa.org
MONTESSORI TRAINING CENTER–SACRAMENTO
4645 Buckeye Road, Shingle Springs, CA 95682
Director, KIMBERLY YEAGER
montessoritrainingcenter@gmail.com
530-672-1943 FAX 530-672-3097
www.montessoritrainingcenter.net
MONTESSORI TRAINING OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
Early Childhood
3551 E. Sunset Road, Las Vegas, NV 89120
Director, LORI JO BOSSY info@mtsnv.com
702-451-9801 FAX 702-451-0049
www.mtsnv.com
MONTESSORI WESTERN TEACHER
TRAINING PROGRAM
5658 Belgrave, Garden Grove, CA 92845
Director, CATHY SMYTHE
cathy.smythe@montessorigreenhouse.com
714-897-3833 FAX 714-892-8595
www.montessoriwesttraining.com
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA MONTESSORI
TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
1928 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga, CA 94556
Mail: PO Box 4350, Moraga, CA 94575
Teaching Site: Global Montessori International School,
Berkeley, CA
Director, PATRICIA CHAMBERS pchamber@stmarys-ca.edu
925-631-4036 FAX 925-376-8379
www.stmarys-ca.edu
P L A I N S S TAT E S R E G I O N
DALLAS MONTESSORI TEACHER PROGRAMS
Creating Future Leaders and Developing the Future of
Education for Today’s Children and Tomorrow’s Adults
Since 1975.
5757 Samuell Blvd., Dallas, TX 75228
Directors, DINA PAULIK and JAMES PAULIK
dinapaulik@yahoo.com
214-388-0091 FAX 214-388-3415
www.dallasmontessori.com
HOUSTON MONTESSORI CENTER
Firmly aligned with Montessori philosophy and current
research; renowned for the breadth of levels and unique
program of community service.
Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary I–II,
Secondary I–II, Administrator
7807 Long Point Road, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77055
Director, BETSY COE, PhD drbcoe@aol.com
713-465-7670 FAX 713-465-8577
www.houstonmontessoricenter.org
MID-AMERICA MONTESSORI
TEACHERS TRAINING INSTITUTE
Unique features: Montessori accredited (MACTE) AMS
affiliated with University Master’s Degree available
with online courses/component.
Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary I–II
12344 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE 68154
Director, LAVONNE PLAMBECK, PhD
lavonne@omahamontessori.com
402-393-1311 FAX 402-397-4958
www.omahamontessori.com
MONTESSORI EDUCATION CENTER OF THE ROCKIES
AMS teacher preparation since 1978. Federal Student
Financial Aid. Optional college credit. Summer academic
phase starts annually in June.
4745 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO 80301
Director, DOT THOMPSON info@mecr.edu
303-494-3002 FAX 303-494-6104
www.mecr.edu
MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION
INSTITUTE–HOUSTON
Early Childhood
5812 Maple, Houston, TX 77074
Director, MYLE VO vo_myle@hotmail.com
713-774-6952 FAX 713-774-4484 (call first)
www.mtei-houston.org
NEW MEXICO CENTER FOR MONTESSORI EDUCATION
Early Childhood
304 Rover Boulevard, Los Alamos, NM 87544
Directors, JOAN ELLARD and LYNDA SPEARS
lyndi.spears@me.com
505-672-9495
www.ponderosamontessori.com
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY MONTESSORI
2501 North Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK 73106-1493
Director, BEE PAPE bpape@okcu.edu
405-208-5372 FAX 405-208-6012
www.okcu.edu
SHELTON MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION CENTER
Elementary I
15720 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75248
Director, DR. JOYCE PICKERING jpickering@shelton.org
972-744-1772 FAX 972-991-3977
www.shelton.org
SOUTH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
South Mountain Community College offers college
credit for Montessori Certification and also an AAS
degree in Early Childhood Education.
7050 South 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85042
Director, BILLIE LARIME
billie.larime@smcmail.maricopa.edu
602-305-5601 FAX 602-243-8203
http://teacher.southmountaincc.edu/programs/
montessorielementary/default.htm
MIDWEST REGION
ADRIAN DOMINICAN MONTESSORI
Early Childhood
1257 Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI 49221
Director, SR. LEONOR ESNARD, OP, PhD
paul@admtei.org, info@admtei.org
517-266-3415 FAX 517-266-3545
www.admtei.org
CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY
MONTESSORI PROGRAMS
Early Childhood, Elementary I–II, Administrator
St. Catherine University
2004 Randolph Avenue, Mail #4100, St. Paul, MN 55105
Additional Site: Springfield, MA
Director, MICHAEL J. DORER montessori@stkate.edu
651-690-6001 FAX 651-690-6039
www.stkate.edu/montessori
CINCINNATI MONTESSORI SECONDARY
TEACHER EDUCATION
Secondary I–II
3611 Middleton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220
Additional Site: San Juan, PR (SEC I–II)
Director, MARTA DONAHOE
martadonahoe@gmail.com
513-861-9560 FAX 513-861-0150
www.cmstep.com
COLUMBUS MONTESSORI
Accredited 1989. Infant/Toddler, Early Childhood
programs. Mostly weekends—three weeks in summer.
Supportive, collaborative instruction in beautiful
Montessori school.
Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood
979 South James Road, Columbus, OH 43227
Contact, AMY WILLIAMS
awilliams@columbusmontessori.org
614-231-3790 x10 FAX 614-231-3780
www.columbusmontessori.org
GREATER CINCINNATI CENTER
FOR MONTESSORI EDUCATION
333 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011
Director, CRYSTAL DAHLMEIER
cdahlmeier@childreninc.org
859-431-2075 FAX 859-431-5217
www.childreninc.org
IOWA MONTESSORI TRAINING CENTER
Early Childhood
6713 Washington Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50322
Director, RITA SCHNEIDER rrschneider@mchsi.com
515-278-7042 FAX 515-491-7288
KANSAS CITY CENTER MONTESSORI EDUCATION
Early Childhood
3930 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111
Director, LAVONNA PETERSON lavonna48@aol.com
816-753-6633 FAX 816-753-4305
MICHIGAN MONTESSORI
TEACHER EDUCATION CENTER
Early Childhood, Elementary I,
Elementary I–II, Elementary II
1263 South Adams Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48309
Director, THEO PAPATHEODOROPOULOS
theoamc@aol.com
248-375-2800 FAX 248-375-3002
www.MMTEC.org
MIDWEST MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING CENTER
Over 45 years of experience. MMTTC delivers
Montessori’s philosophy and methodology without
compromise. Come to the best in the Midwest.
926 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Directors, DR. W. MICHAEL and LOUISE KUNERT
wmkunert@sbcglobal.net
847-276-0405, 847-276-0404 FAX 847-680-4621
www.mmttc.com
MISSOURI MONTESSORI TEACHER
EDUCATION PROGRAM
We are MACTE accredited, offering AMS credential
for early childhood. Summer programs, Chesterfield
Day School. Graduate/undergraduate, University of
Missouri–St. Louis.
Early Childhood
1100 White Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017
Director, CHERYL (XIAOYAN) XING
cxing@cdsweb.org
314-469-6622 x245 FAX 314-469-7889
www.chesterfielddayschool.org/momtep
MONTESSORI HEARTLAND
2100 48th Street, Moline, IL 61265
Director, RENEE DETLOFF detloffr@villamontessori.org
309-764-7047 FAX 309-764-9925
www.mhtec.org
MONTESSORI OPPORTUNITIES, INC.
Elementary I, Early Childhood
2950 Ridge Road North, Norwalk, OH 44857-9160
Mobile Sites: South Bend, IN (EI), and Lexington, KY (EC)
Directors, ROSANN LARROW and PETER LARROW
rlarrow@gmail.com and peterlarrow@gmail.com
330-962-4727 FAX 888-351-6235
www.montessoriopportunities.com
MONTESSORI TEACHER ACADEMY/
INDIANA UNIVERSITY–SOUTH BEND
Early Childhood
530 E. Day Rd., Mishawaka, IN 46545-3407
Director, JULIE GABRIELSE
jgabrielse@tma-el.org and cfermoyl@iusb.edu
574-520-4251 FAX 574-520-4428
www.tma-el.org
SETON MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
Seton offers Infant-Toddler, Early Childhood and
Elementary teacher preparation, and Administrators
certification. Our internationally known program
started in 1970.
Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, Administrator
5728 Virginia, Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
Directors, ANNA P. PERRY and CELMA PINHO PERRY
institute@setonmontessori.org
630-654-0151 FAX 630-654-0182
www.setonmontessori.org
XAVIER UNIVERSITY MONTESSORI
Xavier grants; B.S or M.E., Ohio State License for
ages 3 to Third Grade. Summer M.Ed for Montessori
credentialed teachers.
3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207-6631
Director, GINA LOFQUIST lofquistgm@xavier.edu
513-745-3424 FAX 513-745-4378
www.xavier.edu/montessori-grad/overview.cfm
SOUTHEAST REGION
BARRY UNIVERSITY MONTESSORI
Enjoy sunny Miami while earning a Montessori AMS
certificate (Early Childhood or Elementary I–II) and an
advanced degree at Barry University.
Early Childhood, Elementary I–ll
11300 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, FL 33161-6695
Director, HEIDY LILCHIN hlilchin@mail.barry.edu
305-899-3736 FAX 305-899-3718
www.barry.edu
BELMONT UNIVERSITY MONTESSORI
M.A.T./TN PreK–3 licensure or certification only with
30 undergraduate credits; summer model, on-campus
living, internship in Nashville or elsewhere.
Early Childhood
1900 Belmont Boulevard, Wheeler Humanities Building #100,
Nashville, TN 37212-3757
Directors, RHONDA MCKAY rhonda.mckay@belmont.edu
DARLENE ABERNATHY-NEELY, DARLENE ESTES-DEL RE
615-460-6233 FAX 615-460-5691
www.belmont.edu/montessori
CENTER FOR MONTESSORI TEACHER
EDUCATION/NORTH CAROLINA
Site: 5617 Sunset Lake Road, Holly Springs, NC 27540
Mail: 179 D’Ango Circle, Angier, NC 27501
Directors, CERES SCHROER YORK and
SHARON GREENE-GOERING cmtenc@aol.com
919-639-8688 FAX 919-639-8688
MOBILE 919-924-6336
www.teachmontessori.org
FLORENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE
MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
Early Childhood
319 South Dargan Street, Florence, SC 29506
Director, DR. FLOYD CREECH fcreech@fsd1.org
843-673-1129 FAX 843-679-6758
www.fsd1.org/instruction/montessoriprograms
FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF MONTESSORI STUDIES
1240 Banana River Drive, Indian Harbour Beach, FL 32937
Director, CYNTHIA THOMAS
cindy@montessorischools.org
407-779-0031 FAX 407-777-9566
www.montessorischools.org
INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED MONTESSORI STUDIES
The Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies offers
high-quality Montessori teacher education at the Infant
& Toddler, Early Childhood, and Elementary Levels.
Elementary I, Elementary l–ll
13500 Layhill Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906
Director, HILARY GREEN iams@barrie.org
301-576-2866 FAX 301-576-2801
www.barrie.org/iams
LANDER UNIVERSITY MONTESSORI
NCATE/MACTE accredited. B.S. in E.C.E. with 3–6
Montessori emphasis; M.Ed. in Montessori Education
3–6 or 6–9, Weekend-summer schedule.
Mail: 320 Stanley Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29649
2255 S. Pleasantberg Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
Additional Site: Swansea, SC
Director, BARBARA ERVIN bervin@lander.edu
864-388-8751 FAX 864-388-8890
www.lander.edu
53
AMS TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS
MAITLAND MONTESSORI SCHOOL
200 North Swoope Avenue, Maitland, FL 32751
Directors, ADELE FONDO, MEd maitmon@earthlink.net
407-628-0019 FAX 407-628-9796
www.maitlandmontessori.org
MARYLAND CENTER FOR MONTESSORI STUDIES
Two-year program. Evening academic phase and
internship. Classes start in September.
Early Childhood
10807 Tony Drive, Lutherville, MD 21093
Director, ALISA ANANIA aanania@comcast.net
410-321-8555 FAX 410-321-8566
www.montessorischool.net
MEMPHIS MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
AT LAMPLIGHTER SCHOOL
Early Childhood
8563 Fay Road, Cordova, TN 38018
Director, TERRIE SAMPSON
tsampson@memphismontessori.org
901-751-2000 FAX 901-758-3200
www.memphismontessori.org
MONTESSORI ACADEMY TRAINING INSTITUTE
Early Childhood
19620 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, FL 33029
Director, MONICA GARGIULO-BENITEZ
admin@montessori-academy.org
954-437-2329 FAX 954-437-3367
www.montessori-academy.org
MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION AT CHARLOTTE
3701 Haven Drive, Charlotte, NC 28209
Directors, SHERRY HERBERT and MELINDA HENRY
sherry.herbert@cms.k12.nc.us
980-343-5830 FAX 980-343-5858
http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/parkroadtraining
MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE/MTTI
Early Childhood
6050 SW 57th Avenue, Miami, FL 33143
Directors, BEVERLEY A. MCGHEE and DR. JOYCE
MCGHEE infomtti@mttimiamiflorida.com
305-665-6274 FAX 305-253-4521
MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE
OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Main: 207 Pendleton Road, Clemson, SC 29631-2206
Additional Site: Florence, SC
Director, ELLIE ELZERMAN mtti@clemsonmontessori.com
864-654-4814 FAX 864-654-1139
MONTGOMERY MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
Grasp the future. Grasp MMI. Shaping the future of
education. The knowledge. Experience. The destination
for the ultimate Montessori professional.
Early Childhood
10500 Darnestown Road, Rockville, MD 20850
Director, PAMELA W. TRUMBLE montessori@hers.com
301-279-2799 x202 FAX 301-762-4544
www.montessori-mmi.com
NORTHERN VIRGINIA MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
Early Childhood
20300 Bowfonds Street, Ashburn, VA 20147
Directors, CHANDRA FERNANDO and BETH THERIOT
chancy1@earthlink.net and info@nvmi.org
703-729-7200 FAX 703-729-6957
www.nvmi.org
ORLANDO MONTESSORI
Early Childhood
901 Begonia Road, Celebration, FL 34747
54
Director, HELEN DEVERE helendevere@gmail.com
407-873-3370 FAX 407-566-1544
PALM BEACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE MONTESSORI
TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
Early Childhood
4200 Congress Avenue MS #34, Lake Worth, FL 33461
Director, SUSAN HAINES hainess@palmbeachstate.edu
561-868-3355 FAX 561-868-3327
www.palmbeachstate.edu/montessori.xml
PALM HARBOR MONTESSORI
Infant and Toddler, Early Childhood
2355 Nebraska Avenue, Palm Harbor, FL 34689
Director, CATHERINE VARKAS
catherinevarkas@gmail.com
508-367-7254 FAX 727-781-7610
www.montessoriteachercenter.com
SOUTH FLORIDA MONTESSORI
EDUCATION CENTER, INC.
606 S. Palmway, Lake Worth, FL 33460
Director, VICTORIA DELILLA delilla@bellsouth.net
561-493-3093 FAX 561-493-3027
SUMMIT MONTESSORI TEACHER
TRAINING INSTITUTE
5451 Southwest 64th Avenue, Davie, FL 33314
Directors, JEANNE HUDLETT and JUDY DEMPSEY
jlhudlett@aol.com, judysummit@aol.com,
smtti@aol.com
954-584-3466 FAX 954-584-7816
www.smtti.net
VIRGINIA CENTER FOR MONTESSORI STUDIES
Early Childhood
9307 Quioccasin Road, Richmond, VA 23229
Director, CASTLE O’NEILL vcms@westendmontessori.com
804-523-7536 FAX 804-523-4396
www.vacenterformontessoristudies.com
VIRGINIA MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION CENTER
Early Childhood
516 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, VA 23322
Director, SHANNA HONAN
vmtec@chesapeakemontessorischool.com
757-547-0221 FAX 757-609-3721
www.educatebymontessori.com
N O RT H E A S T E R N R E G I O N
BUFFALO MONTESSORI TEACHER
EDUCATION PROGRAM
This program’s next two-year cycle begins September
2011 and meets on weekends. Welcome western New
York and Canada!
Early Childhood
630 Youngs Road Unit D, Buffalo, NY 14221
Director, EILEEN WILMS BUERMANN
eileenmwb@roadrunner.com
PHONE/FAX 716-630-5955
CENTER FOR MONTESSORI TEACHER
EDUCATION/NEW YORK
Since 1979 CMTE/NY faculty, spanning over seven
decades, collaborate to create exemplary Montessori
programs for students from around the world.
Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary I–II,
Administrator
785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605
Additional Sites: Pittsburgh, PA (EI) and
Cranberry Turnpike, PA (EC)
Director, CAROLE WOLFE KORNGOLD
contactus@cmteny.com
914-948-2501 FAX 914-597-2779
www.cmteny.com
CHESTNUT HILL COLLEGE MONTESSORI
MACTE accredited/AMS affiliated. Earn Masters in
Early Childhood Education along with PA. state certificate. Experienced faculty. Flexible course scheduling.
Early Childhood
9601 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118-2693
Director, JANET COLAIANNI colaiannij@chc.edu
215-848-4972, 215-840-8340 FAX 215-248-7155
www.chc.edu
MAINE MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
Early Childhood
161 Field Road, Falmouth, ME 04105
Directors, CATHY MARTIN and MICHELLE VOGEL
winfieldhouse@maine.rr.com
207-797-8101 FAX 207-797-9801
www.winfieldhouse.net
MONTESSORI INSTITUTE FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
One Middleton Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808
Mail: PO Box 408, Yorklyn, DE 19736
Admin. Director, KAREN PONTRELLI mitedu@comcast.net
PHONE/FAX 302-235-2267
MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE
OF NEW JERSEY
Academic classes two weekday evenings and
Saturdays—no summers or seminars, enrollment
begins four times each year, very reasonable fees.
Early Childhood
745 Perrineville Rd, Perrineville, NJ 08535-1041
Director, EILEEN SPIEWAK eileenspiewak@aol.com
609-448-1117 FAX 609-799-1775
MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING OF PHILADELPHIA
Early Childhood
2220 South Sproul Road, Broomall, PA 19008-2266
Director, SUSANNE WALLACE susannewallace@verizon.net
610-649-3636 FAX 610-649-6869
www.montessoriteacher.org
NCME/NEW ENGLAND
243 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915-1958
Director, RACHEL MCALPINE
rmcalpine@harborlightmontessori.org
978-927-9600 FAX 978-922-0594
NEW ENGLAND MONTESSORI
Early Childhood
Site: 47 Walnut Park, Newton, MA 02458
Mail: 30 Moose Club Park Rd, Goffstown, NH 03045
Director, BONNIE LAMOTHE MaterialCo@aol.com
603-641-5156 FAX 603-641-5156
http://nemtecmontessoritraining.com
NORTHEAST MONTESSORI INSTITUTE
Established 1984. Experienced dedicated instructors.
Commitment to excellence. Scenic locations in
Massachusetts; international location in China.
Early Childhood
Main: Boston/North Shore
Mail: POB 68, Rockport, ME 04856
Additional Site: Beijing, China
Director, MARTHA MONAHAN nemontessori@yahoo.com
PHONE/FAX 207-236-6316
www.nemontessori.org
PRINCETON CENTER FOR TEACHER EDUCATION
PCTE, offering highest quality Montessori training, an
integrated relationship with Princeton Montessori
School, plus Masters Art of Teaching with TCNJ.
Infant & Toddler, Early Childhood, Elementary I–II
487 Cherry Valley Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
Director, ANN WILSON awilson@pmonts.org
609-924-4594, 800-924-4166 FAX 609-924-2216
www.pctemontessori.org
SEACOAST CENTER FOR EDUCATION
Elementary I–II
Main: 146 High Street, Stratham, NH
Mail: POB 323, Greenland, NH 03840
Additional Site: Celebration, FL
Director, GARY DAVIDSON admin@seacoastcenter.com
PHONE/FAX 603-590-6360
www.seacoastcenter.com
WASHINGTON MONTESSORI SECONDARY TEACHER
EDUCATION PROGRAM
Secondary I
240 Litchfield Turnpike, New Preston, CT 06777
Director, SHEILA COAD-BERNARD
scoadbernard@washingtonmontessori.org
860-868-0551 FAX 860-868-1362
www.washingtonmontessori.org
WEST SIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOLS
Early Childhood
309 W. 92nd Street, New York, NY 10025-7213
Director, MIMI BASSO mbasso@wsmsnyc.org
212-662-8000 FAX 212-662-8323
www.wsmsnyc.org
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
CAPITAL COLLEGE
Early Childhood
4400 Hazelbridge Way, Unit 540
Richmond, BC, Canada V6X 3R8
Additional Sites: El Monte, CA, and Coquitlam, BC
Director, SUSAN LEE info@capitalcollege.ca
604-270-7426
www.capitalcollege.ca
CENTRO DE ENSENANZA MONTESSORI, A.C.
Early Childhood
Calle Francisco Goitia #9971
Zona Rio, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico 22520
Mailing Address: PO Box 7818, Chula Vista, CA 91912
Director, NORMA CALLADO normacallado@yahoo.com
011-52-664-634-3821
FAX 011-52-664-634-3821 (call first)
Director, JANICE MAYHEW
jmayhew@lakeviewmontessori.ca
519-735-5005 FAX 519-735-7462
www.lakeviewmontessori.ca
Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100020 China
Director, CHARMAINE CHIAN MUI SOH
emtta@etonkids.com and csoh@etonkids.com
Codirector, MARLENE BARRON
marlene.barron@nyu.edu
86-10-6539-7171 FAX 86-10-6533-6515
www.etonkids.com
SHANGHAI MONTESSORI EDUCATION ACADEMY
Jing’an Community Institute, No. 1 Lane
South West Street, Shanghai, China
Mail: Room 508, No. 598, Weihai Road
Jing’an District, Shanghai, 200041, China
Directors, DR. NANCY YUE-CHU CHANG
and SHARON CHANG
info@shanghaimontessori.org
86-21-6267-3303 FAX 86-21-626-73305
www.shanghaimontessori.org
KOREAN INSTITUTE FOR MONTESSORI
#467-1 Hanseung bldg. 2F, Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu
Seoul, Korea, 156-030
Director, DR. JAE WOO LEE sook678@yahoo.co.kr
011-822-825-6233 FAX 011-822-825-8795
www.amslab.co.kr
KOREAN MONTESSORI COLLEGE
Early Childhood
150 Hongik-Dong, Sungdong-Gu, Seoul, Korea
Director, DR. JUNG MO KIM children67@hanmail.net
011-8-2-2295-2111 FAX 011-8-2-2299-2405
TRILLIUM MONTESSORI TEACHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF TAIWAN
No. 70, Nanguan Street, Chang Hua City, Taiwan
Director, SHARON CHANG ceo@tschool.org
011-8-864-763-7377 FAX 011-8-864-761-7377
www.tschool.org
LIBERTIES COLLEGE MONTESSORI PROGRAM
Early Childhood
Bull Alley Street, Dublin 8, Ireland
Director, BERNADETTE TOWNLEY
info@liberties.cdvec.ie
011-353-1-454-2100 FAX 011-353-8-631-1176
www.libertiescollege.ie
VANCOUVER BOARD OF EDUCATION (VBE)–
MONTESSORI CREDENTIAL PROGRAM
Elementary I–II
1580 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 5K8
Director, DEBORAH ADAMS
adamsdebbie4@gmail.com, jdadams@intergate.ca
604-327-9925 FAX 604-713-4725
LMS MONTESSORI TEACHER EDUCATION
Early Childhood
13797 Riverside Drive East,
Windsor, ON, Canada N8N 1B5
Maitri Learning
Function of Words Cards
,
LLC
Eco-Printed cards & books used in
Montessori Teacher Training Centers
around the world
Economical
CENTRO DE ENTRENAMIENTO MONTESSORI
Juarez Sur 250 Garza Garcia N.L.
Monterrey, Mexico C.P. 66220
Director, LAURA DE QUIROGA cemcmsm@hotmail.com
and montsm@montessorisierramadre.edu.mx
PHONE/FAX 011-528-336-5150
www.montessorisierramadre.edu.mx
CENTRO DE ENTRENAMIENTO
MONTESSORI SANTO DOMINGO
Early Childhood
Calle Fco. Prats Ramirez Esq. Olegario Tenares
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Directors, CARMEN E. R. DE DELGADO
and MARINA GRAU
cems@codetel.net.do and marinagraur@yahoo.com
809-530-1838 FAX 809-530-1978
phone: 413-529-2868
www.m a i t r i l e a r n i n g .com
DR. JUN INSTITUTE OF MONTESSORI EDUCATION
#527 Do Gok Dong, Kang Nam Gu, Seoul, Korea 135-270
Director, DR. YOUNG SOON JUN
djimeams@hanmail.net
82-2-579-3634 FAX 82-2-579-3636
www.koreanmontessori.com
ETONKIDS MONTESSORI TEACHER TRAINING ACADEMY
Early Childhood
Mail: 3rd Floor, Guanhu International Tower #3
No. 105 Yao Jia Yuan Road, Chaoyang District,
Beijing, 100026, China
Site: Building 19 Central Park, No. 6 Chaowai Daije,
55
THE LAST LAUGH :)
I was walking around observing in one
of the classrooms during the morning
work period. I approached 3½-yearold Charlotte who was carefully tracing the Sandpaper Numerals. She had
just finished the zero when she looked
at me and remarked, “This is the zero;
it means nothing, but our teacher says
we need to know it anyway!” She
punctuated her statement with a small
shrug and then went back to tracing
the other numerals. Such a classic
“Montessori moment!”
Stephanie Whalen, Education Director
Park West Montessori School
New York, NY
Overheard in a 6-9 classroom during a
rainy day indoor recess, in which two
6-year-olds were building a puzzle of
the solar system:
Julia: Ha ha ha ha, look how small
Pluto is!
Sam: You know it’s not a planet.
Julia: Yes it is.
Sam: No it isn’t.
Julia: Yes it is.
Sam: No it isn’t.
Julia: Yes it is.
Sam: Ms. Rachael, is Pluto a planet?
Ms. Rachael: Not anymore.
Julia: Space changed its mind?
Marilyn E. Stewart, Head of School
The Red Oaks School
Morristown, NJ
A grandparent of one of my first-grade
students reported to me that he had
recently spent the night at her house. He
got up during the night and as she
accompanied him down the hall, he
said, “I just burped. Is “burp” a verb or
an adverb?” She was quite impressed
that her 6-year-old grandson was
thinking about grammar at 3 a.m.!
Roberta Williams
Garfield Montessori Magnet School
Decatur, IL
This really happened:
“Armando, go get your ladybug
memory stick and we can finish the
work we were doing yesterday.”
“But Miss Beverley, I haven’t got
my stick.”
“Where is it?”
“I think my Grandmother’s dog ate it.”
(The memory stick eventually showed
up, a bit worse for wear, but it still
opened.)
And a few days later:
“Paulina, please bring me your memory stick, you’ve almost finished your
project.”
“I don’t have it, Miss Beverley.”
“What happened to it?”
“I forgot to take it out of my pocket
and my mother washed it in the
washing machine.”
Beverley Blount
Christa McAuliffe Montessori
School/Anglo Montessori School
Mexico City, Mexico
Send your funny and poignant stories to
Carey Jones at carey_ink@yahoo.com. Please
include your name, your location (city, state,
country), and your school’s name if you’re a
teacher or an administrator.
© Frida Azari Photography
The concentration of this child caught my attention, so I started taking photos of her.
Seeing my camera, another child came up behind her and posed for me, followed
by another child and then still another! I kept taking pictures as they joined in, and
it was only after downloading and looking at the photos at my computer screen that
I figured out the child in the front never once stopped “pounding”. She was so
absorbed in her work that all the commotion did not disturb her at all.
“. . . she had become so absorbed in what she was doing that her ego became insensible to external stimuli. . . .”—Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood
56
Frida Azari
Valley Montessori School
Livermore, CA
Late payments can distract
from early learning.
In fact, dealing with payments, late or not,
can distract you from nurturing young minds.
Fortunately, the solution is simple. Simple
Simon lets you accept and process all types
of electronic payments—automatic checking
or savings account withdrawals, credit and
debit cards or electronic checks—helping you
eliminate the hassle of chasing down checks
and cash. With Simple Simon, you can spend
more time minding young minds instead of
minding the store.
To learn more about how Simple Simon will take the pain out of payments,
visit mysimplesimon.com. Or talk to a knowledgeable representative at 1-877-469-3909.
AMERICAN MONTESSORI SOCIETY
281 PARK AVENUE SOUTH, 6th FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10010-6102
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 3675
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
P: 212-358-1250 F: 212-358-1256
www.amshq.org
Change Service Requested
w
www.nienhuis.com
w w.nienhuis.com
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Feature Article Crossing the Aisle

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