Course Overview

Dr Montessori wrote that the Montessori teacher must be created “ex novo”, from scratch. What she meant by this is that preparing oneself to become an 'aid to life' can be very challenging because it involves letting go of old habits, turning our attention inward and reflecting on our early conditioning about how we relate to children and young people. There are three dispositions that the Montessori educator must internalise in order to effectively guide young learners. Firstly, the new teacher must learn to observe their students with the mind of a scientist, attentive to the smallest details without bias or prejudice. Secondly, new teachers must take an attitude of service toward the child, preparing the environment like a valet who hastens to respond to the needs of the moment, and then discretely disappears when their service is no longer needed. The third disposition that the new teacher must assimilate is the attitude of a saint, the ability to reflect inwardly and let go of old beliefs that might get in the way of their relationship with the learner. Becoming an effective teacher is more about who we are than what we know. These three dispositions that define the soul of the Montessori educator are covered in depth in this module.

  • Part 1: The Birth of Childhood

    The nature of the relationship between teacher and student has changed over the centuries as humanity’s understanding of the nature of childhood has evolved, and with it, our understanding of how learning happens. This topic will look back at the history and sociology of the relationship between adults and young people in Europe leading up to Maria Montessori's time, and into the present. We will examine what factors have influenced intergenerational relationships over time, in particular the origins of the traditional school system in the Western world. It's a fascinating history and there's a lot to cover, so this part is longer than usual!

  • Part 2: Montessori's Milieu

    This topic will examine the evolution of Maria Montessori's ideas about the educator-student relationship and the many thought-leaders who contributed various elements to her ideas on education. Montessori did not create her educational approach in an intellectual vacuum, rather she stood on the shoulders of other giants of the progressive education movement that began with Jean-Jacques Rousseau and was elaborated with the ideas of Pestalozzi, Herbart, Froebel, Itard, and Séguin in Europe, and John Dewey in North America. Montessori inherited the legacy of progressive education, however she took it further by creating a practical method that allowed progressive ideals to be implemented on a large scale.

  • Part 3: The Transformation of the Adult

    This topic explores the nature of human perception and how enlightenment happens. The inputs that our senses receive from outside are interpreted using the knowledge, experience and cultural rules in long-term memory that our brains use to determine what "reality" is. Understanding this two-part process explains why there can be confusion or disagreement about an object or situation that is right in front of us. Preconceived value judgements create an internal filter that distort our perception, and many judgements are inherited subconsciously from the culture in which we are immersed. In order to create an environment where children are afforded the freedom to decide, discover and develop to their full potential, the guide must have developed their own clarity of perception, free from the filter of judgements and expectations, that allows them to see the child for who they actually are, and to imagine the child they are striving to become.

 

 

  • Part 4: Becoming the Scientist

    There are three dispositions that the Montessori educator must internalise in order to effectively guide young learners. Firstly, the new teacher must learn to observe their students with the mind of a scientist, attentive to the smallest details without bias or prejudice. Observing objectively requires not only perceiving with the senses, but the ability to do so with patience, willpower and humility. In seeking truth in the soul of the child, the teacher-scientist is transformed, because the object of their study resonates with their own humanity.

  • Part 5: Becoming the Servant

    Secondly, new teachers must take an attitude of service toward the child, preparing the environment like a valet who hastens to respond to the needs of the moment, and then discretely disappears when their service is no longer needed. Facilitating the creation of the 'new human’ requires, first of all, the preparation of the environment in all its physical, social and emotional- psychological aspects. Secondly, the teacher-servant must develop a technical proficiency with all the Montessori apparatus for the age group in their care so that they can entice each child into freely-chosen activity. And thirdly, the teacher-servant must learn to recognise obstacles that may prevent the child from engaging, including knowing how not to interfere when students begin to show interest on their own.

  • Part 6: Becoming the Saint

    The third disposition that the new teacher must assimilate is the attitude of a saint, the ability to reflect inwardly and let go of old beliefs that might get in the way of their relationship with the learner. Education as an aid to life is rooted in connection, in the deep-seated need in all human beings for belonging and significance. The teacher-saint learns to recognise their own reactions to the child as a mirror to their own core and limiting beliefs. Journalling becomes a tool for the teacher-saint to reflect inwardly on beliefs that might interrupt their relationship with students. Becoming an effective teacher is more about who we are than what we know, and these three dispositions define the soul of the Montessori educator.

Course curriculum

    1. PART 1: The Birth of Childhood

    2. PART 2: Montessori's Milieu

    3. PART 3: The Transformation of the Adult

    4. PART 4: Becoming the Scientist

    5. PART 5: Becoming the Servant

    6. PART 6: Becoming the Saint

About this course

  • $89.00
  • 6 lessons
  • 20 Hours

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