This week I officially finished my Montessori Master’s Program! In honor of graduating with my Maser’s Degree, I want to share with you some of the top things I learned from my Montessori Masters Program.
It has been such a fun and wild ride on my journey toward my masters degree! From the time I started working in a Montessori school, to my AMI Montessori training, to obtaining my Bachelor’s in Child Development, to leading a classroom of infants for all those years… Montessori has been such a big part of my life and my love for it continues to grow.
This program has been eye-opening for me in so many ways and truly helped me rediscover my love for Montessori Education. So let me share some of the top things I learned in my Montessori Master’s Program.
Each Montessorian’s Perception of Maria Montessori is Slightly Different
Maria Montessori is the lady that started it all. She is well known as the scientist and researcher who developed this Montessori curriculum and way of life.
That said, in my Montessori Masters Program, I learned that Maria Montessori’s journey means something different for each person.
She had a complex personality and belief system. So one may read some of her works and research and think one thing, whereas someone may read something else and find something completely different.
For example… you may read something like the Absorbent Mind. And after you may have the perspective that she was strong in her ways and beliefs. Then again, you may spend time researching her own research and works. Then you may consider that she was a researcher that believed in science and ongoing reflective observation.
Maria was a doctor, researcher, teacher, scientist, activist, inventor, mother, feminist, and pioneer. She was a real human. She was strong in her studies. And she had a fierce love for children that is proven over and over in her works.
Montessori by Definition
Another thing that I learned was a solid and clear way to define Montessori Education. Even after years of Montessori training and experience in the field, I struggled to define Montessori Education in one sentence. So here is what I came up with…
Montessori is a pedagogical approach to education that was created to optimize and support the natural progression of human development.
Consider this: Dr. Montessori was a scientist and researcher. She was a pioneer and advocate for the latest research and educational technology.
What this means to me is that Dr. Montessori would have considered new advancements and research in development within her communities and implemented them as appropriate through observation and reflection.
Breaking Montessori Stereotypes
I know that at times Montessori, especially AMI Montessori (the training that I have), can have a the stereotype of being rigid in their Montessori ways… *sigh*
That said, if we consider that Dr. Montessori herself was a researcher who aimed optimizing development, we can only assume that she would always want what’s best for each child in his or her own beautiful uniqueness.
After all, her heart was with the children. She wanted to offer the child an optimized foundation to create an empowered child of today and a secure and happy adult of tomorrow.
I feel honored to be a Graduate of 2020. Even though the 2020 pandemic has made walking down the aisles of my University to shake hands with the Deans and grab that degree impossible, I know this is definitely a year to be remembered.
And while we did take more traditional graduate photos, we also wanted to take some silly graduation photos to commemorate this time.
So in honor of graduating during the Coronavirus…. 😉
Here’s to my amazing professors and inspiring classmates! And congrats to the Class of 2020!