What does it take to be a Montessori Teacher?
Montessori teachers are among the most highly educated individuals among their profession. In most cases, Montessori credentials are above and beyond college degrees and advanced degrees. An individual holding a Montessori credential has invested significant time, money and resources to offer your child the best learning experience possible.
Three teachers from The Glen began their Montessori education this year, each giving up most of their summer to attend an intensive residency out of state. They will be working carefully through this school year under the supervision of an experienced Montessori-certified teacher. In addition, their accrediting school will send observers out to critique and improve their performance and expect them to attend numerous weekend seminars and online classes throughout the coming year. Altogether, this training reflects about 2 full years of intensive training focused on the social, emotional and cognitive needs of children in the age group they are studying. Without a doubt, Montessori teachers become age-level experts on child development and learning!
This summer, Ms. Carrie attended The Center for Guided Montessori Studies in Lakeland Florida to begin her Early Childhood (ages 3-6) certification. Prior to attending this training, Ms. Carrie had already achieved a Bachelor of Secondary English Education and gone on to earn a Masters of Education in conjunction with a K-6 Pennsylvania Teaching certification. She discovered Montessori during a classroom observation. Amazed with the concentration and precision a 3-year old child used when completing a pin pushing work, she sought to learn more, eventually working in both Infant-Toddler and Children’s House classrooms. Ms. Carrie will practice all she has learned with the students in Room 207 alongside Ms. Kim, also a certified Montessori teacher, and is working under the guidance of Ms. Lori as her supervising teacher.
Ms. Karen has also been teaching for many years and holds a Bachelor of Science degree and Arizona Teaching Certification in Elementary Education. She holds additional certificates in Early Childhood Education and Sheltered English Instruction with numerous STEM professional development courses to her credit. She has experience teaching students for whom English is their second language and in multi-age STEM magnet schools. This summer, Ms. Karen pursued her Montessori Elementary I (ages 6-9) certification at the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative in Boston and will continue to co-teach with Ms. Susy in Room 201 as her supervising teacher.
Ms. Chanel’s path is different – she recently graduated with a degree in public relations and then decided that early childhood education was the path she wished to take. She googled “Montessori Schools in Pittsburgh” and contacted the one with the best reviews—The Glen of course!—and requested the opportunity to come and observe. Impressed by her experience, she applied for a position and has been working at our school ever since in a variety of capacities. Ms. Chanel spent her summer at Center for Montessori Training North Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina and will be doing her practicum under the supervision of Ms. Sarah in Room 108.
The number of Montessori trained teachers is one of the most important factors when choosing a quality education for your child. At The Glen, more than 50% of the adults working with your children hold Montessori certifications or are in the process of completing their certification. This is a very high percentage for most Montessori schools, because of the time commitment and cost. In 2015, The Glen’s Board of Directors made the decision to invest in professional development to ensure an authentic Montessori educational experience for students of all ages.