The phrase "I am a Montessori toddler teacher." is almost always followed by a response that can be summarized into "What is Montessori?" and when I first began working as a Montessori teacher I found this a daunting question. Most people are aware that there is an educational approach known as Montessori and that it exists primarily as a preschool program in private schools. Perhaps the fact that the method is much more prevalent in private schools and often stops after age 6, I have found that the name Montessori carries with it an air of a rich, wide eyed, newfangled approach that is great for kids starting out, but can't compete with traditional teaching methods for more complex knowledge. And although many educators, pediatricians, and scholars have published papers and books about the Montessori method, not many people want to delve into a deep, complex conversation or study on the subject when their main purpose in asking "What is?" is to make polite conversation. So here is my best one sentence response to "What is Montessori?"
The Montessori philosophy was created by Maria Montessori and aims to nurture a child’s development by providing the child with activities and materials that cater to sensitive periods in that child's development as well as ample space and time to find and choose those activities independent of prompts from adults.
The next few blog posts on Mondays will delve deeper into this statement, shedding light on who Maria Montessori was, what sensitive periods are, how her philosophy unfolds in a classroom, and where you can find the Montessori method today.
Thanks for reading!
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