Tuesday, March 17, 2015

What is Montessori?

Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. Although a range of practices exists under the name "Montessori", the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS) cite these elements as essential:[2][3]
  • Mixed age classrooms, with classrooms for children ages 2½ or 3 to 6 years old by far the most common
  • Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
  • Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours
  • constructivist or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials, rather than by direct instruction
  • Specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators
  • Freedom of movement within the classroom
  • A trained Montessori teacher
My name is Chelsea, and I am starting this blog as a place for traditional teachers to learn to make their classrooms into a Montessori classroom. I have been a traditional teacher for 6 years, but over this school year I have been evolving into a true Montessori teacher :) You see, Montessori is more than just materials and training, Montessori is a state of mind....a peace within you that flows forth into your classroom.  My goal is to help any teacher adopt the Montessori philosophy and mindfulness to create a Montessori environment in their classroom.  I will do this through pictures, videos, and simple explanations that anyone can understand.  Share and Enjoy :)

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