Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This thread kind of has two themes, but I think they're sort of related and I'd like to hear some opinions on both.
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about teaching in a Montessori school, or heck, any type of independent school?
How does one become certified to teach in a Montessori school?
What have your experiences been like (or what stories have you heard about) teaching in a Montessori or independent school?
Right now I'm a bit disillusioned with the thought of teaching in a public school (not because of the kids, of course, but because of all of the extraneous political nonsense). I would like to consider some other options (not charter or Catholic). Thank you for your sharing your opinions!
To teach in a true Montessori school you need to be certified by a Montessori training center that is accredited by the American Montessori Society, the Association Montessori Internationale or the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education Commission.
However, Montessori is not always really Montessori, so in some Montessori schools, you might be able to teach without a program of this type.
Good question. I was thinking the exact same thing -- public/charter/parochial schools are out of the question, but maybe some hope can be found in independent schools.
I have worked at independent schools. It really varies.
Nana gave the correct information about Montessori. I know that there is a training center at The College of New Rochelle. I have observed and visited true Montessori schools, but never worked in one. There is no copyright for the name Montessori so any school can call themselves a Montessori school, but the real ones are AMI or AMS accredited. If you follow the approach, you have to handle large classes of multi-aged children and it can be quite structured. Also, the materials can be expensive. More schools seem to offer classes for younger children, rather than upper-elementary and older children so if you do intend to pursue this approach, there will be more job openings for ages 3-8, than older kids. Some public school districts have certified Montessori schools.
Montessori will certify anyone. There is a Montessori teacher in Houston who has no teaching experience and ran a bookstore for 15 years before teaching middle school. I would pass. Most use it as a way into the teaching profession. The teacher situation is described here: [url]http://www.city-data.com/forum/houston/1754438-school-woods-vs-oak-school-montessori-3.html[/url]
Montessori will certify anyone. There is a Montessori teacher in Houston who has no teaching experience and ran a bookstore for 15 years before teaching middle school. I would pass. Most use it as a way into the teaching profession. The teacher situation is described here: "School of the Woods" vs. "Post Oak School" - Montessori schools
That is simply untrue, but the problem is that Montessori schools are often NOT Montessori schools. The name is not trademarked or copyrighted so anyone can start a school and call it a Montessori school even if they are not really one.
A good Montessori school will be affiliated with The American Montessori Society or the International Montessori Council. If the school is not accredited, then it may be doing something other than true Montessori.
Montessori is a different system from teaching to the test and it's actually a very good one if you go to a good school.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
