Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was born in 1870 in Italy. She was the first female physician in Italy and became very interested in children and their development. Her background was in biology, psychiatry and anthropology. She was a scientist, carefully observing children and the development of the child. Her views on education:
-Freedom of choice in the classroom
-Child centered learning
-Collaboration and group work
-Freedom of movement within the classroom
-Teacher as guide or facilitator
-Differentiated learning environment
-Educating the whole child
All of these have been in place in Montessori classrooms for over a hundred years. Brain science and research is now corroborating her observations and methods.
Excerpt from the Association Montessori Internationale's website...
"Montessori pedagogy is known as the Montessori Method, it is not a method of education, in other words, it is not a programme for teachers to apply. Maria Montessori was not a teacher .... the Alpha and Omega of her pedagogy lies with the children.
Maria Montessori was a scientist, and as a good scientist, she was earth-bound and
highly spiritual in her pursuit of truth. She studied medicine, specialising in
psychiatry and anthropology. She was also an outstanding mathematician. Although
she would never have considered being a teacher, she studied educational methods
for many years and found them wanting, possibly because none of them took into
account the two seemingly paradoxical extremes which are at the centre of her
pedagogy: the universal characteristics of the human child, and the child as a
unique, unrepeatable, respectable and admirable individual to be unconditionally
accepted as one of life's most marvellous expressions," (http://www.montessori-ami.org)
-Freedom of choice in the classroom
-Child centered learning
-Collaboration and group work
-Freedom of movement within the classroom
-Teacher as guide or facilitator
-Differentiated learning environment
-Educating the whole child
All of these have been in place in Montessori classrooms for over a hundred years. Brain science and research is now corroborating her observations and methods.
Excerpt from the Association Montessori Internationale's website...
"Montessori pedagogy is known as the Montessori Method, it is not a method of education, in other words, it is not a programme for teachers to apply. Maria Montessori was not a teacher .... the Alpha and Omega of her pedagogy lies with the children.
Maria Montessori was a scientist, and as a good scientist, she was earth-bound and
highly spiritual in her pursuit of truth. She studied medicine, specialising in
psychiatry and anthropology. She was also an outstanding mathematician. Although
she would never have considered being a teacher, she studied educational methods
for many years and found them wanting, possibly because none of them took into
account the two seemingly paradoxical extremes which are at the centre of her
pedagogy: the universal characteristics of the human child, and the child as a
unique, unrepeatable, respectable and admirable individual to be unconditionally
accepted as one of life's most marvellous expressions," (http://www.montessori-ami.org)