A Day in the Life of a Montessori Teacher Back to Top

Overview

The Montessori education method is a child-centered, alternative educational method based on the child development theories created by Maria Montessori. It is primarily applied in preschool and elementary school settings, but can also be used for infant, toddler, middle school, and high school programs. Its method of education is characterized by emphasizing self-directed activity on the part of the child, and clinical observation on the part of the teacher, or director. This method stresses the importance of adapting the student’s learning environment to his or her developmental level, as well as the role of physical activity in the student’s absorbing abstract concepts and learning practical life skills. Self-correcting equipment is used for introducing and learning concepts, and reading is taught via phonics and whole language, the comparative benefits of which are presently being recognized.

Elementary School and Middle School

There are no text books used in Montessori method elementary schools, and rarely do two or more children study the same thing at the same time. Children in Montessori classrooms learn directly from the environment, and from other children rather than from the teacher. The teacher is trained to teach one child at a time, with a few small groups and almost no lessons given to the whole class. The teacher is a facilitator of the basic lessons of math, language, the arts and sciences, according to the curriculum, and in guiding a child’s research and exploration, capitalizing on interests and excitement about a subject. Large groups occur only in the beginning of a new class, or in the beginning of the school year, and are phased out as the children gain independence. The child is scientifically observed, the observations recorded and studied by the teacher. Children learn from what they are studying individually, but also from the variety of work that is going on around them during the day.

Middle school brings a new level of independence for students, which must be given in the Montessori environment by increasing the amount of work, choices, and planning. In the middle school, visual aids used for younger students are replaced with overviews of general sequences of learning for which the student becomes responsible in the context of an integrated whole. Within this approach, the student has open time to collaborate on both self-initiated and instructor-initiated projects.

High School

Maria Montessori called her Montessori program for high schoolers “Preparation for Adult Life,” meaning that the student must be able to make a connection between learning and living a purposeful adult life. The developmental question that many high school students ask when experiencing learning lessons is, “Why do I need to know this?” Montessori high school programs directly answer this question with a blend of study and experience that will prepare the students for the transition to adulthood.

Teacher Career Resources & Advice Back to Top

Montessori Teacher Jobs Back to Top

Recent JobsBack to Top

• Full Time English Teaching Job in China - Tianjin,China, TX
• Language School-Fushun, Liaoning-5,000-7,000 RMB - Recruit 4 china, NY
• Language School-Wenzhou, Zhejiang-9,000RMB - China, AL
• English Teaching Job in China - Tianjin, AL
• English Teaching Job in China - Tianjin, AL

View All Jobs