This section will give direction on using Montessori training principles in your classroom. This is true even if that is a classroom that is not currently incorporating a Montessori approach. A good place to start, whether or not you think you might want to become a member here, is the Members Triangle. The overview of those sections will quickly help you understand some important Montessori principles. The Mentor section there will also have specific content for teachers who are exploring bringing Montessori ideas into their current classroom set up. It will also explain why we usually call you a mentor rather than a Montessori teacher.
Once you have a beginning sense that it is important to know your learner, prepare the environment, and be a conscientious mentor, check out the blog. There you will find short pieces that will enhance your understanding of these ideas and give you practical applications in real life situations. You might also want to check out our review section if you are considering reading up more on Montessori training. Some books in the field, especially some by Montessori herself, can be a little hard to get into if they are the first thing you pick up on the topic.
Had Some Discouraging Experiences in the Past?
If you have looked into Montessori education in the past and felt discouraged, excluded, or frustrated, please check out our Is it for Everybody? section. Because many Montessorians are so passionate about the benefits of a fully developed Montessori education in an authentic, mature program, they can sometimes turn people off with their uncompromising commitment to this ideal. We share that ideal and, at the same time, believe in meeting all dedicated educators where they are when they discover Montessori.
You Know This is for You – At Least Some of It
If what you have already learned about Montessori, here or elsewhere, is so interesting to you that you know you want to use the ideas, be sure check out our store. We realize that not every teacher or mentor can drop everything and take a Montessori teacher training. We don’t think that should be a barrier to learning more in an indepth way. Whether you want to completely revise your environment in line with Montessori principles or you just want to be more respectful in your interactions with your students, you’ll find resources here to do that.
School Owners
If you own or are starting a Montessori school and are worried about having enough Montessori trained teachers, we can help. The simple reality is that most Montessori schools in the United States, and many other countries, will need to train their own classroom assistants and probably at least some of their own teachers. We’ll leave the wisdom of doing that for another time and simply say that, if you are in that situation, we can provide video training programs and print support materials to make this task much easier and more successful.
What We Provide to You
We are the only Montessori training company that does all these things:
- Provides learner-centered training with a mastery-focus
- Designed for educators, parents, school owners, and others
- Requires only that you have video equipment access and take responsibility for your own learning
- Welcomes everybody who insists on empowering learners and making a difference
- Empowers mentors to master Montessori education in a time of recommendation-driven choices
In order to create a Montessori education, empower learners, and unleash their creativity, you must learn a new way to support learners. Our home study courses are designed to help you do that in a flexible, easy to manage way. Learn what one American Montessori Society certified teacher, who also holds a California teaching credential and is a widely acclaimed children’s ski instructor, says about our program.
Diane Bode
Founder of Another Way Montessori
We treat educators-in-training, and prospective educators, as we advocate treating all learners. We empower them and respect their learning styles and emerging creativity while fostering mastery. Our video and print learning materials provide the information and guidance needed by self-motivated individuals to master the skills and habits of the Montessori mentor.
They also provide support to school owners and classroom mentors who need resources to provide training to their staff and classroom assistants. These materials give all the instruction and information needed for adults to prepare a Montessori classroom and guide the children of a class. Most importantly, mentors feel confident as they present the materials to the children, choose which presentations to make and when, and make moment to moment decisions about interacting with their students. Full attention is given to the key Montessori skill of refraining from action or interruption when this is the best choice. Full use of the materials is required to gain mastery of these skills.
What We Don’t Provide
If you are looking for a quick way to obtain a certificate that indicates you are Montessori trained, these products are not for you. If you are seeking resources to become truly proficient at nurturing learners through use of Montessori principles, materials, and curriculum, we can help.
It is always ideal to have good models if you want to learn something. Before we describe the structure of our training programs, it is important to understand the value of experiencing a mature, authentic Montessori environment. Ideally, if you want to learn to lead a Montessori classroom of children ages 3 to 6, you will observe and take a limited, supervised leadership role in a model classroom for that age group. Unfortunately, this resource is not available to all adults who want to become Montessori educators and it is impossible for us to provide it as part of our flexibility-driven programs. We will offer creative suggestions for obtaining this experience if you do not already have this opportunity available to you. To take advantage of those recommendations, you will need to be in a location that has an established Montessori school receptive to working with you.
While we advocate all Montessori educators have internships in an authentic classroom before they take responsibility for a classroom, we also realize this is not always going to be the reality. Our program is designed to provide the most complete training possible, even for educators who do not have an established Montessori school available to assist them.