Professional development in The Montessori classroom

The Need

​Professional Development courses are required for Canadian public school teachers and RECEs to stay relevant in their field. Montessori teachers, however, do not have the same requirements. Many Montessori educators do not pursue professional development throughout their teaching career and, as a result, have a difficult time evolving with newly discovered needs of their students.

The American Montessori Society (AMS) requires its members to complete 50 hours of continuing professional development every 5 years in order to remain in good standing (AMS Professional Development Requirements, n.d.). “If you do not complete the hours within the 5-year period, your credential will become inactive and – until you meet the requirement – your AMS credential will be suspended” (AMS Professional Development Requirements, n.d., para. 4). The AMS requires this to “ensure that you remain a competent and relevant practitioner and continue to bring new ideas and perspectives into your community of learners” (AMS Professional Development, n.d., para. 1).

The Association Montessori Internationale (Canada) does not require members to complete continuous professional development, but it does require accredited schools to “commit to ongoing staff development through attendance at AMI workshops, conferences and refresher course” (AMI Canada - Global Accreditation, n.d., para. 8). The difference between AMS and AMI is that while AMS encourages a variety of topics of interest on new and innovative educational trends, AMI is more traditional and supports courses and workshops that delve deeper into Montessori’s works and pedagogy.

Supporting Montessori guides to work with children of all abilities is something that should be a priority for training centres. Intended as an educational experience for all children to develop at their own pace, Montessori has become a private school alternative for parents of means who are looking for academic advancements for their children. Montessori guides feel unprepared to work with children who are not able to show academic advancements on par with neuro-typical and fully abled peers. This has become apparent as more inclusion courses are being developed and sought out by Montessorians.

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Courses for Montessori Inclusion
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Montessori Medical Partnership for Inclusion (MMPI)
Catherine Nehring Massie received Montessori training from CISM Birgamo, Italy, and earned her Masters for teaching elementary and special education.  Barbara Luborsky has more than 25 years of experience in the field of childhood Occupational Therapy. Both are dedicated promoters of Montessori education but also recognize some children do not have equal access to Montessori schools due to their special needs. In 2010 they began to collaborate with each other to help bring more inclusivity into Montessori schools (Learn More about MMPI and Join Today, n.d.).

Together, they created Montessori Medical Partnership for Inclusion (MMPI)  and currently offer two courses: Understanding Interventions and Therapies in a Montessori Setting, and, Leading Inclusive Montessori Schools: Strategic Planning for Inclusion. UITMS is a 3-month, online course that explores the needs of children in three sections: 1) sensory issues, 2) dyslexia, 3) autism. Online lectures, discussion groups, readings, and assignments are informative and easy to accommodate in your busy work schedule. All assignments are marked on a pass/fail basis and there is constant support from the instructors and class assistants. This course is intended for Montessori guides and medical professionals, but anyone with an interest in learning about inclusion in the Montessori classroom is welcome to enrol (Understanding Interventions Online Course – 2023, 2023). Upon course completion, you will be awarded a certificate and 5.4 CEUs from Loyola University – Maryland.
 
LIMS is a newer course provided by MMPI and is intended for Montessori school administrators. This eight month program (Zoom meetings are hosted one Saturday a month), helps administrators learn how to prepare their school (including their policies, staff, and classroom environments) to be inclusive of all children (MMPI Administrators’ Course, 2023). This course offers online lectures, guest speakers, discussion groups, readings, and assignments to help you prepare your school for inclusion.  A certificate is awarded at the end of the course.

American Montessori Society
AMS offers a Montessori Inclusion Endorsement (MIE) program that is available at the Shelton School in Dallas, Texas, and at the Westside Montessori Teacher Education Program in New York, NY. Both of these programs offer “a Montessori approach to guiding children with a broad spectrum of learning variances. Educators will come away with the ability to support all types of thinkers; work with intervention specialists, therapists, and parents; and create individualized learning plans for children with learning differences” (Montessori Inclusion Endorsement, 2023). However, these programs require an in-person component that may make this a difficult option for some to accommodate in their budgets and work schedules.
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Association Montessori Internationale
The Association Montessori Internationale is has offered an inclusive education course at the Montessori Institute of San Diego. “This supplemental training course for AMI diploma holders was created to empower Montessori teachers with unique strategies to serve children who have behavioral, learning, and physical differences” (Inclusive Education | Montessori Institute of San Diego, 2012, para. 1). The website has not updated this program from the 2018 offering, but it does have the course mentioned under their “future offerings” tab and they suggest contacting the institute for more information (2023 New MISD Courses | Montessori Institute of San Diego, 2014).

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​Are Montessori School Accreditations at Risk?
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There is concern raised by Montessori educators and administrators that they may lose their AMS or AMI accreditation if they embrace inclusive practices in their schools. This is because of the regulations AMS and AMI have to determine authentic Montessori environments. As these two centres begin to promote inclusivity, they will have to ensure they don’t penalize accredited schools who practice inclusivity.

AMS seems to be aware of this challenge and has included in its 2023 School Accreditation Standards, that “the quality Montessori school…demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion” (AMS, 2023, para. 7). This shows the dedication AMS has to promote Montessori pedagogy as an educational tool for all children.
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In comparison, the AMI still has some regulations that may impede inclusion practices from occurring in AMI accredited schools. One concern is the requirement of only two adults in the classroom, one being the Casa guide and the other being the assistant (AMI – Canada, 2023).  This is problematic as some children need support of specialized educators. Removing the child from the classroom to receive supports would also conflict with the AMI regulation that each child is given a 3-hour work cycle within the Montessori environment. In this case, the child would not be able to have a support worker within the classroom or be able to leave the classroom for support.
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Another concern for AMI accredited schools is the free choice of activities offered to each child. AMI – Canada states the children need to be “free to choose their own activities”, and they “may be directed by the Teacher at times, but there is no assigned work” (AMI Canada - MQA Primary Level, 2023, para. 3). This is problematic as children with special needs require more structure and less choice than other students. Teachers may need to guide children to complete specific activities each day to help with their individualized support plans. 

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Charging Ahead

Montessori guides, administrators, and parents are recognizing the need for more professional development programs to become available and accessible to professionals in the field. For some schools, they may need to make a choice between providing supports for their students or remaining accredited by their training institution. For non-accredited schools, inclusion is easier to implement, but this may mean a lack of Montessori authenticity for the enrolled students.

Ideally, all Montessori schools should have high standards of authenticity and support to work with all children, regardless of their needs. Currently, there is not a lot of choice for professional development in inclusion, but there are quality programs out there if you look for them. I encourage all Montessori guides to seek out these courses and enroll. Let your administrators know more professional development opportunities are needed. Ask your training centers to develop and provide inclusive courses. By advocating for our own professional development we will also be advocating for the equitable education of all children.

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References

2023 New MISD Courses | Montessori Institute of San Diego. (2014, October 23). https://misdami.org/montessori-teacher-training-california/admissions-montessori-training-schools/upcoming- courses/
 
AMI Canada - Essential Characteristics Summary. (2023). Www.ami-Canada.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://www.ami-canada.com/essentialsummary.html

AMI Canada - Global Accreditation. (n.d.). Www.ami-Canada.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://www.ami-canada.com/globalaccreditation.html

AMI Canada - MQA Primary Level. (2023). Www.ami-Canada.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://www.ami-canada.com/guidelinesprimary.html

‌‌AMS. (2023, July 1). 2023 AMS School Accreditation Standards [Review of 2023 AMS School Accreditation Standards]. AMSHQ. https://amshq.org/-/media/Files/AMSHQ/Educators/Montessori-Schools/Accreditation/2023-AMS-School-Accreditation-Standards.ashx

Inclusive Education | Montessori Institute of San Diego. (2012, July 11). https://misdami.org/montessori-teacher-training-california/ami-montessori-courses/montessori-teacher-training-inclusive-education-certification-program/

Learn More About MMPI and Join Today. (n.d.). Montessori 4 Inclusion. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://montessori4inclusion.org/about-us/#founders

MMPI Administrators’ Course. (2023). Montessori 4 Inclusion. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://montessori4inclusion.org/mmpi-administrators-course/

Montessori Inclusion Endorsement. (2023). Amshq.org. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://amshq.org/Educators/Montessori-Careers/Become-a-Montessori-Educator/Montessori-Inclusion-Endorsement
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Understanding Interventions Online Course – 2023. (2023). Montessori 4 Inclusion. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://montessori4inclusion.org/understandinginterventions-online-course-2023/