Montessori teachers do not teach.
In fact, many don’t even like to be called teachers.
Instead, they guide. They observe.
They create an environment of calm, order, joy.
They know when to intervene.
And above all, they know when to step back.
This knowledge isn’t something most people are born with. It’s not even something traditional teachers learn in school. But it is something you’ll learn as you become an AMI-certified Montessori teacher.
To work in a Montessori environment is very unlike “teaching” in the traditional sense of the word. The Montessori approach offers a broad vision of education as an aid to the unfolding process of life. It succeeds because it draws its principles from natural human development, embracing the wonder and curiosity in every child.
During the course of development, children experience dramatic changes that require different environments to meet their developmental needs. Dr. Montessori compares this process to the metamorphosis that a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly. Those who have completed AMI teacher training understand and see what it means to “believe in the child,” and how to best help all children to discover the joys of learning.
