The key to the success of the Montessori method

Despite almost a century of history, the Montessori method has been re-evaluated in recent years and is accredited by teachers. A new generation of teachers Called for a change in the outdated educational model.

And to that end, on the horizon, the International Montessori Institute (IMI) Montessori Guides Training Program will begin on June 1st. The registration deadline is open to teachers who are interested in formally retraining for the Zero to 12-Year Learning Guide. Students will receive a total of 2100 hours of training – with direct support and monitoring; E-learning 24 hours and participation Webinar– It will help them learn to accompany and guide students, create stimulating spaces, and prepare specific materials that promote development and respect each individual’s rhythm, along with other specialized techniques.

Currently, the Montessori method is approved by the same advanced disciplines as neuroeducation and is considered as A fundamental part of the pedagogical transition. Studies over the past few decades have proven, thanks to brain monitoring, that a person never stops making new neural connections that are constantly being configured.

This is what is called neuroplasticity and, among other aspects, homologates research as the most effective method of generating learning. “This is the basis of our training model and the reason why we prepare our guides in this area,” said Adela Vizcaino, pedagogical director of the IMI Montessori guide training program, who outlined the functions of Montessori guides. They prepare the environment, take care of the materials and conditions, observe the needs and interests of the students and, of course, give them the opportunity to explore and discover for themselves. “All this so that their presence does not end this atmosphere or be invasive.”

However, Montessori pedagogy is not an invention of the digital community, but was created in the 30s and 40s of the last century. The first Italian woman to graduate in medicineMaria Montessori, who is also considered one of the pioneers of feminism and ecological culture.

“Their way of understanding education involves accompanying them so that people can develop their full potential from birth and throughout life,” Vizcaino said. “Given that we have not faced so many pedagogical, labor and social challenges since the Industrial Revolution, we are at a time in history when more self-motivated, flexible, innovative and self-regulatory learning is needed than ever before. “People can also work as a team: the educational models that prioritize these skills will be the ones that will last over time,” he said.

According to IMI’s pedagogical director, who is also a Montessori accredited guide, society has been experiencing a real digital revolution in recent years, in which the labor market is changing profoundly. Many jobs become obsolete or disappear, while others change, evolve or arise as a result of technological advances.

In this context, “it is essential that teachers develop the ability to observe to identify individual differences in each student,” he said. “The teaching-learning method, as we understand it in Montessori, is based on combining learning moments with others in which boys and girls explore, discover, and deepen autonomously,” explains Vizcaino. “It is an understanding of their behavior based on the evolutionary stage they are living in at the moment,” the teacher continues, “and what compels them to have special interests and needs.” Teachers should respond by developing relevant teaching experience. ”

But if the Spanish education system has a flaw to face, it is the instability that has forced it to adapt to the eight major changes of the last forty years, with the same number of organic laws. This lack of consistency affects both the organization and it The quality of teaching itself At the same time, one of the usual complaints of teachers is usually related to the imprisonment they are subject to, both because of the administrative burden, as well as because of the implementation of a strict and outdated curriculum that leaves little to be desired. Room for innovation.

For this reason, “the first step to achieving a quality education should be the transformation of the teacher,” says Vizcaino, adding that “the educated should achieve a horizontal relationship with the students, which will allow him to be a facilitator of learning.”

The interest of the centers in Montessori guides is growing

Regarding the training offered by IMI, Adela Vizcaino states that “in addition to the specific course of guides we have mentioned, those interested have other qualifications that formally give teachers the right to teach our method. It ‘s about Master education in early childhood And Master’s degree in primary educationApproved by the University of Barcelona. ”

“Our qualifications are fully adapted to the new times and can be taken remotely as we provide technical assistance to future guides and our trainers are constantly monitoring progress,” explains Vizcaíno. Regarding the campus, the IMI Director points out that “We provide students with a variety of resources available, such as videos, documents, and forums. The evaluation is carried out continuously, with periodic delivery of assignments and also the final theoretical-practical evaluation.

Award for Future Montessori guides This goes beyond accrediting them as such, to gaining a title, as the current trend confirms that schools related to this educational method are opening up more and more often. “There are even schools that have chosen to introduce this pedagogy and the growing interest in bringing it to the public sphere,” says Vizcaino, who concludes with a phrase that adds motivation: “There are Montessori schools on five continents. A well-trained guide can easily find a job. ”