Montessori preschool teacher job interview: What should I expect?
Sadly there are many schools that are Montessori in name only. They use the name Montessori to attract customers. http://www.montessorianswers.com/selecti... A true Montessori school would never hire a teacher who wasn't Montessori trained. (An assistant teacher, maybe, but a head teacher-never!) There is so much to the method, from philosophy and materials, to classroom set up and management, that no one without prior Montessori training and/or experience could run the classroom correctly. I know that you are looking for a job, I've been there myself and was willing to take just about anything so that I could pay the bills, but honestly, I would look someplace else. Besides the fact that "non-Montessori Montessori" schools mislead people in their understanding of the Montessori Method, frequently giving them a highly inaccurate, and often a negative view of the method and philosophy, the fact that they are willing to be deceiving in the portrayal of their school bothers me greatly. It makes for a hard environment for a dedicated teacher to work in because it tells me that money is their motivation as opposed to education. On the other hand, if you are still dead set on applying, here is an excellent website written for the layperson on the method, materials, and philosophy. http://www.montessorianswers.com/
What is a Montessori school?
A Montessori school is a school based off of Maria Montessori's principals. Rather than being taught by a teacher at a chalk board, you have 'materials' that you use with your hands that teach math, language, history, pretty much everything. Starting when they are young, they go on lots of field trips, and the number of field trips grows throughout the years. Maria Montessori believed that children should get out and learn about the real world. And when kids hit middle school (7th and 8th grade) they learn how to become independent, and go on longer, overnight trips withought their parents. Maria Montessori believed that middle schoolers should go away or months to live and work on a farm. But now, as far as I know, most schools only go away somewhere for about a week. So, basically, Montessori is just a totally different way of teaching. Lots of kids who are gifted, and kids with special needs attend Montessori schools, though they are open to any kind of people. I hope this helped!
What are education requirements to be a preschool teacher's assistant?
It depends on the country you are in. In India any graduate with a passion to teach young children can be a preschool teacher and a few Montessori schools require the teachers to take up the Montessori course before they hire them. Look up NAEYC if you are in the US and EYFS if in UK to get more details. All the best!
Which course is better, B.Ed or B.Ed in special education?
Teaching in itself is a very popular career choice, but teaching students with special needs is a challenging field in itself. If you do a B.Ed you will be eligible to teach in middle and secondary schools and if you do B.Ed in special education, as a special educator you will not just be restricted to schools and colleges but your specified skill sets can be required in special schools, rehabilitation centre and private support. So, it mainly depends on which area of expertise you would like to develop.If you’re looking for the best University to pursue a B.Ed qualification, you can shortlist Apeejay STYA University of Liberal Arts in Gurgaon, India. The Liberal arts education for a tutor is considered to be the ultimate mark of an educated person. There are now many subjects that fall within the broad scope of the category; a typical liberal arts degree program is interdisciplinary, covering topics within the humanities, as well as social, natural and formal sciences. There are differences in the particular subjects included in liberal arts degree programs at different institutions.EligibilityB.Ed At Apeejay STYA UniversityThe Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) is a 2-year duration course duly approved by National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE). Having passed this degree, you will be eligible to teach in middle and secondary schools (Class VI – XII).B.Ed in Special EducationAll you need to join a course on Special Education is a Bachelors degree and an interest in teaching. Apeejay STYA University offers a concise 2-year B.Ed course which is duly approved by National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE). If you’re serious about pursuing Special Education as a full-time career, I suggest you should first take up a B-Ed course.Whichever course you choose to do, Apeejay STYA University will only augment your skills in developing an understanding of the context of education in contemporary Indian Society.
What's the difference between a self-contained special education classroom and an inclusive classroom?
A self-contained special education classroom is a class for special education students. An "inclusive classroom" is a class where special education and general education students are integrated. A special education teacher co-teaches with the mainstream teacher. This is the fake inclusion class. The real inclusion is when all special education students are in the regular classroom and special education services is given within the regular classroom. Maria Montessori successfully implemented the real inclusion. No one out there truly loved children as much as her. Don't ever listen to those stupid people who criticize her. Deep inside they are the ones who are jealous of her accomplishments. Mainstreaming is the same for the self-contained special education classroom and the "fake" inclusive classroom. The self-contained special education classroom is ONLY the academic classes. And then they are mainstreamed for the rest of the day. At least the self-contained classroom, the special education students have the OPPORTUNITY to choose an elective. The fake inclusive classroom has another special education class attached to it. It's not fair because the students lose even more time with the general education. Therefore, mainstreaming is bad for our children. And the REAL inclusion is the best practice for our children. Maria Montessori did it. Why can't there be more good people like her?
Is it rude to ask a preschool aide/teacher in a special ed classroom if s/he would ever be interested in babysitting for your child?
It is certainly not rude. It would be good to find out if there is a policy against it before asking. As others have noted, you could ask if the person knows anyone who babysits.In terms of looking for a babysitter for a special needs preschooler, you could also ask at nearby schools of education and nursing if there is a referral service for students who are looking for jobs. People I know have found babysitters for children with special needs this way. Students in related fields often have experience working with children with special needs and have an interest in the area.
Is there any study or paper about the effect of a Montessori education on career performance or development?
To my knowledge there is not a study on this particular causal effect. I did some searching in some journal databases and also didn't find any. This doesn't surprise me, though. Montessori education is tailored for elementary education and currently not well-developed for middle or high school levels. Maria Montessori worked with and developed her approach specifically for young children. This means that by the time Montessori students have a career performance/development to measure, they have had a vast multitude of other factors and experiences influence who they have become. It would be very difficult to say a particular career trait is caused by the elementary Montessori education received over a decade before entering a career rather than the experiences since then. There are, however, a number of studies that look at other aspects of Montessori education and impacts on students' educational outcomes in middle and high school.
What is the Montessori method?
The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Montessori’s Method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world.It is a view of the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive.Components necessary for a program to be considered authentically Montessori include multiage groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work time, and guided choice of work activity. In addition, a full complement of specially designed Montessori learning materials are meticulously arranged and available for use in an aesthetically pleasing environment.The teacher, child, and environment create a learning triangle. The classroom is prepared by the teacher to encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order. The child, through individual choice, makes use of what the environment offers to develop himself, interacting with the teacher when support and/or guidance is needed