“Simultaneously inspired, challenged and supported”

I first came across Montessori when I was looking into how to support my own son’s development. As he approached his toddler years, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of his grasp on the world: in particular, how I could best support his growing independence. I was fascinated by what I read about Montessori and found invaluable direction for my own parenting in her literature. Eventually this led to me deciding to take the online AMI Orientation 3-6 which is a thorough introduction to Montessori at the 3-6 years stage as I wanted to deepen the knowledge I had gained and learn from those experienced in Montessori.

However, what had begun as a personal interest in better understanding my son’s development, quickly evolved into a wider curiosity in an holistic approach to education. As I learnt more about early childhood brain development, I began to reflect on traditional systems of education – and the UK government’s approach to early years’ settings and couldn’t help but feel that children were often being denied the most enriching and constructive start in life. It became clear to me that an educational method centred on the child’s agency for self-construction and attainment of independence, is valuable not only to each individual child, but also to society more widely. These thoughts led to me enrolling in the one year AMI Diploma 3-6 course at the Maria Montessori Institute in London. I relocated with my family from France to London in the month before the course started.

Studying with the Maria Montessori Institute exceeded all my expectations. Not only are you immersed in an academic environment which is as enriching as it is demanding, but you are learning from professionals who are as passionate as they are knowledgeable. I remain deeply appreciative for the generous spirit of the lecturers; I have never before experienced such enthusiastic dedication to education.

The course integrates the theoretical side of the Montessori approach with its practical application in classroom settings. While learning about the theory accelerated my interest in early brain-wiring, it was during my weeks on teaching practice that I began to foster an even greater respect for both the children and the teaching profession. Doing the teaching practice placements provides a first-hand learning experience that requires you to gather together all you have learnt and apply it in the wonderfully unpredictable classroom environment.

Since I was embarking on the course with a two-year-old in tow, my greatest challenge was juggling the demands of the course with my motherhood responsibilities. While the pace of the one-year course is relatively unyielding, I received an exceptional amount of support, understanding and encouragement from the lecturers. Indeed, it was from talking with them that I gained invaluable wisdom about self-reflection and the importance of staying grounded in the present moment. As the course progressed, I found a connection between what I was learning on the course and my values as a parent; the more I understood the theory of child development, the more steadfast I became as a mother. Moreover, I thoroughly enjoyed the spirit of debate and discussion fostered by the lecturers; they received our questions and queries with enthusiasm, often staying later than scheduled to further explore topics of interest.

Upon graduating, I was extremely fortunate to be offered a teaching position in the Maria Montessori Institute School. My first year of teaching has been incredibly rewarding and has provided much professional, academic and personal growth. Not only have I received exceptional mentorship but I have continued to further my knowledge about childhood education and development on a daily basis. I have come to realise that while the Diploma course equips you with everything you need to embark on your teaching career, it really is just the starting place for a longer-term commitment to better understanding how best to support our younger generations. I am committed to remaining in the classroom environment over the forthcoming years and hope to become involved within outreach programmes to communities in need that ensure the accessibility of Montessori education.

For anyone thinking of teacher training with the Maria Montessori Institute, I would say that it offers education par excellence. You will be simultaneously inspired, challenged and supported throughout a course that intertwines both theory and practice in an exceptional way. You will come out the other side with a newfound understanding, fascination and admiration for each child you encounter.