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Montessori Education

Making a difference in the world…

Every child has a fascination with the elements of our world…the path of a falling snowflake, the rippling light on a river's surface, a cricket's steady chirp. Children instinctively reach out to experience and understand the world. The Montessori classroom presents the possibilities for this exploration…

The Montessori approach to education was developed by Maria Montessori, a visionary Italian anthropologist and physician. Begun in 1907 with a small group of children in Rome, Montessori Education is now implemented on six continents and has proven effective across cultural boundaries and socio-economic levels. In North America alone there are approximately 5000 private Montessori schools and 200 public schools offering a Montessori approach. The growth of Montessori education has created a demand for highly qualified Montessori teachers.

If you seek a viable, proven teaching alternatives in education, the graduate programs in Montessori Education offer opportunities to become fully trained and certified as a Montessori teacher, while simultaneously completing an advanced degree. These unique programs are offered through Loyola College in partnership with many training centers affiliated with the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI). The Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola College in Maryland, an on-site certified AMI training center, and the oldest Montessori training center in North America, distinguishes Loyola as the only institution in the country to offer the combined master's degree program with complete specialty training in Montessori Education. Additional Affiliated AMI Institutes collaborate with Loyola to provide the graduate program across North America.

Montessori trains teachers to recognize the natural development of each child and to respect that individuality while guiding student learning. In recent decades, Montessori education has seen enormous growth around the world and in the United States. As interest in Montessori education continues to increase, so too does the demand for qualified teachers. In today's educational climate, and advanced degree enhances opportunities for professional advancement and leadership.

Programs

The graduate programs in Montessori education at Loyola are committed to meeting the needs of the community by preparing highly qualified Montessori educators for the ample career opportunities at three levels: Assistance to Infancy (ages 0 - 3), Primary (ages 3 - 6), and Elementary (ages 6 - 12). Each integrated course of study blends advanced education core courses with practical classroom experience, as well as opportunities for research, observation, student teaching and pre-service preparation. A hallmark of each program is a required 90 hours of scientific observation in state-of-the-art, child-centered classrooms complete with age-appropriate teaching materials and equipment.

 

After several years teaching high school, I came to Loyola looking for something more relative and immediate to childrens' lives. When I came into the Montessori program, I found my niche. All of the Montessori training has meaning and use for what I'll be doing professionally in the years to come. I can't imagine being prepared any more than I am.

-Kathleen O'Donnell,
teacher, caregiver, fundraising executive
and former program director, Teach for America.