Dr. Maria Montessori was the first Italian women who earned a Doctorate degree in 1896. She is the founder of the Montessori Method of Education. During her college years she stood out from her class by winning a series of scholarship that she then used to pay her medical education expenses. After graduating, Dr. Montessori worked in a psychiatric clinic for unfortunate children. She observed that the children throws food on the floor and play with it. Because of her compassion and intelligence she created a solution to help the children. She discovered the studies of two French doctors Edouard Seguin and Jean Marc Gaspard Itard. These two doctors believed in the education of deviated children. Dr. Montessori shared the conviction that her career in medicine was not the answer, but rather education. She had revolutionized the notion of early childhood through the establishment of “Children’s House or Casa Dei Bambini” in 1907. She put materials and activities into the environment but kept only those materials that engaged them. The prepared environment gave her a notion that “the children’s ability for deep concentration was phenomenal”.
In her observations, she analyzes how children learn on their own and how they build themselves from what they see and find from their environment. She believed children should not be treated as receptors of knowledge from the teacher, instead should be leaders of their own learning. Her philosophy has been embraced in school around the world.
Maria Montessori was a visionary educator who transformed the way we think about education. Her emphasis on hands-on learning, exploration, and discovery has had a profound impact on modern education, and her legacy continues to influence educators around the world. Montessori’s ideas have helped to create a more child-centered approach to education, where the child is encouraged to learn at their own pace and in their own way. Her contribution to education will be remembered for generations to come.
I meant to make a comment about Maria Montessori. She proved to the world that the children labeled disadvantaged or mentally challenged had potential within them to exceed the expectations of anyone or everyone, given the right learning environment and mentors who knew the techniques and materials that could tap into their potential. Most of today’s products of Montessori schools are successful, motivated, self learners, well-balanced and of good character. That is much more than can be said of most other educational programs who do not address the whole child. M.M. was a woman before her time and most school systems are still far behind her unfortunately. If you can tap into her spirit your children will be most blessed because many Montessori schools use her name and materials, but have lost her spirit, sad to say. ~Liz
Very well said. Thank you👍
Thank you for visiting my site http://artwithaloha.wordpress.com and reading about my Montessori learning center. Montessori is a philosophy/way of life I believed in before I studied it in college. I also taught elementary school using the same principles of self-directed activities. Keep up the good work! ~Liz from Hawaii
Thank you Shofar! Yes true, Dr. Maria Montessori had created a big impact to our new generation of learners. Its truly inspiring how her method works beautifully.