Half a Century with Montessori: An Interview with AMS 2005 Living Legacy Celma Pinho Perry

Montessori Life, Summer 2004

What was your position at Alcuin?

At Alcuin I was to direct a class of 25 children ages 3-6, from 8:30-1:30. Evenings I attended the University. As the Teacher Education Program was in session, I was brought to visit one demonstration class, then another. I hated them both, so I decided to go to the library. The kind secretary told me I needed first to observe the third class, directed by Dome Petrutis, the next morning. I was hesitant, unsure of what I would find in yet another classroom. But this turned out to be my first real encounter with Chicago-Dome had been trained by Maria Montessori and knew Lubienska de Lenval. What a surprise! I had found my Montessori home.

Dome adopted me as her sister; our first social meeting was when she asked me to come home and help her to clean the windows-she knew I like to help. I met Professor Varnas, Mrs. Varnas, and Maryte Kucinas. The Varnas attended the Montessori course in Nice, France in 1934-the year of my birth. They accepted me in their family. I even learned many words in Lithuanian. Today I am happy to have given many scholarships to Lithuanian teachers after the fall of the Communist government. They got their AMS credentials and now have a strong Lithuanian teacher education program in Vilnius.

What were your most rewarding experiences at Alcuin, especially in the Teacher Education Course?

I was asked to direct one of the demonstration classes I had criticized. The student teachers were complaining thatthe children were not working enough, so the director challenged me to do better. In my youth and innocence 1 agreed! 1 had observed the class for 3 days and noticed four or five children who were very capable. I couldn't sleep the whole night.

So at 8:30 a.m., I calmly observed as the children arrived and invited them one by one to work. To Stephen I presented the color tablets, to Peter the blue and red rods, to Marianne the red rods. They became so involved! Slowly the other children all chose a work on their own, and seemingly by a miracle, there they were all concentrating, some repeating an activity over and over, totally engaged. The hours passed so quickly. I acted only as a facilitator. I remember the feeling of release and joy when the classroom teacher arrived with a cake and candles for that day's birthday celebration, and I could slip away.

My life in Alcuin was set. I was invited to be the supervisor of the student teachers and started from there my life as a consultant. Another experience I will not forget was getting permission to take all the materials and furniture from my class to the gym and spending two days cleaning them, piece by piece, and selecting what I wanted in the prepared environment. Some of the staff considered this scandalous-so much work, so unnecessary. But some parents arrived to help-the Dunns, the Callahans, the Buckingham^ and others. They knew I had a passion. After 40 years these parents are still among my best friends, and I have used these same techniques with my students at MECA to this day.