Celebrating the Montessori Method

Montessori Life, 2009 by Ungerer, Richard A

This past May I was invited to participate in a con- ference held in Citt� di Castello in Umbria, Italy, the town where Maria Montessori's Montessori Method was first published 100 years ago (under the title II Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica applica- all' educazione infantile nelle Case dei Bambini). The event was organized by the Opera Nazionale Montessori (founded by Maria Montessori in 1924 to preserve and disseminate Montessori peda- gogy) in conjunction with the Citt� di Castello and Centro Internazionale Montessori, Perugia. It was my great honor to represent the American Montessori Society there. I viewed this invitation as a reflection of the increased appreciation of the work of AMS and of our outreach around the world.

Invited by the organizers to share some brief comments, I spoke about the significance of the publication of The Montessori Method for the American Montessori Society and the growth of Montessori in the United States. My message included these visions of Montessori education in the 21st century:

* Montessori education will continue to grow and flourish worldwide. We will find many more Montessori schools serving more children and youth in developed and developing countries.

* Montessori teachers, especially those prepared in high-quality teacher education programs, will be in great demand. I predict an expansion of such excellent programs, preparing teachers to work around the world as well as at home.

* Increasingly, Montessori education will be recognized as effective and essential in addressing the competencies needed for students to be successful in the 21st-century global economy.

* Montessori education and Montessori educators will become a significant force advocating for democratic ideals and world peace. Montessori education is truly "education for peace."

* All Montessori schools will be expected to meet ever higher standards. We at AMS are committed to working with others to define standards and maintain quality for all Montessori schools that stay true to the principles of Dr. Montessori.

* Families will become more involved as partners in the education of their Montessori children as they understand the importance of collaborating with teachers and schools in meeting children's needs.

* In the world of research, child development specialists, psychologists, and others will continue to confirm the effectiveness of Montessori education.

* Marketing and branding of Montessori education will become a higher priority of Montessori educational organizations, such as AMS, Montessori schools, and Montessori teacher education programs. The more families know about Montessori education, the more they will demand quality Montessori schools and quality Montessori teachers.

* Montessori educators will become more connected to other Montessori educators throughout the world via the Internet, cell phone technology, and collaborative school and teacher education program development

* Montessori organizations will become more collaborative, will form partnerships, and together will have a significant impact on the future of Montessori education. I am personally committed to finding ways in which Montessori organizations can work together to achieve common goals. To effect greater collaboration, we need to explore in greater depth our commonalities as well as our differences through respectful ongoing discussion.

I closed with the following challenge:

"As we each leave Citt� di Castello and return home, I urge all of us to find ways to join together in an ongoing dialogue about our future and to become involved in a Montessori movement designed to advance Montessori education throughout the world. The future of Montessori education depends on each of us to provide leadership and to work collaboratively."

RICHARD A UNGERER is executive director of AMS. He welcomes your comments, questions, and ideas. Contact him at richard@amshq.org.