Janelle Sheppard

Maria Montessori is indisputably a pioneer in education

and is the embodiment of what educators would come to study
and practice for decades. Montessoris theories, principles,
practices and approach are instituted even today in schools
all over the world. Beyond the scope of her principles she
broke the barriers of that time being prominent in female
entrepreneurship. Her life and legacy are nothing short of
exemplary even to the modern day achiever.
Maria Montessori, an Italian, was born to Alessandro
and Renilde Montessori on August 31, 1870 in Chiaravalle.
Her father was a businessman and her mother not far off
being well educated considering the era. Her mother being an
early and onset figure would be the model of tenacity Maria
took after to develop her own abilities and courage. By the
age of 5 Maria and family had relocated due to the fathers
work twice from Florence to Rome.

Although her early

schooling wasnt highly notable, by the age of 13, she

entered an all-boys technical institute to prepare for a
career in engineering and was described as a sterling
student, confident, ambitious, and unwilling to be limited
by traditional expectations for women.

(http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/History-ofMontessori-Education/Biography-of-Maria-Montessori) By the
age of 20, and haven studied an array of subjects she
graduated with certification in physics but decided she
wanted to study medicine and be a doctor instead. This
choice was not favored by her father at all and caused minor
tension. She was denied and mocked at first attempts to
medical school in Rome, but she overcame by studying and
being persistent graduating medical school as one of the
first notable Italian female physicians in 1896.
Progressively, Maria would segue her studies in the medical
field with, children experiencing some form of mental
retardation, illness, or disability, to her development of
education. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori)
Maria Montessori advanced her studies in the medical
field of psychiatric study and observation of children to
how they learn. In the subsequent years she would study
several teachers and theorist, read several books of
pedagogy, and envelope her entire focus on education of a
child with special disabilities. She gained more and more
respects of colleagues far and near, public speaking,
writing and publishing books, and eventually opening her own
school. Her fundamental principles and practice would be
coined as The Montessori Method.

It is not true, says Dr. Montessori, that I invented

what is called the Montessori Method. I have studied the
child, I have taken what the child has given me and
expressed it, and that is what is called the Montessori
Method. (http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/History-ofMontessori-Education/Biography-of-Maria-Montessori/Quotesby-Maria-Montessori)
The method is the study of the childs development
(education) from a physical, social, cognitive, and
emotional perspective. There are certain components that are
deemed absolutely necessary in this method: a classroom with
children of mixed ages, work time of three hours without
break, time for student to work with actual materials, and
freedom to be mobile in the class. Montessoris approach is
a two dimensional representation of human development. A
child has a natural sense of development psychologically,
and a child psychologically develops with reinforced
interaction with their environment. The classroom of mixed
ages is so that a child can learn from an older child and
that an older child can learn (or reinforce what they know
by way of teaching) from a younger child. She scientifically
calculated that three hours without break was a way of
structuring and disciplining a childs development. She
believed hands on training with actual materials heightened

a childs interest in such learning subject. And lastly,

freedom to move about the class was an apparatus for a child
to be themselves and show their creative sides, the role of
education as providing environments in which the children
could be set free to follow their natural impulses to become
the wonderfully dynamic, natural learners they were designed
to be.
(http://www.montessori.org.uk/what_is_montessori/the_philoso
phy) Consequently, children would grow to love to learn
because of the freedom to do so at their own pace.
There are Montessori schools, teachers, and centers all
across the world even today. Its estimated to be over 4,000
schools in America alone. Although expanding across the
decades and developing several minor additive signatures
from educators the Montessori schools of today try to
preserve certain trademarks of the original principles of
Montessori. A Montessori school today values the child and
respects the pace the child learns while providing
sufficient environment and material for them to do so. The
theory today values the importance of discipline, a childs
focused attention, and independence. The actual physical set
up of the class today is also representative of Montessoris
principles. Unlike other schools the children are welcomed
with tables, floor mats to work on, and small workspaces

reflective of their size. The walls of the classrooms are

decorated generally with paintings and drawings from the
children which is contrary to normal schools that have
cartoon character paintings done professionally. Overall the
class is set up and organized to personally cater to the
needs of the child with things such as small chairs,
couches, eye level sinks, and shelves that a child could
reach. Today, the teacher is also a pivotal part of the
triangle (teacher, child, environment). The teacher
observes, facilitates and builds. The teacher observes each
student well enough to know the childs interests, dislikes,
weak and strong points. This is important for the
development of the child. The teacher facilitates and guides
the child through the process of development providing
encouragement, discipline and structure. Lastly, the teacher
in a Montessori classroom today builds the character of a
child, instilling customary life and moral skills into them.
I believe that the Montessori is an important, relevant
and useful theory as it relates to my future as an educator.
It is reflective of what I believe to be elements that
provide for a successful managed development of a child and
classroom environment. As I move forward in my career the
Montessori method would be exemplary to follow after because
it results in what is proven to be a high level of academic

success. I find that this theory will be useful in years to

come and I believe that I will be effective in implementing
the principles of Montessori.