Maria Montessori School and PTC- Education for Life

The American Montessori Society is committed to promoting quality Montessori education for all children from birth to 18 years based on these key concepts:
* The aim of Montessori education is to foster competent, responsible, adaptive citizens who are lifelong learners and problem solvers.

* Learning occurs in an inquiring, cooperative, nurturing atmosphere. Students increase their own knowledge through self- and teacher-initiated experiences.

* Learning takes place through the senses. Students learn by manipulating materials and interacting with others. These meaningful experiences are precursors to the abstract understanding of ideas.

* The individual is considered as a whole. The physical, emotional, social, aesthetic, spiritual, and cognitive needs and interests are inseparable and equally important.

* Respect and caring attitudes for oneself, others, the environment, and all life are necessary.

The Montessori teacher is educated in these areas:
* Human growth and development.

* Observational skills to match students' developmental needs with materials and activities. This allows the teacher to guide students in creating their individual learning plan.

* An open-ended array of suggested learning materials and activities that empower teachers to design their own developmentally responsive, culturally relevant learning environment.

* Teaching strategies that support and facilitate the unique and total growth of each individual.

* Classroom leadership skills that foster a nurturing environment that is physically and psychologically supportive of learning.

A Montessori classroom must have these basic characteristics at all levels:
* Teachers educated in the Montessori philosophy and methodology appropriate to the age level they are teaching, who have the ability and dedication to put the key concepts into practice.

* A partnership with the family. The family is considered an integral part of the individual's total development.

* A multi-aged, multi-graded, heterogeneous group of students.

* A diverse set of Montessori materials, activities, and experiences, which are designed to foster physical, intellectual, creative and social independence.

* A schedule that allows large blocks of uninterrupted time to problem solve, to see the interdisciplinary connections of knowledge, and to create new ideas.

* A classroom atmosphere that encourages social interaction for cooperative learning, peer teaching, and emotional development.