Do we always wonder what it takes to become successful Montessori teachers? What features distinguish excellent teachers from good ones or the rest of the pack? What are the ingredients that create effective and exceptional Montessori teachers? Is it training or skills or knowledge or qualities or even soft skills such as interpersonal communication, body language, patience, commitment, etc? Well, it’s an amalgamation of all things. In this article, we’ve put together 5 characteristics of a well-trained Montessori teacher.
Maximize creativity
Creativity and innovation are the secrets of success for ay Montessori educators. It’s their ability to improvise and take their creativity to an optimum level when working with the kids. When a child is keen about something or curious, he or she doesn’t require to be nagged, irritated, forced, or stressed to learn more about it. The creativity of the teachers helps them march on and get propelled in the classroom.
Creativity serves as the engine of innovation which facilitates the educators to create expert and personalized educational activities, plans, and objectives for each kid in the classroom. These plans help shift the toddlers toward new learning, social, and developmental landmarks. But what sets Montessori teachers apart is that they don’t compel a child toward those landmarks. Rather, he or she utilizes the child’s own inquisitiveness and natural abilities, and it is the unlimited creativity of the instructors which act as the fuel to drive the little learners well ahead of those landmarks or breakthroughs. If a teacher is struggling with her or his creativity or is unable to come up with innovative lessons or ideas in the classroom, then she/he must enroll in a certificate course in Montessori teachers training.
Learns from mistakes
In the sphere of professional teaching, there is no scope for errors and complacency. However, nobody is perfect or flawless but it’s their ability to learn from mistakes that make them perfect. It is all about “accepting failure.” Professionals who’re at the top of their game understand that making mistakes is a part and parcel and failure is unavoidable. How a person reacts to failure or overcomes odds is the most important thing.
The Montessori philosophy or style of teaching is all about motivating kids not to be discouraged by mistakes, but instead to be encouraged into rectifying them on their own, with gentle counseling and guidance from the instructors. In order to do so, instructors must rectify their mistakes first and learn from them.
Continue lifelong education and training
Apart from possessing special features to be an effective Montessori teacher, completing graduation or a bachelor’s degree from a reputed university is mandatory before undertaking a certificate course in
Montessori teachers training.
The professional qualification to become a Montessori teacher differs as per the age group taught. People having a college degree can opt for the course. A year-long teaching internship is also needed before becoming certified.
After becoming a teacher comes the real challenge. Teachers at the Montessori level or any other have to continuously upgrade their skills and advance their knowledge because of changes in syllabus and technological evolution.
Use technology with precision
Those who impart lessons online or virtual teachers need to be adaptable to technology. The educational patterns and the ways of delivering lessons have become different these days with the advent of the internet. It has revolutionized learning and transformed the way lessons are designed and delivered with the latter becoming more interactive. Montessori teachers must be adept in teaching in virtual classrooms and show dexterity in using technology to leverage learning for the little learners. They must be acquainted with all the apps, software, and platforms that facilitate the online teaching and learning process.
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Before becoming a freelance website writer, Laxmon Gope worked as a preschool teacher to young children for many years. These days she has embarked on Montessori teaching since she had pursued a certificate course in Montessori teachers training, and now she takes a keen interest in private tuitions and online teaching programs.