Who is Maria Montessori?

Answer 1

EXTRAORDINARY!! Maria Montessori can be described in one single word - this describes her work her studies her patience and the entire life of an individual who was EXTRAORDINARY! Today Maria Montessori's concepts are found in classrooms throughout the world and parents more often than not want their children to attend nursery schools where "Montessori methods" are used. Maria Montessori was born in 1870 at Chiaravalle in the province of Ancona in Italy. It was in this year that Italy became a united nation. Maria spent her childhood in Ancona and attended the state day school. At the age of eleven or twelve her parents moved to Rome in order to give her a better education. Her parents encouraged her to take up teaching which for women at that time was the only career available, but Maria decided she wanted to study medicine this would enable her to help poor Italian women in a practical way and it would be an opportunity for her to work in any feminist activities she wished to undertake. With her determination and struggle she was admitted and "in1896 she became the first woman to graduate from the university of Rome medical school" (Montessori A modern approach Paula Polk Lillard) she went on to study paediatrics at the children's hospital and gynaecology at the woman's hospital thus she paved the way making it easier for other Italian women to pursue careers other than teaching. In the same year Dr Montessori was chosen to represent Italian women at a feminist congress in Berlin where she championed the cause of the working women (Maria Montessori - her life and work E.M standing) An incident told Maria that her future work lay in the field of education rather than in medicine…. During her studies one evening when she was in the dissecting room and it became too much for her, she walked through town until she reached the Pincio gardens here she noticed an old beggar woman with a young child seated on the grass, the child was simply playing with a scrap of red paper but was totally absorbed with it and nothing else bothered the child. This complete concentration of the child told Maria deep in her heart that she had a special work to do. After graduating she joined the university of Rome staff as an assistant doctor at the psychiatric clinic, here she visited children in asylums for the insane. In one asylum Montessori noticed the children had no toys or materials, the room was bare, there was absolutely nothing that the children could hold and feel to manipulate their fingers and so as she came into more contact with these defective children "she became convinced that these mentally deficient children could profit from special education (Montessori a modern approach Paula Polk Lillard) this view was shared by French doctors Jean Itard and Edward Seguin the study of the work of these two French doctors along with the ideas and insights of educational thinkers such as Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Froebel gave Maria Montessori new direction…she took the principle ideas of 'education of the senses' and the 'education of movement' and adapted and developed them into a system that became her own In 1899 she gave a lecture in Turin on moral education which caught the attention of the minister of education who authorised Maria to conduct lectures to teachers, not long after a medical pedagogic institute was opened and Montessori was made director - this position she held for two years. In 1901 she was contemplating teaching normal children but went on to study further. It was at this time that she translated Itard and Seguins writings into Italian. About this time Maria said "it was almost as if I prepared myself for an unknown mission" meaning every mind is unique so every study of a mind is a journey into the unknown and no-one could be certain that her theories based on feeble minded children would work with normal children Maria was in 1904 the first Italian woman to become a professor - the professor of pedagogic anthropology in Rome. Opportunity arose for Maria when she was asked to develop an infant's school for normal children, children who came from poor disadvantaged families and whose parents were at work and who needed looking after. She agreed at once seeing this as her opportunity to work with normal children and 'put across' the Montessori Method. Her students were………….. "60 tearful, frightened children, so shy that it was impossible to get them to speak, their faces were expressionless with bewildered eyes as though they had never seen anything in their lives…."(Maria Montessori - Her life and work E.M standing) These were poor, abandoned children who had nothing to stimulate their minds; they were uncared for and most were malnourished. However! Before a year had passed under the guidance and care of Maria the same children were transformed, they learnt successfully and their personalities changed…. "From timid & wild they became sociable & communicative, their personalities bloomed and they were happy and joyous!" (Maria Montessori - Her life and work E.M standing) It became evident that her teaching methods proved beneficial for all children be it from rich or poor backgrounds. And thus Montessori's hopes on the success of her methods with normal children had been achieved! Next came….Fame and recognition which spread like wild fire. People came from all over the world to see her at work with these children, word spread and private Montessori schools were established in Europe. Maria travelled far and wide giving training courses and lectures and has left her mark everywhere including India and the United Kingdom. Maria died on May 6th 1952 at the age of 81 in the Netherlands at Noordwijk. Her method of education is still thriving in schools all over the world! Maria Montessori was the mother of education - she contributed a lifetime of observation, learning, teaching, guiding and understanding of the needs and development of children even from before birth. She opened the minds of those who were ignorant to her life's work and she opened our eyes to educating us about the future we want for our children through her timeless methods. Women all over the world wish they could be like Maria Montessori for her knowledge, patience, wisdom, love and understanding to name but a few of her many qualities……..

Answer 2

social learning