I received something in the mail yesterday which made me smile! It's my International Montessori Teaching Diploma from NAMC!
I signed up for NAMC's Preschool/Kindergarten Montessori Teaching Training Diploma Programme late last year. I initially thought that I would have some spare time to sign up during my maternity leave. As it turned out, I was so busy during my leave period that I had to put it off till later in the year. Anyway, all's well that end's well and I now have my diploma!
There are 11 subjects for this programme and there is one assignment paper for each subject. It may seem like a lot but the assignments are grouped into three sets and you do one set at a time, so it's absolutely manageable. Let me show off my grades, ok!
In any event, I won't be able to teach in a preschool unless I have at least a Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education, which I don't, at the moment.
I can, nevertheless, give parents tips and pointers on using the Montessori way with their children so, if you lovelies have any questions on Montessori, I'd be happy to help.
The programme was a wonderful experience for me. My contacts at NAMC were always professional, helpful and prompt with their responses. My personal mentor, Lisha Hardy, was always encouraging and motivating with her feedback, and an absolute breeze to work with. Many thanks to them!
Also, a big thank you to my hubby, for his encouragement and his support, especially when I needed time away from the children to study and complete the assignments. Muacks Muacks!
10 comments:
Well done! You are a phenomenal juggler!
Hi Leona,
I came across your blog while surfing around, and I'm so interested in how you carry out montessori activities with your child. They look so interesting that I want to play with the materials too! Is it difficult to get them and would I be able to use them if I am not trained in montessori like you are?
I'm also so curious about the pre-school you chose for Ryan in the end--it looks so pretty! I followed your hunt all the way till part 6 and I'm so interested to find out the ending!
Hi Elsie, thanks for dropping by. It is quite easy to buy Montessori materials. I buy online and from brick-and-mortar shops. I don't use a lot of Montessori materials, actually. I usually use toys or whatever is around the house. We actually do more open-ended play at home, and just a bit of Montessori activities. You do need to have some understanding of the materials and there are many free resources on the internet - websites, blogs, albums - you can get almost anything with a bit of internet surfing. :)
Thanks Leona!
Please keep your updates on your activities with Ryan coming. It gives me lots of inspiration to read about how you use the things around the home to expose Ryan the various concepts:)
Hi Leona,
I was looking for montessori training programs when I came across to your blog.
My greatest concern is getting enough knowledge about how to "train" a child in a montessori way (show him any activity rightfully and patiently, dealing possible tantrums or impatience, etc.).
Are you satisfied from what you earned by the NAMC Program?
I would appreciate your reply.
Thanks anyway!
Francis
Hi Francis, I'm not sure if you are looking for something to apply at home. This course is geared towards a classroom setting. It does deal with how to introduce the Montessori materials and how to assess the child's progress, when to stop/hold back/advance according to the child. But bear in mind that it is not a parenting guide. Hope that helps.
Dear Leona,
I had read in your post that you intended to use the knowledge gained from this course, together with the materials provided, to come up with some activities for your children at home. You also do not have any Ceritificate in Early Childhood education (this goes for me too!).
So, don't you think that this program would help me also as a parenting guide??
Thanks again!
Hi Francis, perhaps we have different ideas of what parenting is, or perhaps there is a language miscommunication between us. Coming up with learning activities at home is not the same as parenting to me. Teaching and parenting are not the same thing. I am not using this course as a parenting guide. This course is not focused on parenting your child. This course is focused on showing you how to teach a child subjects like math, science, language, using Montessori principles and materials. It also talks about how to manage a classroom, such as how to prepare an entryway - spaces for students' coats and shoes, how to plan the day's class activities - circle time and group time. You learn about doing school reports and about getting insurance. You learn about the Montessori materials. It is not about parenting, although it may improve your parenting in some ways.
Hi again Leona!
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough to you...
In No Case I haven't considered that teaching and parenting are the same thing!
There are quite various differences between the 2 terms..
Nevertheless, the ability to use creativity and knowledge gained is something you use as a parent and teacher on a frequent basis as well.
That's why I refered your example of your initial post:
"Well, I intend to use what I learned in the course, together with the materials provided, to come up with some activities for the littles to do at home. Other than that, I don't have any grand plans. I bet you're wondering if I'm going to give up my present career to go into Montessori teaching. No, I'm not. This was something that I just wanted to do, out of interest. I guess it's something like a hobby?
In any event, I won't be able to teach in a preschool unless I have at least a Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education, which I don't, at the moment."
The reason I sent you my message in the first place was because I only wondered if the knowledge gained is adequate enough to apply montessori homeschooling in a way and Not of course for applying it as a parenting method!
Thanks again for your time!
yes, the course is adequate for teaching at home using Montessori for ages 3-6.
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