When my children were preschool age it was very popular to send your child to a Montessori Preschool. I really knew nothing about Dr. Montessori or her method, so I was intrigued to learn about what an inspiring woman she was. In honor of the first week of school in our district, I would like to introduce you to this innovator.
Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, Italy (1870). She was a bright student, studied engineering when she was 13, and — against her father’s wishes — she entered a technical school, where all her classmates were boys. After a few years, she decided to pursue medicine, and she became the first woman in Italy to earn a medical degree. It was so unheard of for a woman to go to medical school that she had to get the approval of the pope in order to study there.As a doctor, she worked with children with special needs, and through her work with them she became increasingly interested in education. She believed that children were not blank slates, but that they each had inherent, individual gifts. It was a teacher’s job to help children find these gifts, rather than dictating what a child should know. She emphasized independence, self-directed learning, and learning from peers. Children were encouraged to make decisions. She was the first educator to use child-sized tables and chairs in the classroom.
During World War II, Montessori was exiled from Italy because she was opposed to Mussolini’s fascism and his desire to make her a figurehead for the Italian government. She lived and worked in India for many years, and then in Holland. She died in 1952 at the age of 81.
She wrote many books about her philosophy of education, including The Montessori Method (1912), and is considered a major innovator in education theory and practice.
The information in this post first appeared in the The Writer’s Almanac.
I invite you to share a link to your story of an inspiring woman. I will try to share your post over the weekend.
My 3yo grandson started Montessori school this week, and my 5yo grandson attended too. So interesting to learn about the founder – she was a pioneer for sure! Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of my mother’s death and it was a rough day for me. Today I want to share a post I wrote about Mum and one of the women who inspired her – Erma Bombeck. http://www.shallowreflections.com/who-was-erma-bombeck-and-why-does-she-matter/
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I’m so sorry you had a tough day, I sympathise, it would be my dad’s birthday tomorrow. I’m off to read your post about your mum. 💜
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I had no idea a woman began The Montessori Method! Interesting!!!
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Thank you so much Bernadette. This is such a positive and strong story about a woman we heard about, mainly in connection with education.
I am thrilled to learn of her courage and belief in what she did.
And I couldn’t agree more with her about the fact that each child has their own inherent gift that should be nourished.
The whole article is great. Fancy needing the ‘yes’ from the Pope to be able to study medicine!
If it hadn’t been for your blog I might not have learnt.
miriam
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Only in Italy, thank goodness.
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Thanks for shining your Spotlight on Maria Montessori!, Bridgette! Wonderful tribute to a woman who contributed so much.
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My oldest daughter attended a Montessori preschool back in the 80s. Didn’t know much about the method back then, just that it was a fun school for her. Thanks for sharing the history on its founder.
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Another inspiring post about a great woman, Bernadette. Thank you for sharing.
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I WORK AT a mONTESSORI SCHOOL-FOR 17 YEARS NOW!
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Too ironic – I guess I didn’t introduce YOU to Dr. Montessori.
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Wonderful to learn about this amazing lady and the determination it took her to reach her goals! Our education system would look very different without her work!
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What a remarkable woman. I didn’t know all these things about her. Thank you.
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I had no idea this is how it started! What an amazing woman!
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A worthy woman to focus on. Maria Montessori has a legacy that any human would be proud of.
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