IMTTA is a Montessori teacher training academy, part of the National Public Group of schools which are pioneers in delivering high-quality education, close to 5 decades now.
IMTTA seeks to provide Montessori training of high calibre and equip adults aspiring to work with children with a thorough understanding of the Montessori philosophy, its principles and practices.Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) was established by Dr Maria Montessori in 1929, in order to uphold the integrity, propagate and further, the pedagogical principles and practices envisioned by her, for the development of the human being from birth to maturity. AMI has its headquarters in Amsterdam and closely works with AMI Montessori Training centres all over the world.To closely follow and honour Dr Maria Montessori’s philosophical and pedagogical principles and bring about greater understanding in adults, of the child and her developmental needs, by offering AMI Montessori teacher training, parent education and community outreach programs.Dr Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952), was an Italian doctor and educator. She studied paediatrics and psychology as part of her course and for a while practised pediatric medicine. She later worked and researched with children with disabilities. Dr Montessori continued to study Psychiatry, Anthropology and Educational Philosophy.
She opened her first casa for young children on January 6, 1907. Subsequently, through keen scientific observation and experimentations, she developed the scientific pedagogy named after her – The Montessori Method of Education. Dr Montessori always maintained that the Montessori method was not born off her mind but from what the children themselves revealed to her and that she followed with great respect and humility.
In 1939, Dr Montessori and her son Mario Montessori were invited to India by The Theosophical Society, Adyar, Madras to give a 3-month training course. However, due to the outbreak of World War II, they were interned and remained in India for the next 7 years. This was a golden period in the partnership of Dr Montessori and Mario, who developed the Montessori pedagogy further and extended it to elementary education. A series of training courses were conducted and lecture tours undertaken through the length and breadth of the then India, by them.
Dr Montessori also established contact with Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore and Shri Aurobindo during these years. Though they returned to Europe in 1946, Dr Montessori and Mario returned to India to conduct a few more training courses.Montessori is a unique philosophy cum scientific pedagogy, named after its founder and pioneer educationist Dr Maria Montessori. The Montessori method of education is designed to help unleash every child’s potential.
The significant characteristics of the Montessori method of education are: Mixed-age grouping in a class, usually a mix of 3 age levels (e.g., 3-6 years)Classroom fully equipped to meet the developmental and learning needs of children of varying abilitiesLearning almost entirely through hands-on materials and activitiesChild-centric, where most learning is through self-directed activitiesTeachers introduce activities appropriate to each individual child and support each child’s learning processChildren work both individually and collaboratively in groupsChildren learn through their experiences of exploration and self-discovery, and therefore at their own paceThe functioning of the classroom governed by a harmonious balance between freedom of choices and the limitations of responsibility A Montessori classroom is a beautiful, caring and safe space that is painstakingly designed to support the needs of the children belonging to a specific age range. The children are given ample opportunities via experiences, at learning languages, mathematics, etc.
The children learn social behaviour, collaborative teamwork and empathy The children are exposed to the various classifications of the world around, in the form of botany, zoology, geography etc.The children are introduced to the various art forms, visual, auditory and also performingEach and every material in the classroom serves specific developmental needs of the children and are displayed in such a way as to kindle their interest The 21st century is remarkable period of time due to its rapidly changing natureTo keep up with the rapid changes, people are expected to be self-motivated and have the flexibility to adapt quickly to changes and learn new skillsThe emphasis has shifted from the need to know huge quantities of information to the need to learn and develop in-demand skillsThe critical 21st-century skills are – learnability, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and imagination, and collaboration and teamworkThe Montessori method of education has all of the above skills intricately woven into the everyday functioning of the classroom and in all its activitiesThe Montessori method of education emphatically fosters all of the above 21st century skills required for success in the uncertain futureThe Montessori method of education has been specifically and scientifically designed to support both the developmental as well as learning needs of children of various age ranges. The programmes of Montessori education are distinguished and prescribed as follows:Birth to 3 years programme which includes the Nido, Infant and Toddler communities3 to 6 years programme otherwise called the Casa / Primary (Pre-primary years as is known in India) 6 to 12 years programme otherwise called the Elementary (Primary and Elementary years as is known in India) 12 to 15 years otherwise called the Erdkinder programme (Elementary and Secondary years as is known in India) The IMTTA offers the following AMI Montessori teacher training courses:AMI Montessori Primary Diploma (3-6 years)It is a rigorous and intensive but inspiring course of study.
Students are given a thorough grounding of the Montessori theory, the principles and classroom practices. Students are given adequate opportunities to experience working with the Montessori materials and activities. The course is conducted through a mix of lectures, demonstrations, seminars, group discussions etc. Students are supported in the preparation of their own albums that will assist them in their teaching for the rest of their lives. The students are given the opportunity to observe Montessori classrooms and also apply their knowledge during teaching practice sessions in Montessori classrooms. Most students find the course a truly transformative experience.AMI Montessori Primary Certificate (3-6 years)It is for a short duration of 10 days, however, full-time and intensive.
It is open to anyone who wishes to understand the child and her needs. It would be of interest and use to parents with young children or expectant, teachers working with young children, and other caregivers of young children.The Association Montessori Internationale was founded by Dr Maria Montessori herself, in conjunction with her son Mario, in the year 1929.
Since then, the AMI has been the custodian of the Montessori movement and has safeguarded the integrity of Dr Montessori’s work. The AMI has been the bastion of the Montessori philosophy, principles and practices. The AMI ensures that the teacher training courses offered by its affiliated training centres around the world are of the highest quality. The AMI diploma is recognized and valued all over the world for its authenticity and its highest standards of excellence.
