In Montessori teaching, the teacher is the guide and helper of children, preparing a complete environment for children, demonstrating suitable work for children by observing the development of each child's interests and movements, and helping children to operate independently and successfully. Teachers help children establish internal rules through rules in the environment.
Teacher Montessori is the most important role in the environment. Teachers should prepare a complete environment, and there is no bridge between children and the environment; Teachers are also role models for children "how to behave". In terms of environment, Mr. Montessori prepared a suitable environment for children, promptly removed the factors that hindered children's development, set and maintained clear restrictions and rules, and at the same time demonstrated suitable work for children according to their characteristics, guiding children to participate in environmental activities.
Dr. Montessori called Mr. Montessori a "guide". They are the guides for children to learn. The most important task is to provide a "prepared environment" for children. The order and significance contained in the environment is to give children an existential experience and influence.
Secondly, educators arrange participatory courses for children, that is, through a set of carefully designed "homework materials", let children be interested in hands-on operation, play creative games, and let children learn actively through internal and unstoppable activity motivation.
Thirdly, educators must always pay attention to the growth and development of children, keep a high degree of vigilance against the "sensitive period" of children's development and provide effective guidance. Finally, Montessori advocates a natural intrinsic reward principle. She thinks that giving children the right to free activities is a reward for children. Therefore, she advocates the abolition of external forms of rewards and punishments.
It can be seen that Montessori put forward high requirements for the quality of kindergarten teachers. First of all, teachers must receive special training and systematically accept the basic knowledge of many disciplines (such as psychology, anthropology, medicine, education, etc.). ), master the basic principles of education, be familiar with the operation methods of working materials, learn to observe children's inner life and real life, gain insight into children's psychological state, grasp the timing of children's potential germination and the sensitive period of children's development in time, and so on. Secondly, the teacher's character and personality are more important. They must be alert, steady, patient, caring and modest. They will never replace children's thinking with their own wisdom. They are neither rulers nor servants of children. They just need to be "guides".
She believes that "children are eager observers, especially attracted by the actions of adults and want to imitate them." Paying attention to children is the mission of adults. They are the source of inspiration for children's behavior and an open book from which children can learn how to live. However, a suitable instructor must always act calmly and slowly so that children can clearly observe the actions of adults in their own special way. "
Therefore, children-centered Montessori education does not mean that teachers can do nothing. Compared with traditional preschool education, the role of teachers in Montessori education is not weakened, but strengthened.
Dr Montessori's contribution to children's education is respected by all countries, especially many scientists and heads of state. These people include: alexander bell, Edison, Freud's father and daughter, Italian Queen Margaret, Gandhi and the daughter of President Wilson. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, and the 8th International Montessori Conference was held in Italy from 65438 to 0949. 1950 in June, Dr. Montessori, 80 years old, attended the UNESCO General Conference and was warmly welcomed. At that time, Jaime Torress Bodet, Director-General of UNESCO, announced at the plenary session that "maria montessori has become a great symbol of our expectations for education and world peace." She gave a speech in the Nordic countries. The Scottish Institute of Education awarded her the title of honorary academician on 1946. On 1950, the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands awarded her an honorary doctorate in philosophy.
195 1 year, the 9th International Montessori Conference was held in London. Since the 1920s and 1930s, Montessori's educational thoughts and methods, like other educational thoughts, have been hotly discussed and criticized. For example, American educator W. Keberqu and British educator A. S. Neil both raised objections to her educational methods. Her disciples are also divided into two factions. One school worships everything about her, accepts everything she says, and calls her "mother". The other school calls her a doctor, and thinks that some new ideas and methods should be added in combination with the changes of the times.
However, Dr. Montessori did not participate in these discussions. She believes that her educational method is successful and has been proved in all countries in the world. She refused to accept the suggestions of some critics, which was undoubtedly unfavorable to her theoretical development. Some people think that in his later years, Dr. Montessori couldn't tell which ones were faithful followers of her educational thoughts and which ones just wanted to hitch a ride with her. However, in contemporary times, we can also see the epitome of the past: when some Montessori educators discuss Montessori education, people think that defending themselves is more important than discussing doctors' thoughts, while others want to gain greater personal benefits through the practice of Montessori education and forget the children emphasized by Dr. Montessori.
195 1 year, the 9th International Montessori Congress was held in London, and training courses were held in Austria and Rome. 1952, Dr. Montessori attended the United Nations Education Conference.
1952 on may 6th, Dr. Montessori died in Nordvik, the Netherlands, at the age of 82. According to her wishes, her body was buried in a small cemetery in a Catholic church in Nordvik. In Rome, her parents' inscription reads: "maria montessori is buried far away from her beloved motherland, and her parents are buried here. This is her wish, which also shows the universality of her work and makes her a world citizen".
Dr. Montessori devoted his life to the cause of early childhood education, made indelible contributions to the development of mankind, and was widely recognized and affirmed by people. The Scottish Institute of Education awarded her the title of honorary academician. The University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands also awarded her an honorary doctorate in philosophy. Jeannette vos of the United States and Gordon Dryden of New Zealand called Montessori's educational method "the best educational thought in the world" and "the first-class preschool education in the world" in the book Revolution of Learning. Piaget once commented on Dr. Montessori, saying: "Montessori's observation of the psychological mechanism of mentally retarded children has become the starting point of the general method, and its influence in the world is immeasurable." British educators rated her as "one of the greatest scientists who won worldwide recognition in the 20th century to promote science and human progress".
Dr. Montessori left a wealth of educational works, which can be roughly divided into three categories:
(1) About child psychology: the secret of childhood, finding children, absorbing the mind, developing human potential, etc.
(2) Teaching methods: Montessori method, Montessori manual, children in the family and advanced Montessori method, including spontaneous activities in education, adolescence and later education, Montessori primary teaching AIDS, etc.
(3) Other aspects: new world education, educational anthropology, educational reconstruction, peace education, etc.