Early Childhood

For teaching children from ages 2½ to 6

June 19 - August 3, 2018, plus nine-month practicum and fall and spring seminars

The Montessori approach is not just a method – it is a response to life.  The Early Childhood Montessori experience provides an environment enriched with materials to meet the breadth of children’s developmental needs.  In beautifully designed classrooms, children learn at their own rates as they pursue their desires to work and master their own bodies.

At CME|NY, we believe that the task of the adult is to prepare the environment, guide the child to it,  and assist in the unfolding of the child’s being.  Adult Learners in our teacher education program learn the skills to help children develop personal responsibility, connection to a larger community, ability to identify problems and solve them, and become competent in their own learning.

Academic Courses

Curriculum includes:

• Montessori philosophy and pedagogy
• Child development, including analytical, cognitive, emotional and language development
• Observation techniques
• Classroom management
• Teaching strategies
• Supervised practice with Montessori materials for everyday living and sensorial activities, language development, mathematics, geography, history, art, music and natural sciences.

 See the detailed course descriptions

Practicum Experience

After successfully completing the academic coursework, students enter the practicum experience in which they do a nine-month internship in a classroom with a minimum of 12 children.  The student teacher works in the classroom under the supervision of a certified Early Childhood Montessori teacher who is in at least his or her second year of post-internship teaching. The student teacher observes and helps nurture the growth and development of the children in the class while learning classroom management strategies and techniques from the supervising teacher.

While self-directed practicums are not the norm for this program, we recognize that circumstances may warrant this exception.   With this option, a field consultant works with the student teacher in his or her own class at an approved Montessori school over the course of two years.  To be eligible for this self-directed internship, the student needs to have had previous Montessori classroom experience.  An additional fee, which includes additional consultation visits, applies for those who are approved for the self-directed practicum.

Schedule

• Classes meet Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Required practice labs may be scheduled during the day or evening hours after class.
• Two evening sessions will be held on Wednesday,  June 21, 2017 and Wednesday, August 2, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• No classes on Tuesday, July 4th
• Required Music workshop: Saturday, July 8th from 9:00 a.m to 4:30 p.m. 
• Fall Seminar:  December 9-10, 2017
• Spring Seminar: May 4-6, 2018

The academic portion of the course takes places during the summer at the College of New Rochelle. Adult learners can either attend in one full summer, or split the academic course into parts. There are 2 seminars that occur during the school year. Adult Learners who elect two summers would attend one seminar per school year.

• 1 summer – 7 weeks
• 2 summers - 3 1/2 weeks/Part 1 in the first summer; 4 weeks/Part 2 in the second summer

Cycle Length

Adult Learners who enroll in the Academic Program in the summer of 2017 and complete their practicum by June, 2018, along with all their required course work, assignments, and attendance at seminars, can expect to be recommended for AMS certification in the summer of 2018.