Exploring Montessori for your Charter or District?

There are over 500 public Montessori charter schools and district magnet schools across the United States.  Serving children in rural and urban areas, Montessori schools are filling a unique niche in the public sector. 

Montessori education has a rich history of providing personalized learning leading to children who are creative and innovative thinkers. Montessori programs are one of the few approaches fully aligned from early childhood into the elementary years. 

The University of Delaware Montessori Teacher Residency (UDMTR) partners with the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) and Montessori Works–Delaware to support schools and districts in Delaware and the region who wish to create a Montessori choice in the public sector. 

Working together, we can support you to start the conversation addressing the key aspects of starting a high-quality public Montessori early childhood or elementary program in your district magnet or charter school.  These include:

• Growing the community’s understanding about Montessori education and why it is an important option for children and families.
• Addressing the issues of curriculum, assessment and accountability in the public sector.
• The logistics of starting and outfitting a Montessori program.
• Preparing teachers and school leaders to ensure the implementation of a strong Montessori program.
• Partnering for the long-term growth and development of your program. 
• Partnering with you to secure grants and other sources of funding to support teacher training and start-up costs. 

Montessori Charter and District Schools

Partnering to create strong Montessori school communities

We are excited to share the University of Delaware Montessori Teacher Residency (UDMTR). Partnering with and benefiting from the expertise of the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS), UDMTR exists to support a strong regional Montessori community with well prepared Montessori teachers. Our approach to Montessori teacher preparation is grounded in research-based practices for teacher preparation and our understanding of the many issues facing contemporary Montessori schools in the public sector including state standards and assessment. 

Building a high-quality Montessori learning community for children and the adults who work with them begins with the preparation of the Montessori teacher. This challenge is further addressed through a school culture that supports all teachers in a child-centered community that seeks answers to the many questions of contemporary schools, including issues of trauma, special education, English language learners, literacy, family engagement and creating classrooms based on mutual respect. 

UD Montessori Teacher Residency (UDMR) program highlights

Montessori Instructional Practices – UDMTR provides instruction on the Montessori curriculum and classroom preparation with summer and academic-year programming. 

Elementary I/II – Multi-year study of Montessori education leading to MACTE certification for 6-12-year-olds, providing much needed flexibility for you as a school leader with teachers trained across the full Montessori elementary continuum. Our first cohort launches with a blended learning model in summer 2020. 

Primary – One-year residency program leading to MACTE certification.  Our first cohort is planned to launch in the summer of 2021. 

Residency – UDMTR focuses on the concept of a residency rather than an internship. We partner with you to create “wrap around” structures to support the development of new teachers. In fact, these structures can support the continual growth of your entire school community. 

• Coaching – UDMTR provides for a teacher to receive 30 coaching sessions in each year of their residency from a UDMTR coach or an in-house residency coach who participates in NCMPS coach training. UDMTR will also work with you to provide coaching to Montessori teachers who are seeking to improve their practice. 
• Lesson Study – UDMTR resident will participate in 30 lesson studies in each year of their residency. This Lesson Study Protocol designed by NCMPS provides opportunities for teachers to refine presentations and follow-on activities providing a structured protocol of sharing, observation, feedback and reflection.   
• Child Study – UDMTR residents will participate in 15 Child Study meetings using the NCMPS Child Study Protocol assisting in the development of an action plan for children who have difficulties thriving in a Montessori-prepared environment. The focus of this child study is on a “what is happening with this child?” philosophy as compared to a “what is wrong with this child?” approach.

Surround Course Work – Based on the NCMPS model, UDMTR embeds learning experiences into the residency supporting the resident to manage a respectful Montessori classroom, meet the needs of children with identified and unidentified special needs, support English language learners, ensure strong literacy development, create sincere and authentic ways for families to engage, and deal with children and families in trauma.

Teacher pipeline – The University of Delaware has an impeccable reputation for high-quality teachers graduating from our Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education programs. These young teachers are eager to teach in child-centered classrooms. In partnership with your school, we are uniquely positioned to help you market positions to our teacher candidates. Once you have determined that you would like to hire them, they will complete their Montessori preparation in the UDMTR. UDMTR also receives inquiries from other prospective Montessori teachers. As a UDMTR partner school, we can connect you to these teachers. 

Professional Development Support – Often Montessori Schools struggle to find professional development that meets their unique needs as a child-centered community.  UDMTR will partner with you to create professional growth opportunities for your schools’ specific needs drawing on the expertise of the UD faculty as well as Montessorians in the region. Possibilities include literacy in the Montessori classroom, cultural diversity, family partnerships, and navigating regulations such as licensing, QRIS systems and accreditation processes. 

Grant Support – The UDMTR model is one that many state and national grants can support as it is based on the best practices in teacher preparation and long-term embedded professional development. UDMTR will partner with you to identify and assist with grant content. 

We look forward to working with to increase the opportunities for your schools to provide high quality Montessori education by supporting you with teachers well prepared for the contemporary Montessori school.
 

For more information — join our mailing list

For more information about this program, or to join our mailing list, please contact UDMTR director Linda Zankowsky via the following webform: