Learning About Montessori Training on Take Your Child To Work Day

NAMC recently welcomed two grade nine students to our office for Take Your Child to Work Day, a career exploration day that takes place annually in Canada and the US. Though it occurs on different dates depending on where you live, the intention is the same. Young students are introduced to the work place to learn more about the diverse employment opportunities available to them. Because they attend the work place of a parent or family member, the students also learn more about their parent’s job and daily routine.

Exploring NAMC Montessori Training Through the Eyes of Our Children

The NAMC team was pleased to spend the day with Caleb, Jennifer’s son, and Sydney, Michelle’s daughter, to talk with them about Montessori training and how we work together to provide our students with outstanding Montessori training and curriculum. Jennifer and Michelle were kind enough to share Caleb and Sydney’s time, and throughout the day the two worked with people in every department. From shipping, to accounting, to administration, to student services, they learned about every aspect of NAMC and the work that is required to help people obtain their Montessori training.

One of Caleb and Sydney’s first meetings was with Kathleen, a NAMC Academic Advisor, who talked about who our students are and how NAMC helps them achieve their goals of Montessori training. NAMC has students and graduates in over 120 countries around the world who come from diverse backgrounds and have a variety of requirements. Our students include teachers, teaching assistants, school directors, daycare providers, and parents – and each one has different needs and different questions. Kathleen is part of the team that responds to the many inquiries we receive on a daily basis. She answers questions from prospective students about our Montessori diploma programs and works closely with schools to provide their teachers with training they need to teach in the Montessori environment.

After learning about NAMC’s students, Caleb and Sydney met with Deb in Project Development. Because NAMC is committed to continuous improvement, we always have new projects on the go. We review our manuals on a regular basis, updating and creating supplementary material to best suit the needs of our students. From activities, to assignments, to videos, to curriculum support materials, to new formats of communication, we are always busy working on something. Deb shared some of our latest material with Caleb and Sydney and talked about the next big project our team has underway. They had to promise to keep it under wraps for now though!

Our visitors’ next stop was to meet with Gina in Communications. When asked later about their day, both Caleb and Sydney agreed that Gina’s work interested them most. Understandably so, as Gina is part of the team that develops and maintains NAMC’s social connections with our students. NAMC has a strong presence on many social media platforms, including Google+, Pinterest, and Facebook. Our Facebook page currently has over 12,000 members — that is a lot of people to keep informed about Montessori training and education! Gina also showed Caleb and Sydney our dynamic blog site that we write new articles for twice a week, focusing on Montessori training, philosophy, methodology, practical applications, activities, and more. They seemed to enjoy learning about the diverse nature of Gina’s work and the exciting graphic design programs she works with.

After a delicious pizza lunch, Caleb and Sydney met with Collean, one of our amazing NAMC tutors. Collean described her work with our students, particularly how she communicates with her students on a daily basis, providing guidance, assisting with questions related to course work and the classroom, reviewing assignments, and offering constructive feedback. NAMC’s tutors are invaluable, experienced members of the NAMC team. They make real connections with our students, encourage and provide individual support throughout the students’ studies, and answer questions about practical applications and classroom management.

Collean also talked to Caleb and Sydney about the Montessori method, providing an overview of the philosophy and methodology. As every great teacher knows, the best way of explaining is by doing, so Collean gave Caleb and Sydney the opportunity to work with some of the Montessori materials. They worked with the Cylinder Blocks, the Puzzle Map of the World, and finally the Checkerboard. After working with the materials and speaking with Collean, Caleb noted that he likes the “hands-on” nature of Montessori and how the method focuses on “learning why instead of just the answer.” Sydney agreed, saying that she liked the individual learning that occurs in Montessori and that she prefers the idea of being “active instead of just listening and working with pen and paper.”

After a long day of learning about NAMC, Caleb and Sydney were ready to head home with a new understanding of Montessori training and an increased appreciation for the work that their mothers do. Thank you for spending the day with us, Caleb and Sydney!

Learn more about how Take Your Child To Work Day can be a great Montessori practical life activity that can bring your family closer together by reading another of our posts on the topic: Take Our Kids to Work Day: A Very Montessori Experience for Students

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Tuesday, December 10, 2013.