Following a rigorous two-year process, OCU now has full accreditation at the Early Childhood level for its Montessori Teacher Certificate Program from the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) and is an American Montessori Society-affiliated program. OCU鈥檚 is now one of the few programs in the state and the only one in the metro area to carry these distinctions.
鈥淔aculty and staff dedicated countless hours of work and creative energy to meet the criteria set forth by MACTE,鈥� said Jennifer Bush, co-director of the program. 鈥淎s a team we refined the curriculum, enhanced teaching methodologies, and ensured that every aspect of the program aligns seamlessly with Montessori principles.鈥�
The OCU Montessori Teacher Certification Program provides coursework that matches the standards and requirements provided by the American Montessori Society. OCU has been teaching Montessori educators for more than 50 years, starting during the 1963-64 school year.
The program integrates contemporary thinking in early childhood education with the insights and methodologies of Dr. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator whose views of children鈥檚 development and strategies for learning have been implemented in classrooms around the world.
Bush noted that the faculty and staff have reimagined and redesigned the previous program into two pathways to nurture aspiring educators, imbuing them with the wisdom and passion necessary to become adept Montessori teachers.
The certificate program is set up to accommodate working professionals interested in the Montessori method. This is a 24-month program offered through summer weeks of intensive classes and fall and spring semester evening and weekend classes.
Bush said one distinction of OCU鈥檚 program is the diverse array of instructional techniques, partly thanks to educators who come from a variety of schools around the 野狼社区 community. Each instructor brings a unique approach to their teaching.
It鈥檚 also one of a handful of programs in the nation that is attached to a university education department.
The Montessori way
For more than a century, the child-focused approach that Dr. Montessori developed for educating children has been transforming schools around the globe.
As soon as you enter a classroom, you notice a different approach than a 鈥渢raditional鈥� system. Children work independently and in groups, often with specially designed learning materials; are deeply engaged in their work; and are respectful of themselves and their surroundings.
The Montessori Method fosters rigorous, self-motivated growth for children in all areas of their development鈥攃ognitive, emotional, social and physical. Montessori education is student-led and self-paced, yet guided, assessed, and enriched by knowledgeable and caring teachers in a nurturing environment.
Dr. Montessori鈥檚 observations of children led her to design multi-sensory, sequential and self-correcting materials. Learning through concrete, hands-on materials provides a firm foundation for later abstract thinking.
Multi-age groupings are also a part of the prepared environment. More experienced children share what they have learned while reinforcing their own learning. The primary goal is to help each child reach their full potential in all areas of life. Individual students follow their curiosity at their own pace, taking the time they need to fully understand each concept and meet individualized learning goals.
鈥淒r. Montessori envisioned her schools as a part of the larger community and we are embracing this as well by fostering community relationships with the larger OKC area,鈥� Bush added.
The program is currently partnered with:
鈥� Wesley Church United Methodist, with plans to create a full lab school in the future
鈥� PAMBE Ghana, a Ghanaian Montessori collective that is teaching students in their native languages
鈥� Learning Tree, a store run by Montessori teachers and parents for learning materials and activities for children birth through age 14
鈥� The Floating Bookshop, a local independent bookstore
鈥� Rainbow Fleet, a non-profit that offers a lending library of toys, games and activites for childcare centers and home daycares
鈥� Casady School, Westminster School, Heartland Montessori OKC and many other schools where adult learners and future teachers are sent for hands-on learning experiences
About MACTE
MACTE, founded in 1995, is dedicated to improving academic degree and certificate programs for Montessori professional educators. Accreditation provides quality assurance for Montessori educator preparation programs. It also provides an additional avenue to job opportunities for accredited program graduates.
Accreditation is based on evidence of competent, caring and qualified professional Montessori educators, and an ongoing willingness to monitor and improve the school鈥檚 program quality.
MACTE is recognized by the United States Department of Education.
