Maria Montessori

‘'The greatest sign of success for a teacher...is to be able to say, the children are now working as if I did not exist.'' Dr. Maria Montessori

When you decide to become a teacher, you know that you are going to fight against misconceptions, conflicting opinions on how you ‘‘should'' (or...''must'') teach your classes, parents who absolutely, undoubtedly know your job better than you, and students who have grown bored -and rightfully so- of the same-old, same-old lessons. The way to deal with these issues is to keep educating yourself, make sure your patience resources are always intact no matter what and keep the levels of creativity and resourcefulness to high levels. As a teacher, I am more than grateful to pioneers like Maria Montessori who paved the way and turned the focus to the children instead of the then-established educational system.

Dr. Maria Montessori grew up in a household full of books and the love for learning. She understood how effective the learning process can become when aided by games and defied the norms by becoming the first woman in Italy to study medicine. Unwilling to regard people through the lens of social classes, she fought hard to become a doctor, joined the Women's Rights movement and offered her services at the psychiatric clinic of the University of Rome. It was there that her love for children whose special abilities were viewed as a plague by the majority of society led her to introduce new ideas and methods that revolutionized the field of Education.
A deep love for what we do, an unquestionable dedication to our students, creativity, patience and a firm belief in adaptability are fundamental in the long, difficult, ever-evolving way to become a teacher. Regarding each young soul as an individual, not as an empty vessel that needs to be filled with our undoubted wisdom and excellence, is the key to a much-needed balance between learning and actually enjoying the learning process. Easier said than done but I'd like to believe that it has become our reality.

This is Dr. Maria Montessori's legacy to children, educators and parents all over the world. This is her invaluable gift to mankind.

‘'The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.'' Dr. Maria Montessori

Many thanks to Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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