Nightingale Montessori Institute of Teacher Education
Click here to view the NMITE slideshowEducational Mission
The educational mission of Nightingale Montessori Institute of Teacher Education (NMITE) is to present the methods of Maria Montessori as a paradigm shift in traditional education and as a model for social reform. Montessori’s continuing appeal to the world is to educate children and adults in the responsibility of demonstrative citizenship, and the ways of peace, in the hope of restoring order in a world torn by hatred and war. NMITE is committed to an exceptionally high level of intellectual excellence. Our science is dedicated to discovering the condition in which self-motivation flourishes and to cultivate independent learning within an interdependent community of learners.
Purposes and Objectives
The objective of this program will be to train teachers in Montessori philosophy and methodology in order to 1. Meet the increasing demand for certified Montessori teachers and 2. Bring the finest in educational thought to reforming our nation’s public schools through the development of Montessori community or magnet schools.
The goal of this program will be to demonstrate the methods teachers can use to maximize the potential of each child and empower all our children to make a positive contribution to their community. The program will enable young educators to learn the concepts that are fundamental to the methods practiced at Nightingale Montessori School (NM). Adult learners at NMITE have the opportunity to work with at-risk students utilizing the Montessori method to encourage the development of the at-risk population.
Certification Information
Nightingale Montessori Institute of Teacher Education of Springfield, Ohio is offering adult learners the opportunity to add to their degree in Early Childhood Education (3-6) a credential in Montessori Teaching as recognized by Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).
The academic part of the program comprises a total of ten courses of study, totaling two hundred hours (200), followed by a Practicum of 540 hours which will be internship experience at our lab school, Nightingale Montessori, or another certified lab school. Certification can be achieved in three years.
An Early Childhood (EC) Credential in Montessori Education certified by NMITE and MACTE will be granted upon satisfactory completion of all course and practicum requirements. Please note, however, that this course offers preparation for a specific kind of teaching method used in Montessori Schools and neither prepares teachers for the general field of education nor for the Ohio state teaching credential. Individual schools will vary in additional requirements for teachers.
Class Descriptions
Course: Teaching Art, Music, and Movement (20 clock hours)
This course will study the development of the young child’s concentration, independence, and an appreciation for order using various forms of art, music, and movement. In this course, adult learners will learn the sequences and presentations for teaching fine motor and gross motor activities which may be used as practical life activities, sensorial experiences, or to otherwise supplement lessons given in various subjects in the 3-6 classroom.
Course: Teaching Language Arts (20 clock hours)
In this course, adult learners will study Montessori’s theories of incremental learning in the development of reading and writing skills. They will study Montessori language materials and evaluate the importance of accurately interpreting a child’s response to concepts. They will become acquainted with the new method of reading instruction developed at Nightingale Montessori, which eliminates the symptoms of dyslexia.
Course: Teaching Mathematics (20 clock hours)
In this course, adult learners will study the classic sequence of Montessori math materials and the concepts they address. Adult learners will plot the dynamics of learning by evaluating progress in the comprehension of mathematical concepts as well as the acquisition of memorization skills.
Course: Teaching Geography (20 clock hours)
This course will study the way Montessori unifies the natural and human world and establishes an interdisciplinary view of geographical studies. The natural cosmos and the social universe are studied as interdependent systems. Adult learners will learn practical ways to apply these principles in the 3-6 classroom and encourage students to make connections between the studies of geography and other subjects taught in the primary Montessori environment.
Course: Teaching Culture (20 clock hours)
This course will study the way Montessori unifies the natural and human world and establishes an interdisciplinary view of cultural studies. Adult learners will learn to create the cuisine, music and dance, and customary dress and festivals of various cultures around the world.
Course: Teaching Science (20 clock hours)
This course will study the way Montessori unifies the natural and human world and establishes an interdisciplinary view of the natural and social sciences. The natural cosmos and the social universe are studied as interdependent systems. Adult learners will learn practical ways to apply these principles in the 3-6 classroom and encourage students to make scientific observations, extrapolations, and higher-order applications of abstract ideas.
Course: Teaching Practical Life (20 clock hours)
In this course, adult learners will focus on the Practical Life Environment in Montessori classrooms. Course material will cover Montessori curriculum and materials for Montessori classrooms. Topics will include: The Practical Life Environment, Practical Life Overview, Practical Life Activities for Students with Learning Disabilities, Normalization begins with Practical Life and the Importance of Practical Life in the direction and intervention of students.
Course: Teaching Sensorial Materials (20 clock hours)
This course focuses on the presentation and use of Montessori sensorial materials in a Montessori prepared environment. It will cover curriculum and materials for all levels of Montessori classrooms to match Montessori’s planes of development. Topics will include: The Key Elements of Sensorial Materials, Sensorial Materials and the Five Senses, Sensorial Activities for students with learning disabilities, How Sensorial Materials can address the deviations of normalization in a Montessori student and the Importance of Sensorial Materials in the direction and intervention of students.
Course: Human Development (20 clock hours)
Looking at Montessori’s principles regarding the planes of development, students will learn to analyze the basics of the prepared environment and how it meets different needs from those of a traditional classroom. Adult learners will observe the ways to build on these ideas to shape an environment, which fosters the development of the child’s natural potential. The inter-relatedness of all materials and activities within the world of the Montessori classroom will be demonstrated at all planes of learning.
Course: Montessori Philosophy (20 clock hours)
This course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts used in the teaching of the Montessori’s method at Nightingale Montessori School. Maria Montessori’s mission is presented as a paradigm shift in traditional education and as a model for social reform. Participants in the course will observe firsthand the demonstration of learning principles at each successive plane of learning in the Nightingale Montessori classroom. The course will provide an overview of the Montessori integrated curriculum and how it differs in design and concept from the traditional curriculum. Students will observe the various components of the three-part curriculum at work.