The course is organized by the Foundation of the University of Girona and the Montessori International Research and Training Center in Girona MIRTC. He is awarded the Montessori Guide Master's Degree from 6 to 12 years old by the University Foundation and the official diploma of the International Montessori Association AMI. It is an own and professional master's degree consisting of 90 ECTS credits. It is designed to help the student achieve a good knowledge of the theory and practice of the Montessori proposal in Primary, with the aim of helping children in their development and adaptation to society. The training includes all the curricular areas (which with the Montessori pedagogy are many more than those with traditional education approaches) and covers both philosophy and psychology, as well as content, materials and teaching-learning activities. The methodology of the course includes theory classes, observations and practices.

This is an international course in Spanish, English and Russian. Classes will be taught eminently in Spanish but there will be professional and simultaneous translation into Russian and English. There will be the necessary adaptations at the level of language and culture and the materials in all three languages will be available in the prepared environment for practice. The organization reserves the right to cancel any of these three language options if a minimum number of students is not reached.

The Montessori Primary Foundation course, a prerequisite for individuals who do not hold an AMI Primary Diploma, is an intensive course designed to give comprehensive knowledge of the Montessori Curriculum for children 3-6 years of age, which forms the basis of and relates to the work of the Elementary Course. In the master's degree this course becomes two subjects that add up to 16 credits in total. These subjects are subject to validation if you can prove the Montessori Guide AMI diploma for 3 to 6 years.

The course of Primary Education combines intense classes of theory, bibliographical study, active exploration and demonstrations of the materials, with sessions of supervised practices, observations and teaching practice.

The AMI International Elementary Teacher Training is offered over a three-summer period (2020-2022) with interim work during the academic years, such as classroom observation and teaching practice.

The first five weeks of the first summer, students undertake the Montessori Primary Foundation component of the course, which introduces the Montessori philosophy and pedagogy at the primary level. The Foundations course gives an overview of all the areas of the Montessori curriculum for children ages 3 to 6. This curriculum forms the base on which the work of the Elementary course rests. It includes lectures on Montessori educational theory and practice along with supervised practice sessions with the materials.

Calendar:

Schedule:

• For the online part of the Fundamentals course (from June 29 to July 17, 2020) from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:45 (Spanish time) - From 8:00 at 11:45 and from 14:30 to 18:30 (Mexican time).
• For the online part from 6-12 (from July 27 to August 12, 2020) from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 14:30 to 18:30 (Spanish time) - From 7:30 at 11:30 and from 14:30 to 18:30 (Mexican time).
• For the face-to-face part (second and third summer) from Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 17:30 (Spanish time).

Director of Training and lead trainer: Dani Cañigueral

Montessori Foundation Course trainer: Claudia Guerrero Álvarez

Trainer in training: Eduard Vilanova

Administrative staff: Ariadna Cahisa (MIRTC), Cristina Ramon (Fundación Universidad de Girona)

Students that embark in the extraordinary experience of becoming qualified Montessori guides must be highly motivated adults willing to learn and help children to develop the fullness of their individual human potential as they progress from childhood to maturity and fully adapt to their global environment.

The Elementary Guide must have and in-depth knowledge and be fully familiarized with the Montessori theory, materials and activities relevant to children between 6 and 12 years of age. At this age, children have an insatiable appetite for learning and offer boundless opportunities to build their own acknowledge within a collaborative community. Therefore, the Elementary training course provides students an understanding of all disciplines of science and knowledge that supports their growth as great storytellers and imagination-speakers, so they can provide the child with the keys to explore the whole universe.

Throughout the course, students attend theory lectures and demonstrations of materials, and participate in discussions and reading seminars. They take notes, either on the content given on the course, on the technique of presentations, or on all related information for each demonstrated material. Refinement and completion of this notes form the basis for the student’s albums, which become their teaching manuals for future work with children. Students also document their supervised practice with materials and observations in real Montessori classrooms. All this work entails a lot of commitment on the students’ part if they want to become highly skilled Elementary Montessori Guides. The volume of student’s work is such that students are required to turn in weekly assignments to be assessed by staff and/or other AMI-trained elementary teacher, who offer strategies, feedback, and assistance to help students to maintain good standing in the course.

During the academic year 2020-2021, after the course’s first summer, students complete three weeks (90 hours) of observation in a Montessori elementary school under the supervision of an experienced AMI certified Montessori Guide.

Observations allow students to continue their study in Montessori classrooms, they aid to the discovery of the children reality and ensure the development of habitual, precise and dynamic movements that the students can apply in future practice in their own Montessori classrooms.

During each day of observation, students observe the classroom through the lens of Observation Guidelines. These guidelines or tips are designed to focus the student’s attention on a particular aspect of child development or Montessori theory. They give a detailed description of the tasks the student will undertake during each day of observation. Students record their responses to these daily tasks, which form the basis of their observation reports.

Students choose where to conduct their observations but always in a pre-approved elementary school where there is an AMI certified teacher that applies the Montessori approach in the Montessori elementary classroom prepared environment. Pre-approval is required from the Director of the Master. It will be necessary to sign collaboration agreements with each center. The MIRTC is located in the CCE Montessori Palau Girona, which has 16 classrooms with AMI certified elementary teachers available to host students undertaking observation practices.

During the academic year 2021-2022, after the course second summer, students complete four weeks (120 hours) of teaching practice in a Montessori elementary school under the supervision of an experienced AMI certified Guide.

Practice teaching allows students to directly apply their knowledge of the Montessori materials and child development, and to work with real children in authentic Montessori classrooms. This is the time to put into practice and refine their abilities to make presentations in the various areas of the curriculum, as well as to improve learning on how to manage a Montessori Elementary classroom.

Students choose where to conduct their teaching practice but always in a pre-approved elementary school where there is an AMI certified teacher that applies the Montessori approach in the Montessori Elementary classroom prepared environment. Pre-approval is required from the Director of the Master. It will be necessary to sign collaboration agreements with each center. MIRTC is located in the Montessori Palau Girona, which has 16 classrooms with AMI certified elementary teachers available to host students undertaking teaching practice.

Continuous assessment:

Student work is evaluated throughout the course. Students receive continuous help and feedback in the form of both personal and Moodle communication. During the supervised practice, which is carried out autonomously by the student, the teaching team observes how the student practices with the materials and gives additional help if needed. Trainers offer guidance on how students can improve and refine performance, maintain good standing in the course, and meet requirements.

Examinations:

The third summer students who wish to obtain the AMI Diploma undertake written and oral examinations. Throughout the course, students undertake written activities to orient to the exam experience and trainers offer suggestions and guidance to support study efforts. The written examination is divided in two parts, and it is conducted during two consecutive days, in two sessions of three hours. Students are given seven questions and they choose four to answer. The first day, they answer questions on Montessori theory topics, while the second day, they answer questions on the practical aspects of the different areas of the curriculum. Oral examinations are conducted at the end of the course before a Board of Examiners chaired by an external examiner appointed by AMI. Students take the oral examination individually, presenting lessons from each area. The lessons to be presented are made through blind draw, and students have several minutes to consider their lessons before the examination begins. After each presentation, the examiner and the student start a conversation focusing on the lesson, the materials used, and the relation to child development and to the underlying Montessori principles that support the area. The individual oral examination consists of three sessions of approximately half an hour each, and in each session the student presents lessons from two areas.

Master's Thesis:

The Master's Thesis consists of the presentation of a summary of the course in memory, the final 9 albums and the materials made.

The Diploma of Montessori Internationale Association (AMI) is awarded once the course requirements have been achieved: attendance at lectures, theoretical lessons, supervised practices, observations, teaching practice, presentation of the albums and materials requested, and finally, overcoming the written and practical theoretical examinations, with the minimum qualifications, led by external examiners of AMI. Once these requirements have been met, the final master's thesis must be submitted and if it is approved satisfactorily, the official Master's degree will be received by the University Foundation.

Classes will be taught eminently in Spanish but there will be professional and simultaneous translation into Russian and English. There will be the necessary adaptations at the level of language and culture and the materials in all three languages will be available in the prepared environment for practice. The organization reserves the right to cancel any of these three language options if a minimum number of students is not reached.

The MIRTC welcomes students from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds. This course is specially designed for teachers, educators, psychologists and education professionals who wish to implement all aspects of the Montessori Elementary (6-12) method in a classroom. Training is especially oriented to obtain the AMI Montessori Diploma 6-12. Only auditing the course is not an option.

Course admission requirements:

• Student must be 18 years of age or older.
• Basic knowledge of one of the main course languages (English, Spanish or Catalan). If this is not the case, please ask about availability of interpretation services in other languages.
• A sincere desire to work with children and the necessary interest, maturity, organization, responsibility and academic competence to follow the course optimally.
• Possession of a four-year college degree (Baccalaureate) from an accredited college or university.
• Complete the application form, sign it, and send it to the MIRTC with the requested documents attached.
• In-person or virtual interview.
• Payment of the application fee.
• Letter of admission
• Signed contract with the training center.
• Due payments have been made before initiating the course.
• In order to obtain the Master's degree, students must have university studies.

The three-summer Elementary course is delivered at the Montessori-Palau International Research and Training Center (MIRTC), located at Montessori Palau Girona, which makes all its facilities and services available to the center. All lectures, demonstrations, supervised practice and other activities related to the course take place at the training center.

Classrooms:

Students have a model Montessori classroom fully equipped with Montessori materials for their exclusive use. The classroom for theory lectures and lessons is equipped with a camera and projector, as wells as all the necessary infrastructure to work with comfort and efficiency. There are other spaces for breaks, personal work and lockers for personal belongings.

Meals:

In adjoining classrooms there are designed spaces for breakfast and snacks. The school has its own kitchen and a large lunch room, with daily lunch service. Prices are €4.75 if have daily lunch at the school and € 6 if they only purchase lunch on sporadic days.

Other facilities:

The school grounds include a forest, gardens, a farm, a gym and all kinds of facilities that can be used for training activities.

Access and parking:

Free underground parking is available for all students at the center’s site. Every 15 minutes there is a public bus service to and from downtown Girona.

From the end of January 2020 the Foundation of the University of Girona will begin to pre-register for the course. The organization reserves the right to cancel any of these three language options if a minimum number of students is not reached. Once the student quota is complete, students will be enrolled in a waiting list.

You can make the registration request through the following link: