An Authentic Montessori Teacher. Who is it? Who is it? It's…..



What qualities make a Montessori teacher authentic? When I think about Authentic Montessori teachers, many come to mind based on the qualities that I will outline later. In addition to my two colleagues, Kathryn Miller and Shelli Caldwell, my mother Razia Shivji, Nahla Nasser, Gretta Yeager, Marie Conti, Erika Ohlhaver, Carolyn Edgar, Catherine McTamaney, Lynne Aiken, Judi Bauerlein and Marge Ellison (too many others to list), one very special Montessorian sticks out. The lead faculty at The Innovative School have a special bond, friendship and working relationship with this marvelous Montessori teacher, parent, teacher educator and field consultant.



Shelli Caldwell, Kulsum Omer
and Munir Shivji

Mrs. Kulsum Omer a former Houstonian worked at School of the Woods for twenty years as an early childhood teacher and office manager before moving to Alexandria, Virginia.  In addition to her years of classroom experience, Kulsum has been a faculty member of the Houston Montessori Center since 1993, where she trains teachers at the Early Childhood Level.



The "twins" Kathryn & Kulsum

The Innovative School's curriculum coordinator and early childhood teacher, Kathryn Miller also spent majority of her teaching career at School of the Woods. Kathryn and Kulsum whom together are known in the local Houston Montessori community as "twins" who were separated at conception, one ended up in Bangalore and the other in Alabama, found each other through Montessori in Houston. Kathryn and Kulsum have been teaching and training teachers together for over twenty years.  Our second early childhood teacher, Shelli Caldwell was trained at the Houston Montessori Center by both Kathryn and Kulsum and worked with Mrs. Kulsum at School of the Woods.
 


Mrs. Kulsum holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics and Child Development, and an AMS Early Childhood teaching credential. Mrs. Kulsum is no stranger to the Montessori Community, and is an experienced AMS workshop presenter. She offers a wide range of coaching services – from individual coaching as a field consultant and mentor teacher, to conducting seminars for assistant training, as well as parent education workshops. Kulsum is a certified NLP practitioner, specializing in non-verbal techniques for Classroom Management. Kulsum is a member of the American Montessori Society, and has served on the Teacher’s research network, and the MACTE and AMS Accreditation Committees.





Mrs. Kulsum training EC interns
at the Houston Montessori Center



Why does Mrs. Kulsum Omer come to mind as an authentic Montessori teacher? Well let me outline what is a Montessori teacher. Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambush, founder of the American Montessori Society identified the following characteristics of an authentic Montessori teacher. The following are excerpted from The Authentic American Montessori School.

1. The Montessori teacher is firm at the edges and empathetic at the center, the kind of adult who responds empathetically to children’s feelings, while setting clear and consistent limits.

2. The Montessori teacher is a trained observer of children’s learning and behavior. These careful observation are recorded and used to infer where each student is in terms of his or her development, and leads the teacher to know when to intervene in the child’s learning with a new lesson, a fresh challenge, or a reinforcement of basic ground rules.

3. Montessori teachers facilitate the learning process by serving as a resource to whom the children can turn as they pull together information, impressions, and experiences.

4.  Like all great teachers, the Montessori educator deliberately models the behaviors and attitudes that she is working to instill in her students. Because of Montessori’s emphasis on character development, the Montessori teacher normally is exceptionally calm, kind, warm, and polite to each child.



Mrs. Kulsum in Action!



Mrs. Kulsum is the talented teacher described above. Now, let me share with you what authentic Montessori teachers like Ms. Kulsum do:

1. Mrs. Kulsum recognizes that her role is not so much to teach as to inspire, mentor, and facilitate the learning process. The real work of learning belongs to the individual child. Because of this, Mrs. Kulsum remains conscious of her role in helping each child to fulfill his or her full potential as a human being and of creating an environment for learning within which children will feel safe, cherished, and empowered.

2. Mrs. Kulsum is trained to identify the best response to the changing interests and needs of each child as a unique individual. Because she truly accepts that children learn in many different ways and at their own pace, Mrs. Kulsum understands that she must “follow the child,” adjusting her strategies and timetable to fit the development of each of her students.

3. Mrs. Kulsum organizes appropriate social settings and academic programs for children at their own level of development. She does this to a large degree through the design of her classroom, selection and organization of learning activities, and structure of the day.

Munir Shivji and Kulsum Omer
presenting a workshop at an
AMS Conference in New Orleans

 Did you know… Mrs. Kulsum was one of my instructors at HMC when I took AMS teacher training?! I feel special and blessed to have had the opportunity to work and present workshops with Mrs. Kulsum! If I had to mention one significant thing I learned from Mrs. Kulsum, it would be, trust. Trust the Montessori method and it's philosophy. Sometimes, we get pressured or feel and think children should be doing something faster or advancing sooner academically. Remember, everything takes time! Montessori education is a flow experience; it builds on the continuing self construction of the child - daily, weekly, yearly - for the duration of the three-year program. Give your students time. Believe me, Montessori, when implemented correctly, works! Never doubt it. Think about the qualities listed above. Are you an authentic Montessori teacher?


Kulsum, Shelli, Munir and Kathryn