Infant & Toddler Certification – North Shore, MA

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (top)

The Northeast Montessori Institute (NMI) offers a year-round training format designed to offer enrolled adult learners a reasonable and manageable training schedule, providing year-round courses and support. The program provides both enrolled adult learners and their internship schools with greater training course assistance through adult learner-instructor interactions during the summer weeks, as well as throughout the internship year during the fall and spring seminars. This approach provides the adult learner with ongoing training program instruction at a slower pace, together with more continual input from the training program to the internship schools.

The schedule is designed to try to meet the personal time restraints of individuals who will be leaving their home situations in order to participate in the certification course, and can be completed in eleven months. The program begins with three weeks of summer training, followed by two weekend seminars during the year. This schedule is designed to provide both support and greater academic quality, since instruction will be given in shorter, more frequent sessions.

Successful completion of the program leads to recommendation for the American Montessori Society (AMS) Infant and Toddler Certificate, or, for those individuals not holding a Bachelor degree or higher the AMS Associate Infant and Toddler Certificate.

The career opportunities for an individual with a Montessori Infant and Toddler credential are numerous and diverse. The Northeast Montessori Institute office serves as an informal clearinghouse for job opportunities in the New England area and elsewhere. While the Institute can assist in connecting adult learners to possible employers, state requirements and school situations vary so widely that employment, salary, and occupational advancement are not guaranteed by the Institute.

NOTE:

Individuals enrolling in the Infant and Toddler course who do not hold a recognized Montessori Early Childhood credential are required to participate in an Early Childhood overview course (24 hours).

NMI offers this course prior to the start of the Infant and Toddler program. This summer the Early Childhood Overview will take place Friday, June 23rd – Sunday, June 25th at the Children’s Montessori Center in Danvers, MA. Lodging is available on the campus of Gordon College starting Friday, June 23rd.

The Northeast Montessori Institute Infant and Toddler Certification Course of Study on the North Shore is affiliated with the American Montessori Society (AMS) is fully accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).

MACTE	AMS
420 Park Street	116 East 16^th Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902	New York, NY 10003
“>Phone: (434) 202-7793	phone: (212) 358-1250
email: info@MACTE.org	fax: (212) 358-1256
web: www.macte.org	email: ams@amshq.org
	web: www.amshq.org

STUDENT TEACHING PRACTICUM (top)

For individuals who wish to participate in the full program leading to Montessori Teacher Certification, a nine-month student-teaching practicum (minimum 540 hours) must be completed in an approved Montessori classroom. [Approval is based on the requirements of the American Montessori Society and Northeast Montessori Institute. These requirements will be discussed between the Institute Director and the applicant in order to guarantee that the adult learner’s practicum site meets all requirements for final certification.] The student-teaching can be completed during the year in which the adult learner is participating in the academic course work, in which case the certification program can be completed in approximately eleven months, or the student-teaching can be completed following the completion of all, or a portion of, the required academic course work. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Institute office to discuss optional planning if the standard eleven month training schedule does not meet their needs.

The goals for the student-teaching phase are to provide the adult learner with daily experience in a prepared Montessori classroom setting, working with children in one of the following settings: a birth to 18 months age range (Infant Concentration), with children aged 18 months to 3 years (Toddler Concentration), or with the combined age range of birth to 3 years (Infant and Toddler Concentration). It provides the adult learner with opportunities to learn more about all levels and aspects of organizing and running a Montessori school and in preparing and maintaining a Montessori environment.

The student teaching practicum is a most important aspect of the training course and by offering a year-round study model; the Institute does provide the adult learner with maximum contact and coordination with the Institute throughout this phase. In addition to our academic support phases of the program, a Field Supervisor contracted by the Institute will arrange personal observations and meetings with the adult learner at their student-teaching site at least three times during this phase of the program.

To meet the student-teaching requirements for teacher certification, the adult learner must teach in a Montessori classroom for one half-day session for a period of nine months. Student-teaching can be completed at any approved Montessori school, both in the United States or internationally.

(Note: Individuals who select a practicum site located more than 150 miles from the training site at Gordon College in Wenham, MA will be subject to additional fees to cover reasonable travel expenses associated with intern visits.

Northeast Montessori Institute does not directly place enrolled individuals within Internship sites, but is happy to offer assistance if requested. Final placement and arrangements as to compensation and specific contractual obligations remain the responsibility of the enrolled adult learner and the school. Northeast Montessori Institute’s primary involvement lies within the supervision and assurance of the internship placement in meeting the necessary certification requirements as set forth by the Institute and the American Montessori Society (AMS).]
There are two types of student-teaching practicums available to the adult learner:

1.) Supervised [Directed] Student-teaching Practicum:

For individuals who wish to participate in the full program leading to Montessori Teacher Certification, a nine-month student-teaching practicum must be completed in an approved Montessori classroom under the supervision of a qualified Montessori teacher. Approval is based on the requirements of the American Montessori Society and the Northeast Montessori Institute. These requirements will be discussed between the Institute Director and the applicant in order to guarantee that the practicum classroom site does meet all requirements for final certification.

The greatest advantage to the ‘Supervised’ [Directed] student-teaching practicum is the opportunity for the adult learner to work with an experienced, certified Montessori teacher who can provide the intern with daily modeling and a support system during the course of training.

2.) Unsupervised [Self-Directed] Student-teaching Practicum:

All of the requirements for the ‘Supervised’ student-teaching practicum also apply to the ‘Self-Directed’ student-teaching model, with the exception that the intern will be working as a head teacher in a Montessori prepared environment without the daily guidance of a supervised Montessori teacher within the classroom.

In the case of a self-directed internship, because the adult learner does not have daily supervision, additional support in addition to the minimum three (3) on-site consultations by a Field Consultant shall be required and documentation submitted to the Program Director. Such support might include extra visits, a local mentor teacher, monthly phone or e-mail contact, or other support designed by the director. Such additional support is to ensure that the practicum is progressing appropriately and to offer the ‘unsupervised’ intern additional support from the program.

An additional fee of four hundred fifty dollars ($450.00), payable to the Institute, shall be due at the beginning of the practicum phase should the adult learner wish to arrange for three additional visits through the Institute. Other forms of support arranged through the Institute will be negotiated on an individual basis based on the nature of support provided. Any associated costs incurred in arranging for support independently shall be the responsibility of the adult learner and is subject to approval and review by the Program Director.

Wherever possible, we do recommend the ‘Supervised’ [Directed] student-teaching practicum since we feel that the adult learner can benefit from the daily support of a Montessori teacher and can also truly be an intern in the classroom, relieved of head teacher roles and responsibilities. In situations where the ‘Directed’ student-teaching is not available, the Institute will work with the school and adult learner to provide the best possible ‘Self-Directed’ student-teaching experience.

FACILITIES (top)

The Northeast Montessori Institute conducts the Infant and Toddler courses on the North Shore of Massachusetts, on the campus of Gordon College, which is located just north of Boston in the town of Wenham.

The Institute will conduct the summer phase of the Montessori program in the Barrington Center for the Arts, located on campus. This facility offers an air-conditioned lecture hall. The seminars will be held at a local school. (Note: Changes to classroom location may occur.)

Recreational Facilities

Gordon College is located five miles from the Atlantic Ocean on a picturesque campus. This site provides a fresh-water swimming pond, jogging and biking trails, and a modern sports facility which houses an Olympic size swimming pool, nautilus and weight room, racquetball courts, a running track, and even a rock climbing wall. Students have use of the building for a daily fee.

Residential Facilities

Resident facilities are available during the summer phase only for our adult learners who wish to live on campus during the summer phase of the program. Because of the beauty of the campus and its location near the ocean, many local adult learners decide to live on campus during the summer in order to enjoy the recreational facilities and to have more time interacting with fellow adult learners and instructors. On-campus housing is not available during the seminars and is the responsibility of the individual.

Those adult learners wishing to reside on campus during the summer phase of the program will reside in Dexter House, a large dormitory-type house situated just off campus. When possible, all of our adult learners will be housed together so that there will be greater opportunity for sharing and interacting. For those adult learners wishing to reside on campus, please indicate this in the appropriate place on your application. Housing is assigned on a first come, first served basis following an special considerations.

Additional information and a reservation form are available following admission or by contacting the Institute.

For seminar lodging or other area information, individuals are recommended to contact the following North Shore area websites:

A variety of facilities are available in the area, from national hotel chains (in the Danvers area), to bed and breakfasts, or quaint New England Inns.

FINANCIAL MATTERS (top)

Tuition payment plans are available through NMI. This information is available following submission of application and logging into the Adult Learner Portal,, or by calling, writing, or e-mailing the Institute. A service charge of $5 per payment will be added to payment plans.

Infant and Toddler Course of Study North Shore, Massachusetts	2017-2018 Rates
An initial deposit of $1,250.00 is due by June 1st, 2017. All adult learner fees and books and materials fees will be deducted from this initial payment and are non-refundable.
Application Fee (non-refundable)	$50.00
Infant and Toddler Course (full tuition)	$3,500.00
Adult Learner and Intellectual Property Fees	$750.00
Total	$4,300.00

A service charge of $5 per payment will be added to payment plans. Tuition policy information and an overview of payment plan options is available by clicking here.

Adult Learner and Materials Fees

These fees cover the adult learner’s intern membership in the American Montessori Society (AMS) and pay the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) dues. These fees also cover materials provided by individual instructors, together with required textbooks and curriculum materials provided through the Institute. These fees are non-refundable.

Scholarship

The American Montessori Society offers partial scholarships. Applications are available by request through NMI, following receipt of program application, or can be found on the AMS website. AMS scholarship applications require the signature of the program director prior to submission. Adult Learners who choose to intern in a Montessori school in Massachusetts are also eligible to apply for scholarship through the Montessori Schools of Massachusetts (MSM). Scholarship application deadlines for the above are May 1st and March 15th, respectively. Scholarship monies awarded are applicable for tuition costs only. Additional information is available on the AMS and MSM websites.

It is the belief of Northeast Montessori Institute that individuals wishing to undertake Montessori teacher training not be prevented from doing so due to financial restrictions. Northeast Montessori Institute is not, however, a lending institution and encourages applicants to seek alternate financing when available, as the meeting of its operating costs and salaries are based upon the responsible timely tuition payment of its Adult Learners.

All associated expenses incurred by undertaking this course of study remain the ultimate responsibility of the participant regardless of third-party sponsorship.