Montessori Teaching course

Geansai Rua

Hi there,

I am looking into doing a montessori teaching course after I finish my completely irrelevant degree!:o

At the moment Im looking at:
Graduate montessori training with the AMI : 1 year long, full time
Montessori teaching diploma with Portobello : 1 year, part time
Montessori FETAC level 6 components : 1 year, p/t or f/t

Im also trying to find out about the advanced certificate in childcare supervision, and I know this is required for a full award.
I do want to be finished in a year as I have already been in college for a good few years now.

Anyone got any advice?
Wondering about how intensive the course is, and the prospects of jobs and if you can open up your own school in a few years time.

Thanks

lazygal

Before you sign up, do your research in the area. You can open up your own school, but if there are a lot of other operators in the area you'll be up against more established schools that have a market already. I would also advise doing a good stint of work experience in a proper Montessori setting as there are a lot of schools that call themselves Montessori but are just glorified play schools, nothing wrong with play schools but Montessori is a specific curriculum and requires particular equipment.

It is also expensive to set up a school from scratch because of the Montessori materials. Things like metal insets for design, red rods, broad stairs (i.e. the basic equipment) should be proper materials from Nienhaus and not cobbled together, there are reasons why they are the weight and style they are and you can't skimp. Then there's chairs and tables and finding a premises that's suitable. I'm not trying to put you off! It's just that I know a few people who spent a fortune on the AMI course and thought they'd be stepping into a new career where they would be able to balance their schools with their children and most are now working as assistants in play schools or Montessori's as there just isn't a massive amount of work out there.

Geansai Rua

I agree that it will be hard to set up my own place. I have always known that someday I will set up my own business, and this could be my way of doing it.
I will probably wait until I have a few years under my belt before I even think about finding a place.
It is a lot of money for the course which is the only reservation I have at the moment..

There's not a whole lot of work in anything in particular so I guess I have to do something and hope!

EmerBaggott

Hi. I would really love & hope to do the same someday down the road. What do yea think about the course on montessori that chevron training run? Any comments or experiences?

marber1978

Geansai Rua wrote: »

Hi there,

I am looking into doing a montessori teaching course after I finish my completely irrelevant degree!:o

At the moment Im looking at:
Graduate montessori training with the AMI : 1 year long, full time
Montessori teaching diploma with Portobello : 1 year, part time
Montessori FETAC level 6 components : 1 year, p/t or f/t

Im also trying to find out about the advanced certificate in childcare supervision, and I know this is required for a full award.
I do want to be finished in a year as I have already been in college for a good few years now.

Anyone got any advice?
Wondering about how intensive the course is, and the prospects of jobs and if you can open up your own school in a few years time.

Thanks

Hi there

Just read this thread and am in same boat so I was just wondering which one you ended up going for.. A girl I know did 5 years in st Nicholas and highly recommends it.. She says there are lots of jobs since the Govt are giving every child a free Montessori year before entering national school, so that sounds promising.. Unfortunately I think the pay only starts at about 20/22k a year though
Any advice you have would be brilliant
Thanks a mill

stillconfused

The pay is totally lousy unless you open your own school, but it is a very rewarding job. In order to open a school you have to have Part I and Part II now, standardised by the government, which is the same price as a proper HDip from St. Nicholas. Plus, if you travel to a proper country that has actual standards you can earn a very good living. Ireland is the worst country for Montessori because of all the legislation that has been played with by the Irish government, but in the real world, it is a wonderful career, but you must choose a country that respects the method. Ireland is not one of them and now never will be thanks to the government's intervention in a pathetic attempt to conceal the lack of standards up to now. St. Nicholas is the ONLY college worth going to as they are the only ones who offer Montessori courses with proper validation that is recognised worldwide. ALL the other colleges will have you pay fees and then you will find that they only offer component courses or half of the course and then you have to buy more courses and then you won't be qualified in any case. My advice, and I have done all the Portobello courses, just finished TODAY - is avoid Portobello at all costs at all times as they are awful and either go to St. Nicholas or go to London. No other college in this country is worth a damn for Montessori.

stillconfused

Also don't forget that while there are jobs, there are ten times the candidates, and employers are now officially underqualified themselves so most are only looking for Level 8 Montessori so they can get the higher capitation fee from the ECCE, which, even if you are a graduate, you must do as a HDip in St. Nich's. Your undergraduate degree does not count, you must do a Level 8 Montessori qualification. I did the pointless Level 6 and it took me more than a year, even though Portobello promised me it wouldn't. They changed the course mid-way when they knew they would be doing that before we started. They even gave us a free top-up course so we wouldn't sue them! They promised courses in venues that never happened and students were only notified the day before and they were refused refunds of their fees and forced to undertake 'distance learning' which means it will take twice as long for you over a series of weekends and the workload is huge, with no tutor support to speak of. Don't put yourselves through the pressure and stress and then find out you are unemployable like I did. It's an absolute disgrace what that college put every one of my classmates and myself through. The suffering was immeasurable. NEVER go to a private college and buy a piece of paper. Go to the real deal at St. Nich's and you will learn to be a true Montessori teacher and have confidence about your future!

Annalyn

Also don't forget that while there are jobs, there are ten times the candidates, and employers are now officially underqualified themselves so most are only looking for Level 8 Montessori so they can get the higher capitation fee from the ECCE, which, even if you are a graduate, you must do as a HDip in St. Nich's. Your undergraduate degree does not count, you must do a Level 8 Montessori qualification.


Do not listen to this (bad experience)!! You do not need a Hdip from st nicholas's to get a job as a montessori teacher. I have a BA in Early childhood studies and i know!! Needing a hdip from st nicholas's is absolute rubbish!! as long as you dont want to teach montessori through primary teaching!

Look through your local paper! There are a of jobs out there in this area:)

Also do a level 6 in Montessori from an accredited organisation, there are many out there.

Laura12345

Do not listen to this (bad experience)!! You do not need a Hdip from st nicholas's to get a job as a montessori teacher. I have a BA in Early childhood studies and i know!! Needing a hdip from st nicholas's is absolute rubbish!! as long as you dont want to teach montessori through primary teaching!

Look through your local paper! There are a of jobs out there in this area

Also do a level 6 in Montessori from an accredited organisation, there are many out there.

Emmajay

Hi all
If you have level 8 early childhood degree and want to do montessorri teaching, do you need to do a montessorri course aswell or does the degree qualify you to teach montessorri.
Thanks