Building Bridges: How to Find a Job or a Teacher
Montessori schools struggle to find trained Montessori teachers or candidates to sponsor for studies. On the other hand, Montessori-trained teachers struggle to find good quality Montessori schools willing to employ them, and individuals seeking Montessori education often can’t find schools that offer sponsorship.
As the founder of an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) Montessori teacher training center, this issue has been haunting me for years, like a persistent nightmare. I’ve been wracking my brain over how to address this.
Just a few days ago, I took to social media to ask, “What’s the problem? Why is there a shortage of both guides and candidates? Why aren’t good schools connecting with those who want to teach or study to become teachers?”
Here are some of the responses:
- “The training is too expensive. I cannot afford it.”
- “There are not enough high-quality Montessori schools. Despite being trained, I can’t find a school committed to proper implementation and staff support.”
- “Newer generations, especially the youngest, are reluctant to commit to lengthy Montessori teacher training or to dedicate extensive time working as Montessori guides, they have different values.”
- “Teacher training is too lengthy and demanding. We can’t find a teacher willing to undertake it, even with a sponsorship.”
- “A lack of trainers means we can’t have enough teachers.”
There’s a disconnect and numerous problems. Trained teachers can feel underpaid or undervalued. There’s also a perception that many Montessori schools are of low quality and fail to support young educators. I have heard people reporting very negative experiences.
On the other hand, schools face challenges in finding trained teachers or viable candidates for sponsorship, sharing with me that the lengthy and demanding nature of the training which requires time away from family isn’t making it any easier. Financial constraints also limit the salaries that schools can offer.
For individuals aspiring to become qualified Montessori teachers, the barriers of cost, time, and the demands of training are large.
Now, let’s get to the “what can be done” part, though!
Several years ago, I founded a Facebook Group called Montessori Jobs All Over the World, which today has 18,500 members and is growing. While it has facilitated many job connections, it hasn’t been enough to solve the growing problem.
Despite the challenges, I continue to think that we, a Montessori teacher training center, can make a difference somehow. Even though I haven’t come up with some magical solution to this problem, I’m committed to helping through small, meaningful actions.
Here’s my proposal:
I will facilitate connections between trained Montessori guides and quality Montessori schools, and between motivated candidates and schools willing to sponsor their studies.
Considering the upcoming 6-12 Diploma Course and the inquiries from schools we work with long term, we’ll initially focus on individuals interested in earning their Elementary Montessori certification.
If you’re aspiring to become an AMI trained Montessori 6-12 guide, please fill out this form [https://forms.gle/a4i163bVPUDUwgtJ8 ] and upload your resume (CV).
If you’re interested in becoming a 0-3 or 3-6 guide, please be patient; we’ll extend the same opportunity to you soon.
If you represent a school looking to sponsor candidates, please complete this form [https://forms.gle/7M2UUHeWNdgieubM7 ]. We’ll make the candidate database accessible to you as outlined in the form.
We’re also considering organizing a Zoom call to share experiences about sponsoring candidates. Would you be interested in participating? Let me know at mirka@amiprague.cz. If there is enough interest, we can facilitate such a meeting.
Even though it’s a small attempt, it’s a step towards helping to deal with these problems. When we put together more of such actions, we can tackle the existing issues around us. We just need to try.
With love and care,
Mirka
