Building a Christian Foundation
“Each of us is called to serve God within the limits that God has ordained, and in the form He has willed; and my service is the offering of my work. I believe that this method of education is the instrument God placed in my hands – for His ends."
- Dr. Montessori
Most of us had training that did not include Dr. Montessori’s deep Christian inspiration for her insights.
Our ten week course, offered several times a year, will introduce you to the profound Christian spiritual foundation of Montessori education and will give you an ICMI endorsement to add to your Montessori certificate but more importantly will give you spiritual insight into the treasure you have in your hands.
Books
- A Pearl of Great Price by Edward Fidellow
- Child in the Church by Maria Montessori
- Religious Potential of the Child by Sofia Cavalletti
- Spontaneous Activity Chapters 7-9 by Maria Montessori
- Five Parent Information Newsletters
Videos
- What is Christian about Montessori?
- The purpose of Christian Education
- Principles of Montessori
- Spiritual Preparation of the Teacher
- Respect and Grace and Courtesy
- Cosmic Education and Transcendence in Montessori
- Spiritual Life of the Child
- How Jesus comes to the classroom and Hands on Bible?
- Personality Insights DISC #1 and Observation #1
- Parenting
Thought responses
- One paper each week
What will you learn in the Biblical Foundation course?
The course is for seasoned Montessorians who realize there is a missing piece in their preparation. Nobody shared with them the same Spirit, the same inspiration that God shared with Dr. Montessori.
Much of what you will learn may just be an articulation of what you have come to in your own experience. And some things will open new vistas in your understanding of the spiritual power that God revealed to Dr. Montessori.
First Video. “What is Christian about Montessori?” along with the book “A Pearl of Great Price” will give you a coherent series of answers that will draw all the pieces of Montessori together.
Second Video. “The purpose of Christian Education” will solidify your understanding of what is God’s purpose in education.
Third Video. “Principles of Montessori” Again, the word coherent that explains the “recipe” of Montessori education. Thirteen principles when put into action create this amazing God inspired way of learning. None of them individually are strange, “esoteric” (like standing on one foot and whistling to get results,) but when put together create something unique.
Fourth Video. “Spiritual preparation of the teacher” spoken about often by Dr. Montessori. There is our part and then there is God’s part in that preparation. We can’t leave Him out.
Fifth Video “Respect and Grace and Courtesy” is God’s idea – “unless you become like a little child, Don’t forbid them to come, Whoever should offend one of these…”
Sixth Video “Cosmic education and Transcendence in Montessori” is a way of looking at the world as God sees it.
Seventh Video “Spiritual life of the Child” along with the book “Religious Potential of the Child” puts into perspective the eternal that is present in the temporal education that we provide.
Eighth Video “How Jesus comes to the classroom and Hands on Bible lessons” explore an expanded view of the spiritual experience of the child.
Ninth Video “Personality Insights #1 and Observation” THE Montessori skill is observation, without it you do not become a “Montessori Guide.” Personality Insights helps the guide to better understand the revealing personalities of the children in front of you.
It also helps you to understand your own personality and how it blends (or not) into the environment.
Tenth Video “Parenting” is an overlooked topic in training. The clearer you articulate to parents about Montessori and the more that you enter into that partnership the greater is your impact on the learning of the child.
The book “The Child in the Church” by Dr. Montessori is a forgotten work ignored by secular Montessorians. It is a dynamic catalyst for your spiritual journey in the classroom.
In the introduction, her biographer E.M. Standing writes that Dr. Montessori on more than one occasion admitted to him that the method was placed in her hands for the advancement of the kingdom of God.
At the end of chapter 7, Standing quotes Dr. Montessori’s 1917 letter to Cardinal Pompili, “Each of us is called to serve God within the limits that God has ordained, and in the form He has willed; and my service is the offering of my work. I believe that this method of education is the instrument God placed in my hands – for His ends.”
Paul writes to Timothy (2 Tim. 2:15) “Study to show yourself approved a workman who is not ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
The Biblical foundation course is an opportunity to add great joy to your Montessori journey.
Register today. Access to the videos will be made available to you immediately.
Order your books.
A Pearl of Great Price can be ordered from www.crossmountainmedia.com
The rest of the books can be ordered from Amazon most likely.
If you take a membership ($75) in ICMI you receive a $25 discount on the biblical Foundation course. Your membership also gives you a $50 discount on your international conference registration - basically paying for your whole membership.
Click here for membership.
Comments from recent attendees
" I was refreshed as an educator and as a Christian by this course".
Megan Jones, FL
"I am very grateful to Christian Montessori Fellowship or offering this quality, thought provoking class".
Sarah Craggs, Canada
"This course helps me to understands better the child and have a deeper observation of the child to accommodate to his/her needs and bring the discovery of what God wants the child to be ."
Ingrid Beasley, FL
"The endorsement training served to open my eyes to new ideas and visions about what Christian Montessori when fully guided by Jesus teaching and modeling".
Crystal Dahlmeier, OH
"I have learned that God needs to be present in our classrooms."
Amanda Gibson, FL
What People Are Saying:
Julie Ann Ball
Assistant Professor and Montessori program coordinator
Campbellsville University, KY
"For the last six years I have been greatly impacted by the vision and mission of Christian Montessori Fellowship (CMF). I can’t express how excited I am that the CMF has broadened its scope and even adopted a new name in International Christian Montessori Institute (ICMI) that incorporates its ideals and its earnest desire to provide excellent and accessible authentic Montessori education to children throughout the world. Through conferences, times of fellowship and collaboration as well as through the myriad of resources that can be found on the website, ICMI has poised itself to be a positive agency of change for future teachers and the children they serve. I am proud (and humbled) to be a part of such an organization!."
