The partnership between a model Montessori school and one of the few accredited, university-based Montessori teacher preparation programs in the U.S. continues to flourish.
Since Greenwood School District 50 moved its Montessori program to Lakeview Elementary School in Fall 2015, Lander's Montessori Teacher Education program has supported its growth and development. The program has grown since then and now includes three early childhood classrooms and one elementary class for 1st-3rd graders.
On Wednesday (Oct. 26), excited preschoolers at Lakeview Elementary showed off their classroom to Superintendent Dr. Darrell Johnson of Greenwood District 50 and became acquainted with Lander University President Dr. Richard Cosentino. Cosentino was joined by members of his cabinet, Dr. David Mash, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; Andy Benoit, vice president for Enrollment and Access Management; and Adam Taylor, vice president for Governmental Relations at Lander University.
"Lander is excited to support Montessori in Greenwood District 50," said Barbara Ervin, director of the Lander Montessori program. "We think that having a high quality Montessori program in our local public schools provides a great place for students to observe Montessori in action and complete clinical teaching. We see it as a mutually beneficial relationship."
An alternative to test-driven curriculum, Montessori was developed over 100 years ago by Italian physician and educator Dr. Maria Montessori. The educational approach places emphasis on each child's uniqueness with respect to their natural psychological, physical and social development.
Rapidly becoming an accepted choice in many school districts, the demand for nationally certified Montessori teachers is growing. Lander University is one of the few institutions of higher education in the nation, and the only one in South Carolina, to offer a master's level Montessori teacher education program leading to national certification from the American Montessori Society. The university also offers a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with Montessori emphasis.