Please contact our Corporate Office for information and requirements in order to participate in our sponsorship programs. The program is offered to Directors and Head Teachers only, must be in good standing in order to qualify. Please call for more information (909) 527-8650
The Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS) offers both teacher certification and professional development programs. This page provides information on our Early Childhood (primary) and Elementary teacher certification programs. Our teacher certification programs are offered in either of two forms: as a Full Certicate, or as an Associate Certificate program. What's the difference? Both of these contain an online component, but the Full Certificate program also requires a small residency, or two small residencies for Elementary students.
Elementary students please note: only students incapable of attending the residencies are eligible to enroll in the Elementary Associate Certificate program.
Our program lasts 18 months, which is a bit longer than some Montessori training center courses. This allows for a comprehensive study of Montessori theory and practice at a pace that is reasonable and manageable for students to complete while attending to other life commitments. In 2009 CGMS' Early Childhood Full Certificate program based in Kingston, NY became the first MACTE recognized Montessori certification online program. MACTE, an accreditation body approved by the US department of education, exists to certify Montessori training programs that meet specific standards. Many US and Canadian Montessori schools require their teachers to hold certificate from a MACTE accredited Teacher Education Program, however CGMS is the only primarily-distance Montessori training center program in the world that has met MACTE requirements and received acceditation. The Sarasota Early Childhood program is now also MACTE accredited. The CGMS training program has been carefully designed to combine the best practices of over a century of Montessori training with the most up-to-date e-learning techniques. The result is an authentic program unlike any other.
Quality
Before you choose a distance training program, we hope you will look for these features:
- Is the program going to be respected by employers? CGMS has earned a strong reputation based on our commitment to quality.
- Is the program going to be lonely? We don't simply provide you with Montessori albums that describe how to give lessons. In our program you will be learning in collaboration with other students in a cohort group. An Instructional Guide and a Field Consultant will be discussing material with you and providing feedback and advice.
- Will your assignments be reviewed? Self-study programs are fine for some activities, particularly those where it is easy to self-correct. Mathematics is an example of this kind of program; there is a right answer that can be easily verified. But to prepare for the complexities of the classroom we feel strongly that self-study is entirely inadequate. For this reason our students receive extensive feedback from our instructors as well as from other students.
- Will they provide you with enough material? CGMS is fundamentally committed to quality instruction. Instead of a few DVDs, we provide literally hundreds and hundreds of hours of video instruction online. Students have both an Instructional Guide and a Field Consultant in order to ensure that they receive the support and feedback they need to properly absorb the material. Students discuss subjects with each other in their cohort group.
There is much, much more to becoming a Montessori teacher than knowing the mechanical steps in each lesson. Unlike other distance training programs, CGMS combines deep theoretical and practical knowledge, including:
- Montessori Philosophy
- Child development
- Techniques for observation and record keeping
- Advanced coursework including music and working with special needs children
Upgradeability
CGMS Associate Certificate students can, either during their course of study or for up to five years after, upgrade to the Full Certificate by attending the summer sessions. This unique feature of the CGMS program means that you can begin your training now, when you can't leave home, and then upgrade to the Full Certificate when your schedule improves.
Personal Touch
For more information please contact our Corporate Office at (909) 527-8650. Staff please login to download Registration Forms