Thriving During a Pandemic:
A Snapshot of Montessori
Teacher Education Programs
BY CAROLYN PINKERTON, PH.D.
Director of Communication and State Relations
Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
Without a doubt, we are experiencing stressful, anxiety
producing times with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting all
aspects of our lives. Yet despite the given circumstances, so
many of our MACTE accredited teacher education programs are
thriving. Through conversations with program directors, I noticed
common themes amongst the programs that appear to be doing
well. And by doing well, I am referring to programs who have
continued to support and meet the needs of their adult
learners and have a thoughtful plan in place for moving forward.
Encouraged and hopeful that others could learn from their stories,
I began a series called “Teaching in the Time of COVID-19” (these
can be found on MACTE’s website www.macte.org). Here are
several shared themes of successful teacher education programs
teaching during the time of COVID-19:
Quick to Adapt and be Flexible
Effective leaders jumped right into rallying their troops to
map out the course for their program early in the pandemic. When
program directors were asked, “When did you realize you were
going to have to make adjustments in your program?” not only
could they share the exact date of that milestone, they could
also share the exact date they launched into action. In addition,
several program directors shared they historically have had zero
interest in teaching online, but they were flexible and transitioned
to virtual methods in order to fulfill obligations to their students.
In following up with these program directors months later, many
have shared they have been pleasantly surprised by their online
teaching experience and are considering incorporating more
virtual lessons in the future.
To Thine Own Self be True
A favorite question in the series has been, “What were the
considerations you had when deciding on changes to make?” as
it demonstrates how program directors are deeply thoughtful and
knowledgeable. Program directors did not simply rush to move
things online or cram in more academic or practicum hours.
Instead, every question was carefully evaluated by considering their
program’s core values and goals. “Should we move online? What
type of extra support will faculty need? What type of extra support
may our students need? What should the practicum look like?” All
these questions were answered by asking, “How can we stay true to
our program’s mission and what we know is best for our students?”
For example, The Center for Guided Montessori Studies highly
values the experience of their cohorts being together in-person
(the majority of their academic hours occur online), which means
they decided it was best to postpone most of the residential hours
to summer 2021. Katie Keller Wood, program director of Cincinnati
Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program, explained, “. . .
we had to think through our different groups of adult learners:
new applicants, those in process, and those who are wrapping up
the practicum. Each group needed a different plan and separate
communications. We have been very cognizant that while the
current situation is unprecedented, our job is still to prepare
teachers for long careers . . .”
Communication and Consideration for the Student
From the get-go, successful programs have communicated
closely with their students, listened to their concerns, and
requested feedback on proposed changes. Programs have also
Dr. Carolyn Pinkerton is the Director of Communications & State Relations at the Montessori Accreditation Council for
Teacher Education (MACTE). MACTE is the national accreditor for Montessori Teacher Education programs and institutions
and is recognized by the US Department of Education. Carolyn shares vital and up-to-date information with accredited
programs, as well as connects others in the Montessori teacher education community. She has been involved in all parts
of the accreditation process, including the review of Self-Studies, site visits, and training. Prior to her tenure with MACTE,
Carolyn worked with children teaching English as a Second Language and creating a reading curriculum with the Core
Knowledge Foundation. Carolyn received her doctorate in the Social Foundations of Education from the University of Virginia.
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