pros and cons of becoming a Montessori teacher vs. public school teacher?

Question

i will be graduating next month with a BA in psychology and sociology, i have been very interested in going into teaching-i love the idea of montessori school for my own children but i'm not sure about being trained to become one or a public school teacher.
i feel like in a way (if i go through montessori) i will be throwing my education out the window.
i heard the pay is less, but it will take less time to complete
and since there are more public schools then montessori will it be harder to find a job if i go through montessori
any suggestions would be great espeically if any one has expereince.
i live in michigan

Answer 1

While Montessori wasn't an option for me, since I'm certified for 7th-12th grades, I interviewed at several private catholic schools.

1. Remember, with No-Child-Left-Behind, soon all schools, regardless of their private/public affiliations, will have to hire "highly qualified" individuals--and that means full teacher licensure. My state has already moved forward to do this. So you may not be saving yourself any time by not getting a full certificate. And once you get the full certificate, either option will be available to you, regardless of the President.

2. As far as options between the two types of schools, there are pros and cons to both. I make significantly more money at a public school, because my state adds state employee benefits in an effort to keep teachers. That is not always the case in every district or state. But I don't have the creative curriculum freedom that my co-workers have; because they're not part of a state mandated lesson-plan, they have far more control over what they choose to teach to meet state standards.

3. I ultimately chose my current job in public education because the district I work for is very large. That left me with a great deal of room to move around, gain different experiences in different classrooms and grades, and even look to different types of education jobs--like teaching teachers.

I hope these considerations have helped. I, too, had a difficult time making a decision.

Answer 2

I do not believe that by getting a Montessori teaching certification you will be throwing away your education! For one, there isn’t a law that states that if you are Montessori certified you have to teach in a Montessori classroom. Secondly, if you are Montessori certified and then decided to get public school training and work in a public school the Montessori training will enhance your public school training, not hinder it.

I teach at a PUBLIC MONTESSORI school and so have the best of both worlds. There are more and more PUBLIC MONTESSORI schools opening up and so I would suggest that if you are interested in both public AND Montessori education this might be the way to go. You do need to have both certifications, but in my eyes the benefits are well worth it. Besides, your Montessori credits will raise your education credits and put you in a higher salary bracket. Not that I believe that anyone should be in education for the money, but as posters have stated, working in a private Montessori pays less. It was one of the reasons for me initially looking into public Montessori. I had been directing a private Montessori school and made less than aides do at my public school. People who own private schools talk about how paying their teachers less means that they get people who are dedicated to the teaching profession, but as a single woman, I needed a paycheck that I could live off of.

Another thing that other posters stated was that there was a lack of freedom in the public school curriculum now a days. VERY TRUE. With all the focus on test scores, many districts have gone towards scripted programs. This is horrendous! My peers who are in traditional classrooms in my district are always stressed- worried that someone from the district, state, or federal governments will walk in and find them a few minutes off of the script. One day a friend called me after school crying uncontrollablely because she was “caught” teaching math in the morning. When I see and hear about things like this, I am so thankful that I am in a Montessori classroom where I have more freedom over my curriculum and schedule.

Another thing that is great about being in a PUBLIC MONTESSORI school is that you can reach children who would never have the Montessori experience otherwise. My classroom is well over 80% low income, second language, minority students. Even if their parents had heard of Montessori education, they would NEVER have been able to attend a private Montessori school.

Yet, teaching in a public Montessori is not perfect and I do want you to know that. We still have all the rules and regulations of NCLB and so my students are constantly being tested, something that you would not have if you were in a private setting. Additionally, the public school curriculum is often ordered differently than the Montessori curriculum and/or other things are stressed in the public curriculum that aren’t in Montessori. This means that at times you will have to adapt your curriculum to that of the district or the state. For instance, in 2nd and 3rd grade my district and state focus a lot on rounding off in math and personal narratives in writing. I had to make Montessori ‘jobs” to teach my students rounding off since it was not even in my Montessori training, and I have to take time away from research to teach how to write personal narratives. Yet these compromises seem worthwhile when I look at the big picture of bringing Montessori education to families who couldn’t otherwise have it. Moreover, if you were to find a Montessori PUBLIC CHARTER school you might not even have to make these compromises.

Answer 3

being a montessori teacher:

pros:
*education of the whole child
*training in using manipulatives that are developmentally appropriate
*experience in understanding how a child develops both psychologically and academically, and how this fits into education
*tried and true methods that nuture children
*less emphasis on test scores, more emphasis on growth
*accelerated learning of content (multiplication is introduced much earlier, for example)
*curriculum is well mapped and sequential
*work with age groups for children who are ready, rather than grade levels (you might work with 6 to 8 year olds, for example)


cons
*static curriculum (not much room for newer ideas)
*limitation to working with students in private schools
*less pay, as a private school teacher; fewer benefits
*harder to transfer into a public shcool later, without having met state/federal requirements
*fewer jobs to choose from, as you mentioned
*public school children need you more than private school children
*training can be expensive
*owning materials is HIGHLY cost prohibitive (in the thousands of dollars for a few of the key manipulatives)


i was educated as a public school teacher. my first teaching assignment was in a montessori private school. I LOVED IT. the kids were pretty much well behaved, brilliant, and easy to manage. the parents were supportive. however, after 4 years of working at the school, i realized that i would not really go further in my career if i stayed there. i reached the "ceiling..."

i now teach in a public charter, and i love it as well. i constantly reach into my montessori bag of tricks to help my students, who are mainly on free/reduced lunches, speak english as a second language, and have troubled homes.

working at a private school is nice, but as a teacher you will be sheltered - especially at a montessori school. things will look like roses and sunshine, but a TYPICAL classroom isn't roses and sunshine all the time. you will learn how to be resourceful and creative if you work at the right public school.

i think it will be worth it to get the montessori training, whether you commit to the pedagogy for your entire teaching career or not. it's really a wonderful way to understand and learn about education, and the child as a being in the unverse, as montessori stated. if you want to be a teacher for the long haul, then you will definitely need to get your state credential so that you can get a job in the public schools.

i say do both....get your montessori certification and your teaching credential. if you get your credential first, maybe you could figure out a way to use montessori certification as a concentration as a minor. maybe you could somehow join the two together. you will be highly unique with such a background. if you MUST choose one, choose public ed. for job security. choose montessori if the pedagogy moves you.