Secondary I/II

Montessori Teacher Courses for Secondary I/II: Ages 12 to 18

Houston Montessori Center's Secondary program was begun in 1992 by Dr Betsy Coe and has been serving secondary adult learners ever since. Betsy, a longtime passionate advocate for Montessori adolescent programs, leads the HMC Secondary instruction. She is supported by the Secondary faculty who each have decades of experience, both in the Montessori classroom with adolescents and as teacher educators.

The instruction at the HMC adult secondary program replicates the schedule and work the adolescents follow. As an adult learner you will facilitate and participate in daily community meetings, engage in the learning and lessons, manage your time and organization for individual work and small group work just like an adolescent experiences a typical day. This approach includes participating in a day of ROPES team building as well as a service learning project, establishing a mini class run business, and spending time at the Blackwood Educational Land Institute (https://blackwoodland.org/). Structuring the training in this way provides adult learners a first-hand, integral experience upon which to draw when they begin to implement the Montessori approach in their own classrooms. 

Our secondary adult learners come from all over the US, some come from countries in Europe, Asia, South and/or Central America. When you enter the secondary program, you become part of a cohort, people who you will be working with for the duration of the program. There also are intentional experiences to bridge connections with cohort groups before and after yours, expanding your network further. These networks create support systems for you as a teacher, providing valuable interactions and on-going opportunities for collaboration and encouragement among peers that last far beyond your time in the program. Should you ever seek a refresher after you receive your credential, you are always welcomed to return to HMC free of charge.  

The Secondary program at HMC remains rich and dynamic: dynamic because it is constantly being refined based on current research, rich because over the years HMC has created effective curriculum that is shared with each new cohort, enabling adult learners to build upon vetted practices to create their own curriculum to best serve the needs of their students. We hope you will consider the long-standing reputation of HMC's Secondary program if you are interested in pursuing a Montessori Secondary credential.

We would love to have you join our HMC family!

The Course

This course is designed to be an interactive study on meeting the needs of adolescents ages 12 – 18 and in creating responsive learning environments based on Montessori’s vision and the latest research.

Instructors with Montessori credentialed instructors with many years of experience will facilitate the learning process and share their resources. The academic phase occurs in two summers and two mid-year seminars (possibility of 3 summers with approval) :

Course components include:

• Montessori Philosophy

• Adolescent Psychology

• Curriculum Design and Implementation

• Communication and Partnership with Families

• Classroom Leadership

• Infant/Toddler, Early Childhood and Elementary Overview 

• Year-long Project

Resources:

General Guidelines and Admissions

Learn more about the Integrated Onsite and Online model