Case studies : Montessori teacher: Marika Tozer

Marika completed a Montessori Early Childhood course at Montessori Centre International after a degree in music.

The unique teaching methods and philosophy behind Montessori really interested me. It is unlike any other early years’ childcare course and offers a truly child-centred, holistic approach to learning that develops the whole child.

Fundamental to the approach is the belief that a child’s early years - from birth to the age of six - are the period when they have the greatest capacity to learn. What happens during these critical years lays the foundations for their future.

I enrolled on the Montessori Early Childhood Diploma Course at Montessori Centre International in London. The diploma qualifies you to teach children in a Montessori setting from 2½ to 6 years of age. It is available on a part-time basis. You can also study the course from home or at regional part-time centres throughout the UK.

The course is really rigorous but great fun. There are lectures twice a week, covering topics such as Montessori philosophy, special needs and child development, as well as the Early Years Curriculum from literacy, maths and culture to music, drama and art. It involves planning, time management, observations, essays, projects, a child profile and practical and written exams at the end of the year.

Instruction in the use of the special Montessori teaching aids is an integral part of the syllabus and you must also complete 420 teaching hours in a Montessori nursery school, where you are assessed by a tutor from the college and a mentor from the nursery school. You definitely need to be enthusiastic and energetic to keep pace with the children.

There’s never been a better time to work in childcare, with more and more parents working full time. There are a huge range of career choices available to you upon course completion. As well as travelling abroad, you can set up your own Montessori school, work in a Montessori preparatory school or be a nanny.

You also have the option of starting a three-year degree in early childhood, which follows on from this course.

I hope to work in a primary school, teaching six to seven year-olds. Several primary schools have now adopted the Montessori method with striking success. The more widely Montessori becomes established within mainstream education, the more career opportunities for students like me will follow.

I really believe the money I have invested in this course will be worth it. No further study can be a waste of time or money. Education and learning feeds the soul, which I believe needs to be continually built upon.