1. Who should enroll? 2. How do I benefit from this Montessori program? 3. How do I know if your graduates are satisfied with their NAMC training? 4. From start to finish, how exactly do your international diploma programs unfold? 5. What are the academic prerequisites to enroll? 6. What do your assignments involve and how are they graded? 7. What do your programs cost? 8. How do I enroll? 9. How many graduates successfully acquire employment? 10. What is your refund policy? 11. How long will it take to complete my program? 12. How much study time do I need to devote to my program? 13. What if I can’t complete my assignments by the scheduled date? 14. You have several programs. Which ones include curriculum manuals, demonstration videos and blackline masters/curriculum support materials? 15. What are the Preschool/Kindergarten Program demonstration videos? 16. What are the Lower Elementary Math 1 demonstration videos? 17. What are the blackline masters/curriculum support materials? 18. Does NAMC offer programs in any other languages? 19. Am I able to teach with just this diploma? 20. Is the NAMC diploma recognized internationally? 21. Who is NAMC registered or affiliated with? 22. Are NAMC's diploma programs accredited? 23. Are NAMC, AMS, and AMI interchangeable? 24. Will the lack of association with the above bodies affect my career prospects? 25. If a specific Montessori diploma isn't the most important aspect for my Montessori career, what is? 26. Will I be able to teach at any Montessori school with my NAMC diploma? 27. Is an internship or practicum required? 28. Is an internship or practicum important? 29. Does NAMC offer financial aid including student loans, scholarships or bursaries? 30. How do I enroll? 31. I have more questions. How can I contact NAMC?

2. How do I benefit from this program?
FLEXIBILITY
NAMC Montessori distance learning programs are designed to help you acquire your Montessori teaching diploma without compromising your precious family time.

AFFORDABILITY
Without question, the quality and prices we offer are unparalleled in the Montessori training industry. Our programs include full-color curriculum manuals, demonstration videos, blackline masters/curriculum support materials, unlimited tutorial assistance, and air delivery right to your door at no extra cost. Our program prices are fully inclusive - there are no additional fees.

QUALITY
Our Montessori training curriculum manuals are the most comprehensive, user-friendly and visually attractive ever produced. Our demonstration videos are also the most detailed and professional available today. NAMC’s blackline masters and curriculum support materials save Montessori teachers thousands of hours of tedious busy work. Our NAMC tutors are all experienced, engaging professionals. Their sole responsibility is to help you succeed.

SUCCESS
North American Montessori Center (NAMC) has graduates living and working in over 120 countries worldwide. Please click here read what our graduates say about us and their NAMC training experience!

3. How do I know if your graduates are satisfied with their NAMC training?
How our graduates feel about NAMC is the best indicator of how you will feel about NAMC. Please visit our Student Testimonials to see what our graduates have to say about us. We are also happy to put you in touch with a graduate in your area – just contact us!.

4. From start to finish, how exactly do your international diploma programs unfold?
Within two to three business days of receiving your student enrollment contract we will courier your program materials directly to your door by UPS Courier. You will receive a confirmation email from NAMC as well as a separate shipment tracking number supplied by UPS. Delivery time is typically two business days into the USA and can take up to seven business days for international delivery.

Shortly after you enroll you will receive a welcome letter with contact information from your tutor. You are free to call your tutor toll-free (if you live in Canada or the USA) or email anytime for unlimited assistance.

To comfortably complete our Infant/Toddler or Preschool/Kindergarten programs in 7 months you will need to devote three hours to your studies each week. To comfortably complete our elementary programs in 9 months you will need to devote four hours (Lower Elementary) or five hours (Upper Elementary) to your studies each week. Students may accelerate their schedule if they desire.

You are welcome to either email or mail us your assignments for marking. After we have marked your assignments we will email you feedback; and if you live in Canada or the United States we will also call you.

Students receive their international Montessori teaching diploma within three weeks of successfully completing their final set of assignments.

5. What are the academic prerequisites to enroll?
To enroll in our diploma programs, we require that you meet one of the following criteria:

1. possess a high school diploma or GED (or foreign) equivalent; or
2. be granted admission based upon having experience working in an educational capacity; or
3. be granted admission as a mature student (19 years or older).

6. What do your assignments involve and how are they graded?
At NAMC we focus on helping our students develop a thorough understanding of the various aspects necessary to succeed as a Montessori teacher. Although we feel grammar and composition skills are important, they are not the subject of this course of study and we do not assign university-level critiques and research papers.

For the most part, students are required to answer comprehensive and objective questions. Answers typically take the form of short sentence answers and summaries.

Our grading procedure is unique and we are proud of it; it is one of the reasons motivated learners do not fail. When we grade a student’s assignment, if they have provided an incorrect answer we do not simply mark it wrong. Instead we make a note of the question and review it with the student to ensure that they thoroughly understand both the question and the correct answer. Our goal is more than simply ensuring that each assignment is completed in full, our mandate is to ensure our students understand their program and succeed!

Examinations are not part of our assessment process. Evaluation is based on the timely and successful completion of all assignments. Although our tutors are wonderfully supportive, disinterested students do fail. In true Montessori fashion, NAMC is proud of the fact that dedicated, motivated learners have never failed.

7. What do your programs cost?
We are proud that our tuition fees are the lowest available.

And now, students choosing to pay for their entire program in one payment will save an additional $100.00 off their Total Program Fees.

Program Fees:

To view program fees, please click the program you are interested in below:

Montessori Infant/Toddler Program Fees Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten Program Fees Montessori Lower Elementary Program Fees Montessori Upper Elementary Program Fees

Payment Options:

You may choose to make one full payment and receive all of your program materials in one UPS shipment. Or, you may choose to pay in three equal installments and receive your program materials in three UPS shipments. If you pay by installment, your payments are due at 10-week intervals (Infant/Toddler and Preschool/Kindergarten) or 12-week intervals (Elementary programs). Your first installment is due at the time of enrollment. Once you are enrolled, NAMC will provide you with your subsequent payment due dates.

Payment Methods:

We accept certified checks, money orders, international postal money orders, bank drafts, school checks, and VISA or MasterCard. International students (outside of Canada and the USA) may also make their payments by bank wire. Please contact NAMC for further details.

Please Note: We do not accept uncertified personal checks.

8. How do I enroll?
Select the appropriate quick link provided below:

Montessori Infant/Toddler (0-3) Enrollment Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten (3-6) Enrollment Montessori Lower Elementary (6-9) Enrollment Montessori Upper Elementary (9-12) Enrollment

9. How many graduates successfully acquire employment?
The number of Montessori schools has doubled in the last ten years, so it is a wonderful time to be a Montessori teacher in what is widely considered a “recession proof” career. Quite simply, Montessori teachers are in greater demand today than they have ever been. We receive calls all the time from schools requesting teachers, and we never hear from teachers seeking jobs!

Regulated Montessori training centers are not permitted to promise students employment upon graduation, but we can assure you that Montessori teacher demand has never been higher and NAMC graduates are embraced all around the world!

10. What is your refund policy?
NAMC offers the most generous refund policy available. Enrolled students have seven days to look through their materials, change their minds, and receive a 100% tuition refund. If a student does withdraw from a program after the seven-day perusal period, NAMC does not require any future payments.

11. How long will it take to complete my program?
Our Infant/Toddler and Preschool/Kindergarten programs are completed within seven months and our Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary programs are completed within nine months. Time permitting, students are welcome to accelerate their schedules.

13. What if I can’t complete my assignments by the scheduled date?

It is important that our students adhere to the timelines of our three consecutive terms. However, we understand that sometimes extenuating circumstances, such as situations of emergency or duress, can disrupt study commitments. In these cases, we are willing to review and grant assignment extensions upon written request detailing the circumstances. All extension requests are considered on an individual basis.

• Seven full-color curriculum manuals
• Checklists customized to complement each area of NAMC's curriculum. These checklists are a valuable record-keeping resource used to keep track of and evaluate your students' progress
• Click here for more Infant/Toddler details: Program Overview

• Six full-color curriculum manuals
• Beautifully designed and illustrated blackline masters provided on CD
• Professionally produced demonstration videos that follow the curriculum manuals (over five hours total). Online format is included with our diploma program. DVD format is also available for sale. Click here to view samples.
• Click here for more Preschool/Kindergarten details: Program Overview

• 14 full-color curriculum manuals
• Beautifully designed and illustrated blackline masters provided on CD
• Mastery Checklists customized to complement each area of NAMC's curriculum. These checklists are a valuable record-keeping resource used to keep track of and evaluate your students' progress
• Professionally produced Math demonstration videos that follow the curriculum (over 3.5 hours total). Online access is included with our diploma program. Videos are also available for purchase on DVD. Click here to view samples.
• Click here for more Lower Elementary (6-9) details: Program Overview

• 16 full-color curriculum manuals
• Beautifully designed and illustrated curriculum support material provided on CD
• Mastery Checklists customized to complement each area of NAMC's curriculum. These checklists are a valuable record-keeping resource used to keep track of and evaluate your students' progress
• Click here for more Upper Elementary (9-12) details: Program Overview

To view samples of our superior videos click here.

To view samples of our superior videos click here.

17. What are the blackline masters/curriculum support materials?
NAMC offers a comprehensive collection of reproducible blackline masters (many of which are actually full color printables), and templates that provide activities, teacher support, self-testing worksheets, nomenclature materials and mastery checklists that correspond to the related curriculum manuals. Blackline masters are included with the Preschool/Kindergarten and Lower Elementary (6-9) diploma programs; curriculum support material is included with the Upper Elementary (9-12) diploma program. Created by professional designers and artists, they include beautiful visuals that are a pleasure to work with. The blackline masters and curriculum support materials equip the Montessori educator with high-quality, exceptional tools for student learning activities, and can be purchased separately.

To view samples and prices, please click the appropriate link below:

18. Does NAMC offer programs in any other languages?
Although we do not currently offer programs in other languages, we do offer translations of our Preschool/Kindergarten manuals in both simplified and traditional Chinese. These value-added tools have been developed to assist our Chinese-language students with their studies. If you are enrolling in our Preschool/Kindergarten (3-6) diploma program and are interested in these resources, please contact us for more information.

19. Am I able to teach with just this diploma?
It depends on where you live. The answer is “yes” in some areas, and “no” in others. It can depend on a variety of factors, such as class size, whether you want to start off working on your own in a classroom or in your home, educational background, prior experience, etc.

20. Is the NAMC diploma recognized internationally?
Yes, like all Montessori Diplomas, NAMC’s diploma is recognized internationally.

NAMC does not offer an upgraded "International Diploma" for an additional fee, because our original program (the one you will be taking) covers all of the information required for international certification.

Wherever you teach, either you know the method and curriculum or you do not. A Montessori program in Dubai should look and feel just like one in New York. And, except for the language spoken, which may be different, the teachers should be interchangeable.

21. Who is NAMC registered or affiliated with?
We are members of the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC), the Canadian Association of Young Children (CAYC), the International Montessori Council (IMC), the Pacific Northwest Montessori Association (PNMA), the British Columbia Montessori Association (BCMA), the International Association of Montessori Educators (IAME), and the BC Career Colleges Association.

Proud Members of:

The National Association of Career Colleges

The International Montessori Council

The Canadian Association for Young Children

The Pacific Northwest Montessori Association (PNMA)

The International Association for Montessori Educators (IAME)

The British Columbia Montessori Association (BCMA)

22. Are NAMC's diploma programs accredited?
MACTE is an accreditation organization that Montessori training programs with in-class training can choose to belong to. As part of the criteria to qualify for MACTE accreditation, training centers must require that students complete 3 weeks of residency (in-class) instruction as well as a minimum of 400 hours as an intern in a MACTE-accredited classroom. Currently, MACTE does not accredit training programs that are 100% distance learning based.

We closely monitor new developments with MACTE in this regard, and to date, in the best interest of our students and the Montessori schools that choose us for their teacher training, we continue to offer high quality, complete distance training as a successful alternative.

OUR VIEW

We feel that MACTE accredits quality Montessori Teacher Education programs, and we know that our training programs offer candidates a very positive alternative for acquiring their Montessori training and Diploma when financial, time and travel commitments for MACTE centers are prohibitive. Click here to see how our graduates feel about their training experience.

23. Are NAMC, AMS, and AMI interchangeable?
No, we are not. To better understand these organizations, please read the following:

AMS
AMS training programs require that students spend a minimum of 840 hours (or six months) in their programs to graduate. AMS does not offer distance learning options.

NAMC graduates are welcome to join AMS as general members: View AMS General Membership Information.

To apply to join AMS as a NAMC graduate, simply download an application form from the following link: AMS General Membership Application. Complete the form, including the necessary information about your NAMC training, and either fax or mail in your application directly to AMS. Do not forget to include a copy of your NAMC diploma with your application.

AMI
AMI training programs are typically one full year in duration and require full-time classroom attendance.

It is probable that out of the approximately 6,000 Montessori schools in the USA, some of the 202 AMI-certified schools will choose to hire their own graduates first. Naturally, the other 5,800 schools almost all hire teachers who have been trained outside the AMI realm. Canada only has three (3)* AMI-certified schools.

If you would like to join AMI, you are welcome do so. To become an AMI member, simply follow this quick link: AMI Membership Application.

24. Will the lack of association with the above bodies affect my career prospects?
It is possible for any Montessori-trained teacher to encounter a biased teacher or administrator. Every Montessori teacher, regardless of their training background is exposed to this risk. But the most recent research available conducted by NAMTA (AMI) in 2005 found that "Few schools explicitly cited either an AMI or an AMS diploma as a prerequisite (for employment). In addition, there was no significant difference in salary among individuals with Montessori credentials from various associations."

We certainly agree with this statement because we know that the teacher holding the diploma is far more important than the diploma itself, and as we mentioned earlier, NAMC graduates are every bit as successful at acquiring employment and starting their own Montessori schools and daycares as alternatively trained Montessori teachers.

25. If a specific Montessori diploma isn't the most important aspect for my Montessori career, what is?
Without question, the most important predictors of Montessori career success are the inherent personal qualities that you bring to the profession. Consequently, now more than ever administrators hire candidates who present themselves as child-oriented, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Most administrators also agree that although parents expect teachers to have Montessori training, few are interested in its source. In fact, most parents have never heard of AMI, AMS, NAMC, MACTE, etc.

Parents are, however, vitally and legitimately concerned with answers to these questions:

1. Is this a teacher with whom I am comfortable entrusting my child?
2. Are the children in this environment happy?
3. Are the children being intellectually challenged?
4. Will my child experience secure emotional growth, and develop to his or her full potential in this environment?


Most Importantly:


5. In my opinion, is this the most impressive Montessori environment available for my child to attend?

As far as securing a teaching position, a Montessori diploma from one training center might help you at some schools, and depending on the school’s philosophy, hinder you at others. One thing we do know…schools with an exclusionary hiring policy (i.e. AMI and AMS schools) definitely bear the brunt of today’s Montessori teacher shortage. They are simply not free to hire the best teachers available from the deepest pool of candidates. In this regard, independent Montessori schools enjoy a tremendous staffing quality advantage. It is no wonder that independent Montessori schools are growing much faster than program affiliated schools.

26. Will I be able to teach at any Montessori school with my NAMC diploma?
Even though AMI, AMS and MACTE oriented schools routinely hire our graduates, we cannot promise you positions at any school. Of course, neither can AMI, AMS, or MACTE. We can assure you that independent (unaffiliated) Montessori schools vastly outnumber affiliated schools (in the USA, Canada and around the world), and this trend is increasing. All Montessori schools are realizing the tremendous advantages that independent schools enjoy; the long-term benefits of being able to hire the best teachers for their school, regardless of affiliation, is simply beyond dispute.

27. Is an internship or practicum required?
No. If we required an internship it would eliminate many wonderful candidates who depend on their employment income to live.

Indeed, Montessori described experience toward the perfection of the educator in a scientific way – with continual experimentation, observation and analysis being necessary parts of the process. The initial training of the Montessori educator provides an important foundation, but the perfection of any educator is not in the initial training, it is in the years following.

Almost every Montessori teacher starts her/his career working with an experienced Montessori guide. It is our opinion that this first year of employment under an experienced Montessori teacher will be the most profound learning experience a Montessori teacher enjoys. Such an arrangement is also of great benefit to the employer, as new Montessori teachers can be mentored in accordance with the unique values and mission of the Montessori school.

Distance education makes Montessori teacher training more accessible worldwide. Many students do not have access to a physical training site, and many earn income to support themselves and their families, and simply cannot stop working to student-teach on a volunteer basis.

When you consider how many wonderful Montessori educators may potentially be excluded from the profession based on completing an unpaid practicum, we simply consider the price too high. Fortunately, many Montessori schools hold a similar view. This allows people to pursue their dream of becoming qualified Montessori educators by taking the training online and then working under a lead teacher for a year or years to come.

28. Is an internship or practicum important?
The answer is partially “yes”, but mainly “no”. Yes, because prospective employers appreciate seeing initiative on the part of the student. They want to be assured that an applicant is enthusiastic about working in a Montessori environment. If students have the time, we recommend that they offer their services as a volunteer teacher to a local Montessori school(s) in the final component of their NAMC Montessori training program.

No, because the reality is that very few schools (if any) will hire a teacher straight out of any Montessori training program to manage one of their classes. Virtually all Montessori administrators feel that first-year graduates require at least one year of on-the-job training with an experienced teacher before they assume leadership of a Montessori classroom. To these schools, an internship is unimportant as they know that anyone they hire will be spending a year with one of their experienced Montessori teachers. Schools are looking for enthusiastic, child-oriented graduates to join their team and embrace their ideals.

29. Does NAMC offer financial aid including student loans, scholarships or bursaries?
We are sorry, but we just can't. If we offer student loans, scholarships or bursaries to some students, then our fees would have to rise for the rest of our student body which would defeat our mandate to offer everyone the lowest price possible.

If you simply cannot make the three equal installment payments, please contact us by email to request the details of a monthly payment plan. Kindly note your program of interest.

Email: info@montessoritraining.net

31. I have more questions. How can I contact NAMC?

Email:
info@montessoritraining.net

Telephone:
Toll-free (USA & Canada): 1.877.531.6665
International callers: 604.531.6665
Fax: 604.531.6698

Mail:
NAMC
13469-27th Avenue
Surrey, BC V4P 1Z1
Canada