Ami/ams

[Rose-Roget]

What is the difference between AMI and AMS certification/training? I hear it talked about, but I don't know enough about Montessori to know the difference. I asked our public school about their teachers' qualifications, and he said they are all AMS certified.

[jesslabaugh]

Ams/ami

I'm by no means an expert on this, but here's how it was explained to me in very general terms: AMI is classic, hardcore Eurpoean Montessori while AMS is a little... looser. In my (limited) experience, this translates in part to the degree of parental access and involvement in the classroom. Both certifications mean legitimacy, which is important considering that ANYONE can say they're "montessori". This is a simplistic explanation, I know, but it has helped us create a short list. The certification process is lengthy, so there may be good schools out there that are in the process of accreditation, but are not fully accredited yet.

Hope that helps. AMS has a good website that explains things more lucidly...

Jess

[Lillianna]

Well I came to hear about AMS after I had AMI training. I did alot of investigating because, like you, I was also interested in discovering what the similarities and differences are. As you may know, the AMI was founded in 1929 by Dr. Maria Montessori to maintain the integrity of her life's work, and to ensure that it would be perpetuated after her death. AMS's original mission statement incorporates Montessori and other leading educational theories with current cultural practices in America.
AMS was originally accredited by AMI but AMI withdrew the association after it became clear that AMS was operating under a "looser" interpretation. Specifically, AMS allows for shorter work periods, more whole class lessons and differences in the age groupings. Now, this will change from training center to center (some AMS centers hold to original theories) whereas for AMI, the credential is pretty uniform in upholding Montessori's guidelines for a 3 year age span and a 3 hour work period. There are also differences in presentations in the language and math areas between AMI and AMS and this varies from center to center as well. As far as the training goes, most AMS centers require a bachelor's degree, for AMI it is mandatory. Generally, most people report that there is more time spent understanding the philosophy in AMI training. AMI training includes lectures, materials practicum, observation and practice teaching, final essays as well as oral and written exam. For AMI, the trainee writes her own albums, exploring the intricacies of creating lessons and becoming familiar with the materials. I think many AMS training centers hand the albums out.
The similarities are that both operate under general Montessori principles for individualized learning and promoting independence, the aspect of a teacher as "guide" and allowing for freedom of movement.

[MattBronsil]

Originally Posted by Lillianna

The similarities are that both operate under general Montessori principles for individualized learning and promoting independence, the aspect of a teacher as "guide" and allowing for freedom of movement.

I like to start there and then work my way through. There are so many more similarities than there are differences and I like to focus on those, then start to look at the differences to see that it's not as big of a deal in the long run. What matters most is the school itself -- how well do the teachers and the school run their program?

I'm approaching this from the AMS side and I'll say that AMS has more interpretation and "looser" standards than AMI. This can be a bad thing, for obvious reasons that the schools might use that and drastically change important points. Or it can be a good thing, in that it allows for more flexibility to meet the needs of where they are. So again...it all comes down to the school itself on whether that is good or bad.

Teachers: You're going to get wonderful teachers who are AMI trained and wonderful teachers who are AMS trained.

There are some differences. Some of them do not really matter for you as a parent. One way is definitions. I think the way we define "Direct Aim" and "Indirect Aim" in our albums are the exact opposite (I just heard that today, maybe someone can clarify whether that is right or wrong), but from the perspective of choosing a school, that does not make a big difference.

If you really, REALLY want to think of the division, think of it this way. An extreme AMI person might say AMS is too flexible in terms of what it will allow while an extreme AMS person might say AMI is too rigid. That, of course, does not hold up to examinations of the schools themselves except in some specific instances of things.

Another point to note is none of these training programs will make a good teacher. And none of these training programs will necessarily make the teacher follow the ideas in them. An AMS person will be more likely to have some limited form of fantasy in the classroom while an AMI person would not. A person who went to the best training center in the world where they revive Maria Montessori herself to teach the class might leave and be a crappy teacher that can't give a pouring presentation even after studying the album for a few hours.

So there aren't many differences. We might joke about the differences a little, but I have yet to meet anyone that thinks the "other group" does not do a good job with their schools overall or that the "other group" doesn't believe in following the Montessori principles.

Matt