maria montessori

maria was born in 1870 in Italy . when she was born , her future seemed certain  , women did not have careers in those days , nor did they attend college . 

people then believed that women were not very smart and not capable of complex thought. so maria had little choice. like her mother and most women of her day . she would become a mother and a housewife . 

she did, in facr , become a mother , but otherwise her life took a very different course . she became a doctor ( the first woman doctor in italy ).

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she was able to prove that women could indeed think and work as well as men , she became internationally famous as the inventor of the montessori method of teaching . To this day , montessori schools around the world follow her method.

maria's father is Alessandro Montessori , he was a government official . in his youth he had fought for the liberation and unification of italy . he was well-educated and of course wanted  the best for his daughter .  

her mother , was a well educated , wealthy woman and she devoted to the liberation and unity of italy . and her mother helped her a lot and supported all of maria's decisions and helped her through many difficult times .

when she was twelve , maria made her first important decision about the course of her life . she decided that she wanted to continue her education . 

she read constantly and brought her books everywhere . one time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark .

in italy at that time , there were two types of high schools : the "classical" schools and the "technical" schools . in the classical schools , the students followed a very traditional program of studies . the course included latin and greek language and literature , and italian literature and history , but maria went to attend a technical school . the technical schools were a little more modern than the classical schools.

most people including maria's father believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects such as : mathematics , some science and commerical subjects .

the montessori family moved several times when maria was young. when she was five , they went to live in rome and there she started primary school , but she was just an average student at that time , she did not seen very ambitious . at the age of ten when she became dangerously ill , that belief in herself was already strong . she told her mother she couldn't die because she had too much to do in life .

maria became a professor in 1904 . she taught educational theory and methods. she was also involved in efforts to change and improve the italian school system . 

maria accepted an offer from a group of bankers to be the director of nursery schools although she was a doctor and professor , as she saw that offer as a perfect opportunity to try out some of her theories .

maria furnished "the children's house" as her friends and supporters gave her some small tables and chairs , a few toys , and paper and pencils   . she added the materials she had designed for that school . later , she brought in some plants and pictures , and even several small animals in cages .

maria believed that the teacher's role was to provide materials and show the children how to use them . but then the teacher should stand aside and let the learning happen . the children were really their own best teachers .