Aisha Z. Abdullah : A Montessorian

Excerp from the net:

PRIVATE KINDERGARTENS:
After having worked for five years as a lawyer, Pn Aisha Abdullah spent about RM12,000 to enroll in a Montessori Diploma course to become a kindergarten teacher.

She did it because she wanted a change in career that would enable her to spend more time with her children. She printed a stack of flyers and dropped them off at houses that had tricycles or toys near her kindergarten in Section 13, Shah Alam.

Her kindergarten, Childrens House, now caters to children between the ages of three and six and she charges about RM300 to RM350 per child a month.

The Montessori method of learning was founded in 1907 by Dr Maria Montessori, the first woman physician in Italy. She based her educational methods on scientific observation of children's learning processes. Guided by her reckoning that children teach themselves, Dr Montessori designed a ‘prepared environment’ in which children could freely choose from a number of ‘developmentally appropriate’ activities. Montessori emphasises learning through all five senses and not just through listening, watching or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own pace and according to their choice of activities.

Pn Aisha says that the Montessori learning method is different from conventional pre-schools whereby children are taught how to hold a pencil and write.

She adds: “Most parents do not respect a child’s emotional and social development skills which extend beyond those tasks.”

“Before the age of six, a child is very ‘absorbent’ and this is a sensitive period when they are experiencing a window of opportunity to learn. They must be nurtured to love learning and that anything is achievable if they are allowed access to materials and the right environment.”

Although most of her teaching materials can be made, Pn Aisha has spent about RM60,000 to equip her kindergarten with teaching aids. She intends to promote the awareness of the Montessori method and hopes to attract more teachers into this field by developing a society of educators in the country.

Opportunities for fresh graduates

This year, she plans to open another centre and hire at least four teachers. “We need to look at their credentials as most of those who apply are without work experience,” she said. “However, those who have a genuine interest to learn are considered.”

Pn Aisha says that teachers should not expect much since they are only required to teach for half a day and need not work during school holidays. Fresh graduates can expect to earn about RM800 and up to RM1,500 as a principal, a career she says that is suitable for homemakers or part-time students.