Chaminade University of Honolulu

Montessori

Aspiring Teachers Thrive in ‘Living Classroom’

Early education is all about experiential learning. So it makes sense that critical coursework for aspiring early education and Montessori teachers should be hands-on, too.

And that’s exactly the idea behind Chaminade’s Summer Montessori Methods course.

Early Childhood and Montessori Programs Director Elizabeth Park, Ph.D. says the course is designed to immerse students in the core areas of Montessori education and turn Hawaiʻi into a “living classroom,” complete with excursions.

Among this year’s highlights:

  • Students learned from Kumu Kaipoʻi Kelling, MEd ’06, who shared the ancient Hawaiian creation chant Kumulipo and demonstrated how children can learn through storytelling.
  • On July 19, participants visited Pali Lookout and other significant sites on Oahu with Kumu Leilani Antone, MAT ’17, who explored how Montessori principles can be integrated with Hawaiian knowledge systems in the classroom, including through math, art and science.
  • Students also got the chance to visit a local Montessori school to see the method in action, observing the prepared environment, child-led learning and classroom dynamics.

Park explained that the Summer Montessori Methods course is offered to students in select Chaminade degree or certificate programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Montessori Education and Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in early education.

This summer, 22 students at varying points of their degrees participated.

“A central goal of the program is to connect Montessori philosophy with place-based education,” Park said.

“As our host place, Hawai‘i provides a culturally and ecologically rich environment that allows students to explore how local context, land, and culture can be meaningfully integrated into Montessori practice. This immersive summer experience prepares students to become reflective and culturally grounded educators.”

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Park explained that Montessori education is fundamentally different from traditional teaching models, with a focus on the whole child.

“Children learn through hands-on materials, self-directed activity, and purposeful work in prepared environments that foster independence, concentration, and a deep love of learning,” she said.

“In today’s tech-obsessed world, Montessori offers a refreshing and necessary balance. It grounds children in real, tactile experiences before introducing abstract or digital concepts. Instead of screen time, children manipulate concrete materials that help them understand math, language, and the world around them in meaningful ways.”

Chaminade operates a Montessori Laboratory School on campus in addition to several pathways for aspiring Montessori teachers.

To learn more about Chaminade’s Montessori Laboratory School, click here.

Back to School

First cohort of Mu’o Scholarship recipients begin their journey to a teaching career

Efforts to address Hawaii’s teacher shortage have come in all different forms, from monetary incentives to scholarships. Recognizing the critical need for early education teachers in Hawaiʻi, Chaminade University and Kamehameha Schools have established the Mu‘o Scholarship, an innovative and community-focused teacher prep partnership that will provide tuition funding to educate, train and prepare aspiring teachers to lead Hawaii’s classrooms.  

“By providing these scholarships, we’re removing barriers that too often hinder many working adults in the state from obtaining a bachelor’s degree while still maintaining family and work commitments,” says Chaminade University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D. “Mu’o means to bud, and we believe our Mu’o Program will allow us to grow teachers, to bud teachers who will positively impact our communities through their teaching careers for generations to come.”  

This month, the first cohort of 49 Mu‘o Scholarship recipients began their path toward earning their teaching degrees. Of the 49 new students, 32 of them identified as Native Hawaiian, which matters because, like elsewhere around the country, the public education teacher workforce in Hawaii does not mirror the diversity of the student population. New York Times writer Claire Cain Miller cites research that says “students tend to benefit from having teachers who look like them, especially nonwhite students.”  

To address Hawaii's teacher shortage, Chaminade University and Kamehameha Schools have introduced their own new carrot: an innovative and community-focused teacher prep partnership that will provide 150 Muʻo Scholarships to educate, train and prepare aspiring teachers to lead Hawaiʻi’s classrooms.
Vice Provost Janet Davidson welcomes Muo scholars.

The same research shows that students perform better when they have teachers who reflect their race and gender, particularly in disadvantaged, high minority areas. However, this leads to another question: Do teachers who have a better cultural understanding of their students tend to stay longer in their roles? In Hawaii, the short answer is yes.  

“From Hanapepe to Hilo, we want to provide pathways to a college degree, and we believe that our Mu‘o Program will allow us to do that,” says Janet Davidson, Ph.D., Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. “By increasing opportunities for culturally relevant professional development, we significantly increase students’ success, and we see our students succeed to degree completion.”  

The Mu‘o Scholarship recipients also come from four of the major islands, with 14 from the Hawaii Island, 28 from Honolulu, eight from Kauai and five from Maui. Students’ majors also vary, with one concentrating on secondary education and another in elementary education, and the rest are majoring in either Early Childhood Education or Early Childhood Education with Montessori Credential.  

“We did some surveys and early childhood educators indicated their life situations didn’t allow them to take in-person courses,” says Dr. Elizabeth Park, Associate Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education with Montessori Credential. “So what we did was spend the energy and the time to design robust online courses to meet the needs of our educators.”      

Chaminade’s online bachelor’s degree program is designed for working adults in Hawai‘i who may already be serving as a teacher’s aide or, currently, in a similar position. The online delivery format will allow students to continue working while pursuing their bachelor’s degree. Program information is available and applications for the scholarships are being accepted. This transformative program is 100 percent online, with a requirement to complete a student-teaching track. Students will be paired with an academic advisor to guide them on the road to graduation.  

“Chaminade and Kamehameha Schools deeply value education, and we know a teacher-prep program, like our Mu‘o Program, will help address the teacher shortage here in Hawaii,” Davidson says. “And we know that education, especially from early childhood, has such a positive impact on our kids, their families and the community.”