How do Montessori teachers differ based on their training from different organizations such as AMI, AMS, PAMS, etc.?
There are a number of organizations training and certifying Montessori teachers. The three principal ones are American Montessori Internationale (AMI), American Montessori Society (AMS), and Pan American Montessori Society (PAMS). All three of these organizations are certified by the Montessori Association of Teacher Training (MACTE) and accredit highly qualified teachers. To help explain the differences you can think of a continuum with AMS at one end and AMI at the other, with PAMS somewhere in between. AMI teachers are trained to follow the Montessori method exactly as it is written with no variations or innovations. AMS teachers are trained to be freer to interpret and implement Montessori as they see it. PAMS teachers are closer to the AMI end of the line in their strong foundation and dedication to the Montessori principles and are trained to implement the Montessori method exactly, and yet with an openness to Dr. Montessori’s vision of continually learning by observing the child
