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OUR CULTURE
OUR MISSION
A huge part of our culture is having a big project that we’re working on together. We are all invested, to various degrees, in building a world-class Montessori school for children of all ages up through high school. It’s exciting for us to brainstorm and come up with ideas for what’s next, or for better ways to do things, or for systems to put in place. The rapid growth of our school and vision to build the first full equipped Montessori High School in MA is exciting for all involved.
RESPECT
This might be the most important part of our culture. What I’m referring to here is more what “respect” typically means, but it’s the best word I can come up with. At Atlas, respect means really listening to each other; it means agreeing to disagree; it means letting people do things their own way; it means letting people have their own beliefs; and it means showing appreciation through meaningful praise and a well-stocked staff room. Our staff have commented many times about how nice it is to work at Atlas, and how respectful everyone is of each other.
AUTHENTIC MONTESSORI
Given the variety of Montessori schools and teachers, it’s crucial to clearly define what Authentic Montessori means at Atlas Academy. We believe that our version is an accurate interpretation of the work of Maria Montessori. To put it simply and very generally, we believe that Authentic Montessori has two interrelated core components which can be captured by the phrase “meaningful work”.
The term “meaningful” here stands for everything from attracting a child’s attention, to stimulating a child’s interests, to preparing motives of activity, to connecting children to their environment. The term “work” here stands for everything from learning the names of continents, to control of error, to acquisition of culture, to learning to read.
Meaningful work means that the child both likes what they’re doing and learns from it; that their work is both interesting and purposeful; that they’re both invested in their work and it’s paying off.
At Atlas Academy, Authentic Montessori must involve both sides of this coin. If one side is missing, it’s no longer Authentic Montessori
If the children are doing what they like but there’s no concentration and no skill development, it’s not Authentic Montessori. On the other hand, if the children are acquiring skills but they’re bored or only working because they’re forced to, then it’s not Authentic Montessori.
Authentic Montessori means that the children are internally driven to acquire knowledge and skills.
But, that’s all on a very abstract and general level. What this means in practice on a daily basis with each student in our school, that is open to interpretation, discussion, and collaboration.
Authentic Montessori at Atlas Academy is strongly defined on an abstract level as previously described; however, on a concrete, classroom level, Authentic Montessori is scientific and collaborative. Our staff maintain open lines of communication about the students and their needs; putting our heads together to figure out how to help each child to find meaningful work.
HONEST TALK
This is our commitment to having hard conversations; to respectfully airing out our grievances as opposed to keeping them in and growing resentful. Honest talk means that we have conversations with parents sooner rather than later. And it means that school administration brings up issues with staff as soon as they arise. This is the best way to nip problems in the bud and maintain healthy relationships. Of course, not all relationships work out in the long run, but to the extent that a working relationship is mutually desirable, honest talk is a powerful tool.
POSITIONS
ALL STAFF
ALL STAFF
ALL STAFF
For all staff, there is a Pyramid of Student Experience which we must adhere to. The base of the pyramid is student safety; we have to make sure that all students are safe at all times. The next level of importance is student comfort and happiness; we need to do our best to help all students to feel comfortable and happy while they’re at school. The next level is work engagement or concentration; this is our responsibility to help each child find meaningful, engaging work. The top two levels are both consequences of this meaningful work. First, we focus on helping each child to achieve normalization, setting an essential foundation for future learning. And finally, at the top of the pyramid, is cultural acquisition, meaning their acquisition of the knowledge and skills presented through our curriculum.
TEACHERS
ALL STAFF
ALL STAFF
TODDLER. PRIMARY. ELEMENTARY.
AMI or AMS certification required. Atlas Academy is willing to sponsor aspiring teachers through training. We also have a mentor program to help new teachers learn classroom craft.
There are three main classroom responsibilities for our teachers. First, they are responsible for preparing the environment, ensuring rich and varied opportunities for the students. Second, they are responsible for planning, tracking, and presenting lessons to each student, as well as guiding students as needed. And third, they are responsible for taking time to observe in their classroom, recording their observations, and using this information for planning and for communications.
ASSISTANT TEACHERS
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
Assistant teachers are responsible for helping with the comfort and care of the students with things like toilet learning, nap, lunch, and recess.
They are also responsible for taking initiative to learn as much as possible about Montessori philosophy in general, and about Authentic Montessori at Atlas Academy.
Assistant teachers are responsible for helping to lead, guide, and manage the classroom, so that the lead teachers can focus on observation and presenting lessons.
Assistant teachers are also responsible for helping lead teachers to observe the students, regularly offering their observations to the classroom teacher.
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
The School Administrator is responsible for the following…
- Maintaining positive relationships with all staff, children, and parents
- Helping in the classroom as needed
- Performing a number of administrative tasks such as maintaining records, staff scheduling, and social media posts
Become a Montessori Teacher
Dream Teaching
Expensive Training
Expensive Training
Peaceful classrooms. Joyful students. Relaxed atmosphere.
Being a Montessori teacher is like being a scientist. You observe your students, you figure out what they need, and you adapt the classroom to suit their needs.
No lesson plans. No lecturing. No clip-charts.
You prepare the classroom environment with a wealth of beautiful learning materials, and you help your students to find materials that interest them and help them grow.
Expensive Training
Expensive Training
Expensive Training
BUT, the training to become a Montessori is very expensive. It costs about $5,000.
Once trained, you will earn your Montessori Certificate, which allows you to work at any Montessori school in the world, including at Atlas Academy!
New training cohorts start almost every month!
In some cases, you could even start teaching DURING your training.
We'll Pay For It!
Expensive Training
We'll Pay For It!
For highly qualified candidates, Atlas Academy offers full Montessori Training scholarships.
This is for candidates who have a wealth of educational experience already, who have an amazing attitude, and who are interested in turning their career path into the world of Montessori.
For candidates without as much experience, it is possible to work at Atlas Academy as an assistant teacher for a year or two to qualify for a Montessori Training scholarship.