为更好地推广蒙台梭利教育法在中国的实践，威德国际教育集团推出【蒙台梭利在中国】全球蒙台梭利教育专家视频图文中英双语系列访谈，每周一篇，关注蒙台梭利教育在中国的发展和未来。
本期，请继续关注美国佛罗里达州奥兰多蒙台梭利教师教育学院总监Helen Devere女士的访谈，【蒙台梭利在中国】以孩子为中心，去听去观察。
Helen Devere
· 美国佛罗里达州奥兰多蒙台梭利教师教育学院总监
· 加利福尼亚州里奇克莱斯特传统蒙台梭利学校的设计师和创办人
· 佛罗里达州Celebration蒙台梭利学校联合创始人
· Director of the Orlando Montessori Teacher Education Institute for Early Childhood Studies
· Founder and former director of Heritage Montessori School in Ridgecrest, CA
· Co-founder and former director/classroom teacher at the Montessori School of Celebration
文字版本（中文）
蒙台梭利的教学环境和现代教学模式最大的不同是什么？
我认为用现代教学方法，老师有她需要遵循的课程模式，她和教室里所有的孩子都要遵循这个模式。老师可能会对那些那些需要帮助的孩子给予特别的关注，我不确定对于那些能力较好的孩子，是否可以设置更高难度来帮助他们继续突破自己。所以相对而言，传统教学方法是一个线性的模式，它对所有孩子的标准都是统一的。
而在蒙特梭利教学方法中，我们独立地观察每个孩子。我们开设3岁-6岁的课程。不同年龄阶段的孩子在同一个教室中从事自己的工作。也许3岁的孩子想要看书，那么他就可以去读书，他们并不会被强迫去做我们认为3岁孩子应该做的事情。所以我们会更多关注孩子目前所在的能力阶段，然后来帮助他们进步。
您的意思是在一个蒙台梭利教室里，孩子才是主角?
是的，在蒙台梭利教学中，我们会精心设置教室环境，通过环境创设来引导孩子尝试他们能力所及的各项活动，并发展他们的各项技能。
您对教室里的孩子人数有限制吗？
我所工作过的或者由我布置过的蒙台梭利教室里，一般会有25-28个孩子。配备一名主讲老师和一名助教老师。这名助教老师最好是也接受过某种程度的蒙台梭利教师培训，可以帮助到孩子。另外，班级里应同时有3，4，5岁的孩子，组成一个混龄班级，男生和女生的人数最好也是平均的。当然无法保证总是这样，但这是比较理想的班级配置。
这样配置班级有什么好处？
孩子们会互相学习。三岁的孩子刚进入到班级时,他们是班级里年龄最小的，可能只是关注于自己的工作。一段时间后，有比他们年龄小的孩子进入班级，他们会发现自己长大了，有小朋友需要他们的帮助。4岁的孩子也会模仿5岁孩子在做的工作。如果班级里没有5岁的孩子，那么4岁的孩子可能就没有了学习的对象。
您是如何引导家长用蒙台梭利的方式增进他们与孩子的关系的？
这需要做大量的工作，我们需要给父母提供一整套课程。孩子们每天都在改变。我自己有三个孙子/孙女，他们分别五岁、四岁和三岁，他们的成长非常快。我会给他们的父母们一些建议和一些书籍。我也经常会和孩子们一起玩耍，但是我发现他们每天都与前一天有很大变化。
我们在学校会定期举办家长开放日，我们会在学期初邀请他们来参观学校，让他们了解孩子的学习环境。我们会向家长们介绍蒙台梭利教学理念，让他们理解我们的工作，但是这只是开始。我们还会给他们一份孩子的家庭工作清单，让家长了解孩子在家里可以承担什么样的工作，帮助孩子培养他们的独立性。例如自己穿衣服、拥有自己的抽屉、看书、自己洗手，都可以帮助孩子培养他们的独立性。另外孩子也可以帮助家长做饭，打扫卫生等等，很多甚至都是家长想都没想到的。
很多时候家长会认为他们的孩子太小了，还不能开始做这些事情。但是其实孩子是有尝试的欲望的，我们认为如果你现在不让他们做，可能他们以后也不会做了。另外，我们每年至少两次或者根据需要与家长进行单独会面。
如何让家长信任蒙台梭利教学理念？
不同的文化背景下，家长养育孩子的方法各不相同。我们学校有很多西班牙裔的孩子，他们的父母为孩子做一切事情。所以他们觉得，如果家长不为孩子付出一切，就不是一个好家长。所以需要从一些小事开始，一点一点地帮助家长看到孩子的独立性。孩子发生变化，去尝试新鲜事物，表达不同的观点，家长会开始注意到，甚至更多地与我们交流。
每个蒙台梭利老师都有不同的教学风格，您的教学风格是什么？
我喜欢培养孩子的独立性。例如，在我们进行线上交流的时候，我喜欢分享我在上班路上看到的事情，并不一定要上课，而是分享生活和基本规则。我们可能会在地毯上四处走动，聊聊如何帮助他人，谈谈对他人的同情心。我们就像家人一样，我们想帮助孩子们，想跟孩子们在一起。然后在适当的时候热情地讲课，不是普通的热情，而是对所讲的课充满热情。我认为这点很重要，分享给大家。
请您给家长们分享一些日常生活中可以应用到的蒙台梭利教育方法?
我想这就像我刚才提到的，让孩子参与到家务活中。他们可以帮你打扫房间，把餐具从洗碗机里拣出来，把餐具放进洗碗机，摆桌子，参与到所有家务活中。这可以帮助孩子培养自信心。重要的是，通过这些家务活，孩子会感受到自己是这个家庭中非常重要的一部分，在家庭中起到作用。家庭中的每个人都齐心协力，让家变得更好。我认为在让孩子们参与到日常家务中可以让孩子认识到自己的重要性。开始时，孩子或许会把家务弄得一团糟，但如果从来不让孩子尝试，他们如何学习进步？
专业蒙台梭利教师的基本素养是什么？
我从1985年开始做蒙台梭利教师培训，有时候我一开始见到学员时并不了解他们，因为几乎每个人都带着面具，所以我从来不做评价，在学习过程中，蒙台梭利会深入到他们心中，使他们成为最好的蒙台梭利老师。
优秀的蒙台梭利教师善于倾听，而非以自我为中心。他们需要关注其他人，有同情心，关心别人和自身。
我认为美感/对自然的感知及对学习的渴望是一名优秀的蒙台梭利教师的基本素养。他们要有学习的欲望，如果仅仅依靠我们在暑期一遍又一遍地培训，那他们很难成为优秀的蒙台梭利教师。老师们需要不断学习，不能只学习培训内容，然后就停止学习。蒙台梭利教师必须热爱学习，然后将自己学习到的新知识分享给孩子们。
文字版本（英文）
Q: What are the biggest differences between the traditional approach and the Montessori environment?
Helen: I think with the traditional approach, the teacher has a curriculum that she needs to follow and she follows it with all the children in the room. They are might be special help the children who need that. I don't know that they necessarily can challenge children who could go on and do more. So it's more of a linear curriculum. It's across the board.
In Montessori classroom, we're looking at each child independently. We have the curriculum for three to six. Now what can you do in here and it might be a three-year-old who can read. That's fine, then they're reading, they're not doing what a three-year-old need to do. And so we are much more looking at where the child is and helping them to grow from there.
Q: Do you mean children are the center in Montessori classroom?
Helen: Yes. We set up the environment we guide the children and we want them to try and develop what they can.
Q: Do you have a restriction about the number of the children's in the classroom?
Helen: Most of the classrooms that I have worked with or I set up would have 25 to 28 children. A lead teacher and an assistant teacher perhaps hopefully the assistant teacher have some training and can help the children. That to me is the ideal. They must have 3,4,5 years old children in that classroom. Hopefully boys and girls evenly spaced. There is no ideal. But that will be good to start with.
Q: What is the strength of this kind of arrangement?
Helen: They're learning from each other. So the three-year-olds come in and they don't know much and they're just kind of they are. As they get to before they find out they're an older and now there are younger ones in there that I might help and four-year-olds are also looking to the fives who are the big kids and they want to do the things that are there so if you were to take the five-year-olds out of the class, the four-year-olds would not have as many to look up to.
Q: How do you teach parents to develop the relationship with their child in Montessori ways?
Helen: That needs a lot more work. We need the whole course for the parent. Of course the children change each day. I have grandchildren who are five and four and three years old and they are just growing so fast that I give their parents advice and books and I come and I play with the children. But then the next day the child is different.
We at school tend to have meetings with the parents where we would invite them at the beginning of the year to come and see the classroom. So they know what the children will be working with. We explain some of the philosophy and so that they can begin to understand but it's only the beginning. And then we might give them a list of things they could to do at home that would help the child be more independent and so helping them to have their clothes available, to have a drawer, to have the book, to be able to get to the bathroom sink, to all of those things that will help the child to be independent.
Helping the parent to cook, to clean, a lot of times the parents haven't thought of that yet. They think their child is too young and in fact the child wants to do it then and we explain if you tell them not now they won't do it later. And then individual conferences with the parents at least twice a year or whenever needed.
Q: How do you get the parents believe in Montessori Philosophy?
Helen: Some parents and some cultures are very different in raising their children. We have a lot of Hispanic children in our school and their parents do everything for them. And so it's hard for the parent to think I'm not being a good parent if I don't do everything for my child.
It's helping them see this independence just a small step at a time, one or two of those things, because then the child will change, the child will want to do new things, the child will talk differently, and parents will begin to see and hopefully come for more information.
Q: Every Montessori teacher has different style of teaching, what is your art of teaching in your Montessori classroom?
Helen: It's to help the children become independent. I’d like to, for instance if we're having a line with the children. A circle time I like to share things that I saw on the way to school to do not necessarily even a lesson but sharing of life and sharing of ground rules.
We might have walk around the rug. We might have talking about helping other people; talking about being compassionate with other people, that this is like our family, we want to help them and we want to be with them. And then giving lessons at the appropriate time being very enthusiastic not this kind of enthusiastic but very enthusiastic about each lesson that I'm giving that I think it's important I really enjoy it and I want to share it with you.
Q: Would you like to share more useful applications of the Montessori education in our daily life to the parents?
Helen: I think it's like I was saying that have your child help around the house somehow. So they can help dust, they can sort silverware out of the dishwasher and they can put things into the dishwasher, they can set the table; they can help with all kinds of thing. That helps the child feel very big and very important and the message the parent can be giving them is you are a very important part of this family and so you are helping us. We all help in this family to make it work. I think helping with that practical life at home to let them understand they are important. The children are going to spill; they're going to make a mess. They're going to do things at first but how do you learn if you don't do that.
Q: What could be the basic qualities of being a professional Montessori teacher?
Helen: I have had many classes come through since 1985 and seeing the teachers sometimes when they first come to me I can't tell because they have a mask on almost of who they are. And I have found that I don't judge because sometimes Montessori just speaks to them and they become some of the best Montessori teachers they are would be.
They need to be able to listen, to not make everything about themselves. They need to look at other people. They need to be compassionate. They need to care for other people and for themselves.
I think it's having a sense of beauty or nature and really want to learn. They need to want to learn and we tell them over and over in our summer course it's going to be very hard. And you will need to keep learning because you don't just learn what we're giving you and stop. A Montessori teacher must have that love of learning and go out and be getting new things to share with the children.
本期，请继续关注美国佛罗里达州奥兰多蒙台梭利教师教育学院总监Helen Devere女士的访谈，【蒙台梭利在中国】以孩子为中心，去听去观察。
Helen Devere
· 美国佛罗里达州奥兰多蒙台梭利教师教育学院总监
· 加利福尼亚州里奇克莱斯特传统蒙台梭利学校的设计师和创办人
· 佛罗里达州Celebration蒙台梭利学校联合创始人
· Director of the Orlando Montessori Teacher Education Institute for Early Childhood Studies
· Founder and former director of Heritage Montessori School in Ridgecrest, CA
· Co-founder and former director/classroom teacher at the Montessori School of Celebration
文字版本（中文）
蒙台梭利的教学环境和现代教学模式最大的不同是什么？
我认为用现代教学方法，老师有她需要遵循的课程模式，她和教室里所有的孩子都要遵循这个模式。老师可能会对那些那些需要帮助的孩子给予特别的关注，我不确定对于那些能力较好的孩子，是否可以设置更高难度来帮助他们继续突破自己。所以相对而言，传统教学方法是一个线性的模式，它对所有孩子的标准都是统一的。
而在蒙特梭利教学方法中，我们独立地观察每个孩子。我们开设3岁-6岁的课程。不同年龄阶段的孩子在同一个教室中从事自己的工作。也许3岁的孩子想要看书，那么他就可以去读书，他们并不会被强迫去做我们认为3岁孩子应该做的事情。所以我们会更多关注孩子目前所在的能力阶段，然后来帮助他们进步。
您的意思是在一个蒙台梭利教室里，孩子才是主角?
是的，在蒙台梭利教学中，我们会精心设置教室环境，通过环境创设来引导孩子尝试他们能力所及的各项活动，并发展他们的各项技能。
您对教室里的孩子人数有限制吗？
我所工作过的或者由我布置过的蒙台梭利教室里，一般会有25-28个孩子。配备一名主讲老师和一名助教老师。这名助教老师最好是也接受过某种程度的蒙台梭利教师培训，可以帮助到孩子。另外，班级里应同时有3，4，5岁的孩子，组成一个混龄班级，男生和女生的人数最好也是平均的。当然无法保证总是这样，但这是比较理想的班级配置。
这样配置班级有什么好处？
孩子们会互相学习。三岁的孩子刚进入到班级时,他们是班级里年龄最小的，可能只是关注于自己的工作。一段时间后，有比他们年龄小的孩子进入班级，他们会发现自己长大了，有小朋友需要他们的帮助。4岁的孩子也会模仿5岁孩子在做的工作。如果班级里没有5岁的孩子，那么4岁的孩子可能就没有了学习的对象。
您是如何引导家长用蒙台梭利的方式增进他们与孩子的关系的？
这需要做大量的工作，我们需要给父母提供一整套课程。孩子们每天都在改变。我自己有三个孙子/孙女，他们分别五岁、四岁和三岁，他们的成长非常快。我会给他们的父母们一些建议和一些书籍。我也经常会和孩子们一起玩耍，但是我发现他们每天都与前一天有很大变化。
我们在学校会定期举办家长开放日，我们会在学期初邀请他们来参观学校，让他们了解孩子的学习环境。我们会向家长们介绍蒙台梭利教学理念，让他们理解我们的工作，但是这只是开始。我们还会给他们一份孩子的家庭工作清单，让家长了解孩子在家里可以承担什么样的工作，帮助孩子培养他们的独立性。例如自己穿衣服、拥有自己的抽屉、看书、自己洗手，都可以帮助孩子培养他们的独立性。另外孩子也可以帮助家长做饭，打扫卫生等等，很多甚至都是家长想都没想到的。
很多时候家长会认为他们的孩子太小了，还不能开始做这些事情。但是其实孩子是有尝试的欲望的，我们认为如果你现在不让他们做，可能他们以后也不会做了。另外，我们每年至少两次或者根据需要与家长进行单独会面。
如何让家长信任蒙台梭利教学理念？
不同的文化背景下，家长养育孩子的方法各不相同。我们学校有很多西班牙裔的孩子，他们的父母为孩子做一切事情。所以他们觉得，如果家长不为孩子付出一切，就不是一个好家长。所以需要从一些小事开始，一点一点地帮助家长看到孩子的独立性。孩子发生变化，去尝试新鲜事物，表达不同的观点，家长会开始注意到，甚至更多地与我们交流。
每个蒙台梭利老师都有不同的教学风格，您的教学风格是什么？
我喜欢培养孩子的独立性。例如，在我们进行线上交流的时候，我喜欢分享我在上班路上看到的事情，并不一定要上课，而是分享生活和基本规则。我们可能会在地毯上四处走动，聊聊如何帮助他人，谈谈对他人的同情心。我们就像家人一样，我们想帮助孩子们，想跟孩子们在一起。然后在适当的时候热情地讲课，不是普通的热情，而是对所讲的课充满热情。我认为这点很重要，分享给大家。
请您给家长们分享一些日常生活中可以应用到的蒙台梭利教育方法?
我想这就像我刚才提到的，让孩子参与到家务活中。他们可以帮你打扫房间，把餐具从洗碗机里拣出来，把餐具放进洗碗机，摆桌子，参与到所有家务活中。这可以帮助孩子培养自信心。重要的是，通过这些家务活，孩子会感受到自己是这个家庭中非常重要的一部分，在家庭中起到作用。家庭中的每个人都齐心协力，让家变得更好。我认为在让孩子们参与到日常家务中可以让孩子认识到自己的重要性。开始时，孩子或许会把家务弄得一团糟，但如果从来不让孩子尝试，他们如何学习进步？
专业蒙台梭利教师的基本素养是什么？
我从1985年开始做蒙台梭利教师培训，有时候我一开始见到学员时并不了解他们，因为几乎每个人都带着面具，所以我从来不做评价，在学习过程中，蒙台梭利会深入到他们心中，使他们成为最好的蒙台梭利老师。
优秀的蒙台梭利教师善于倾听，而非以自我为中心。他们需要关注其他人，有同情心，关心别人和自身。
我认为美感/对自然的感知及对学习的渴望是一名优秀的蒙台梭利教师的基本素养。他们要有学习的欲望，如果仅仅依靠我们在暑期一遍又一遍地培训，那他们很难成为优秀的蒙台梭利教师。老师们需要不断学习，不能只学习培训内容，然后就停止学习。蒙台梭利教师必须热爱学习，然后将自己学习到的新知识分享给孩子们。
文字版本（英文）
Q: What are the biggest differences between the traditional approach and the Montessori environment?
Helen: I think with the traditional approach, the teacher has a curriculum that she needs to follow and she follows it with all the children in the room. They are might be special help the children who need that. I don't know that they necessarily can challenge children who could go on and do more. So it's more of a linear curriculum. It's across the board.
In Montessori classroom, we're looking at each child independently. We have the curriculum for three to six. Now what can you do in here and it might be a three-year-old who can read. That's fine, then they're reading, they're not doing what a three-year-old need to do. And so we are much more looking at where the child is and helping them to grow from there.
Q: Do you mean children are the center in Montessori classroom?
Helen: Yes. We set up the environment we guide the children and we want them to try and develop what they can.
Q: Do you have a restriction about the number of the children's in the classroom?
Helen: Most of the classrooms that I have worked with or I set up would have 25 to 28 children. A lead teacher and an assistant teacher perhaps hopefully the assistant teacher have some training and can help the children. That to me is the ideal. They must have 3,4,5 years old children in that classroom. Hopefully boys and girls evenly spaced. There is no ideal. But that will be good to start with.
Q: What is the strength of this kind of arrangement?
Helen: They're learning from each other. So the three-year-olds come in and they don't know much and they're just kind of they are. As they get to before they find out they're an older and now there are younger ones in there that I might help and four-year-olds are also looking to the fives who are the big kids and they want to do the things that are there so if you were to take the five-year-olds out of the class, the four-year-olds would not have as many to look up to.
Q: How do you teach parents to develop the relationship with their child in Montessori ways?
Helen: That needs a lot more work. We need the whole course for the parent. Of course the children change each day. I have grandchildren who are five and four and three years old and they are just growing so fast that I give their parents advice and books and I come and I play with the children. But then the next day the child is different.
We at school tend to have meetings with the parents where we would invite them at the beginning of the year to come and see the classroom. So they know what the children will be working with. We explain some of the philosophy and so that they can begin to understand but it's only the beginning. And then we might give them a list of things they could to do at home that would help the child be more independent and so helping them to have their clothes available, to have a drawer, to have the book, to be able to get to the bathroom sink, to all of those things that will help the child to be independent.
Helping the parent to cook, to clean, a lot of times the parents haven't thought of that yet. They think their child is too young and in fact the child wants to do it then and we explain if you tell them not now they won't do it later. And then individual conferences with the parents at least twice a year or whenever needed.
Q: How do you get the parents believe in Montessori Philosophy?
Helen: Some parents and some cultures are very different in raising their children. We have a lot of Hispanic children in our school and their parents do everything for them. And so it's hard for the parent to think I'm not being a good parent if I don't do everything for my child.
It's helping them see this independence just a small step at a time, one or two of those things, because then the child will change, the child will want to do new things, the child will talk differently, and parents will begin to see and hopefully come for more information.
Q: Every Montessori teacher has different style of teaching, what is your art of teaching in your Montessori classroom?
Helen: It's to help the children become independent. I’d like to, for instance if we're having a line with the children. A circle time I like to share things that I saw on the way to school to do not necessarily even a lesson but sharing of life and sharing of ground rules.
We might have walk around the rug. We might have talking about helping other people; talking about being compassionate with other people, that this is like our family, we want to help them and we want to be with them. And then giving lessons at the appropriate time being very enthusiastic not this kind of enthusiastic but very enthusiastic about each lesson that I'm giving that I think it's important I really enjoy it and I want to share it with you.
Q: Would you like to share more useful applications of the Montessori education in our daily life to the parents?
Helen: I think it's like I was saying that have your child help around the house somehow. So they can help dust, they can sort silverware out of the dishwasher and they can put things into the dishwasher, they can set the table; they can help with all kinds of thing. That helps the child feel very big and very important and the message the parent can be giving them is you are a very important part of this family and so you are helping us. We all help in this family to make it work. I think helping with that practical life at home to let them understand they are important. The children are going to spill; they're going to make a mess. They're going to do things at first but how do you learn if you don't do that.
Q: What could be the basic qualities of being a professional Montessori teacher?
Helen: I have had many classes come through since 1985 and seeing the teachers sometimes when they first come to me I can't tell because they have a mask on almost of who they are. And I have found that I don't judge because sometimes Montessori just speaks to them and they become some of the best Montessori teachers they are would be.
They need to be able to listen, to not make everything about themselves. They need to look at other people. They need to be compassionate. They need to care for other people and for themselves.
I think it's having a sense of beauty or nature and really want to learn. They need to want to learn and we tell them over and over in our summer course it's going to be very hard. And you will need to keep learning because you don't just learn what we're giving you and stop. A Montessori teacher must have that love of learning and go out and be getting new things to share with the children.
