Training Trainers in China

McClurkin to Offer MIA Class

The large and daunting market for Montessori education in China has many U.S.-based teacher educators struggling to develop a measured response. Sharlet McClurkin, who runs Montessori Teacher Preparation of Washington, and is a leading figure in the Montessori Institute of America (MIA), is ready to step forward boldly.

She plans to offer a six-week course in China in January and February of 2007 that could lead to a dramatic increase in the number of Montessori teacher trainers.

“The main purpose of this course,” McClurkin wrote in an e-mail, “is to provide a ‘trainer’s training’ for teachers with MIA, AMS or AMI certificates who would like a career as a Montessori trainer with the Montessori Institute of America.”

Her goal, she wrote, “is to train trainers and to establish a full MIA training program in China. Graduates of other major training programs may come for the trainers’ training as well, and MIA’s graduates must attend this course for a second time, complete their internship if they have not done so, and become certified by MIA before they can be approved as trainers.”

The course is expected to draw 50 Chinese teachers. Participants will stay in a hotel on the campus of the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science in Beijing.

MTPW has a record of serving students from Pacific Rim nations.

Between 1991 and 2001, when visa requirements tightened, MTPW served approximately 50 Chinese teachers in Seattle-based summer courses, according to McClurkin. McClurkin expects at least six of those graduates to attend the teacher-training course.

MTPW, according to McClurkin, currently has more than 72 students enrolled— from the U.S., Taiwan, Mongolia, Korea, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Malaysia and Japan.

“Since we moved to Seattle in 1980, I have had a dream to provide Montessori training in China,” she wrote.

“I knocked on many doors, wrote letters, talked with students, and, finally, in 1991 we received an invitation to provide training in Taiwan for 24 students. This began our career in Asia in Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

“During the summer of 1994, we had a class of 60 students with two translators, Chinese and Korean. Talented trainers arose in Taiwan and Korea, however, assisted by our videotape course as the quality control, so that most of the students from these two countries received their training in their own countries.

“My husband, Donald, and I went to these countries to provide competency exams, which we still do on occasion.”

McClurkin’s commitment to training teacher educators grew during a visit to China last April.

“When we visited three ‘Montessori’ schools and heard that a few of the teachers had received some kind of Montessori training, we were appalled at the traditional style of learning still being given to preschool children in these classrooms. En route home to Seattle, as I meditated and prayed, I could see in my mind’s eye a group of Chinese teachers in a class in Beijing, receiving a full Montessori training program and observing carefully prepared Montessori materials —MIA-style.

Back in Seattle she spoke with Michael Oh, a Malaysian national with ties to China and the brother of a former MTTP student. “I told Michael about my burning desire to go to China before we retire or are unable to go physically. He then began his trips to China, visiting schools, attending the Chinese Montessori Society’s May conference.

“He met Madam Nv, the head of Beijing Montessori Education Research Center (BMERC) and Mr. Lu Shuquan, Madam Nv’s administrator. With great difficulty, due to the low income of teachers in China, they finally worked out a plan to begin a five-week MIA course in Beijing Jan. 8 through Feb. 20, 2007.”

BMERC will recruit the future Montessori teacher educators, house them on a Beijing campus and provide classrooms. Fees have been reduced in recognition of the limited resources of many of the participants.

McClurkin, her husband, Donald, Oh and John Guangli Zhang of Richmond, BC, will lead a 2-week introduction to the course for ages 2 1/2 to 6 years.

“We will give a week of sensorial, as a foundation for the entire course, followed by a week of introduction to practical life, English language and math,” she wrote.

“The following three weeks Jane Suchen Wang, a trainer with MIA for 15 years in Taiwan, will provide the complete Montessori philosophy, MIA-style, as well as complete all of the presentations in practical life, art, Chinese language, math, geography, history and science.”

She began working ahead of the visit to establish internship sites for students.

McClurkin said in an interview that she recognized that, having completed the course, there is little to guarantee that the graduates do not set up independent, entrepreneurial enterprises. “I’m willing to take that risk,” she said.

Prior to arrival in Beijing, the McClurkins will speak in Haikou, Hainan Island, on Jan. 5 to an audience of public and private schoolteachers and the next day Sharlet will speak at the Centennial Celebration of the first Casa dei Montessori in Beijing.