“An ordinary teacher cannot be transformed into a Montessori teacher, but must be created anew, having rid herself of pedagogical prejudices. The first step is self-preparation of the imagination, for the Montessori teacher has to visualize a child who is not yet there, materially speaking, and must have faith in the child who will reveal himself through work.”
ABOUT ARETE
Arete is a first of its kind teacher residency. Accredited with Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) and with Initial Approval status as a Tennessee state Educator Preparation Provider (EPP), Arete is the only teacher preparation program in the country to offer pathways leading to both Montessori teacher certification and state teacher licensure in Early Childhood (3-6/pre-K-3) or Elementary (6-12/K-5).
Arete is hosted at Libertas School of Memphis - Tennessee's first public charter Montessori school, and a national model for personalized learning, which has earned the state's highest designation for academic growth while serving a high-needs population of children.
Mission
Arete cultivates the minds, hands, and hearts of public Montessori educators for the human flourishing of the children and communities they serve.
Vision
Arete envisions developing diverse cohorts of effective public Montessori educators, thereby expanding children's access to an excellent child-centered education.
Core Commitments
By 2025, Arete will triple the number, and double the diversity, of effective public Montessori educators across the Midsouth to transform the lives of public school children for lives of wonder, work, and love through:
MONTESSORI - High fidelity-implementation of Dr. Montessori's comprehensive model of human development, leading to a nationally recognized MACTE-accredited diploma;
PUBLIC - High quality courses leading to an in-depth understanding of college- and career-ready standards, learning differences, social emotional development, and deep family and community engagement; Equipping residents to attain Tennessee state teaching licensure and to reach public school students in under-resourced communities;
TRANSFORMATIVE - A teacher preparation model centered on a Community of Practice and the application of theory through integrative Montessori Studies and evidence-based best practices facilitated by an experienced public Montessori teacher, content leader, and coach;
EQUITABLE - A low cost and local preparation option, overcoming barriers in order to increase diversity in the profession and to better reflect the communities being served, while providing job-embedded collaborative coaching and individualized support from the residency and school sponsor
partnership;LEADERSHIP - A pipeline to leadership, from Assistants to Lead Teachers to Teacher Leaders and Coaches, who will contribute to increasing the number of effective public Montessori school teachers and, therefore, the number of children and families being served.
Program overview
A Rigorous and Supportive Child-Centered Community of Practice
The Arete Montessori Teacher Residency (Arete/AMTR) provides a fully implemented Montessori training program integrated with evidence-based best practices in teaching and learning, specifically designed to prepare teachers for meeting the demands of the public sector and serving children in high-need communities. Arete's teacher training model is an interdependent triad of:
High-Quality Montessori Training, qualifying candidates for a nationally recognized Montessori teaching credential;
Integration with core educator professional development based on state and national standards qualifying candidates for state teaching licensure/endorsements (Early Childhood or Elementary);
One Residency year supported by a Community of Practice and Job-Embedded Coaching and Mentorship.
2 Summers, 1 Teaching Residency Year with Monthly Seminars
Residency Pathways & Requirements
Arete has two post-baccalaureate state licensure pathways
with the following admissions requirements:
Resident Intern Pathway
Candidates in the Internship Pathway will be an Assistant Teacher who will work with an experienced public Montessori teacher. Resident Interns will work with their Lead Teacher and School-based Mentor on implementing a plan with Gradual Release into Co-Teaching.
Requirements
Sponsorship from a Public Montessori School, with a commitment as determined by the sponsoring school
Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75
Criminal Background Check
Resident Teacher Pathway
Candidates in the Resident Teacher Pathway will be Teachers of Record during the Residency year at a public Montessori school who sponsors them, with support from a School-based Mentor or Coach.
Requirements
Sponsorship from a Public Montessori School, with a commitment as determined by the sponsoring school
Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75
A qualifying education major OR passing scores on the Praxis II Content Assessments for the chosen endorsement area/program (Early Childhood or Elementary)
Criminal Background Check
Montessori Credential and State Licensure Endorsement Pathways
Elementary [EL] (K-5)
Residents in Arete's Elementary Program will complete the requirements for
1) a nationally recognized Montessori teaching credential for Elementary (6 - 9 or 9 - 12)
2) the Elementary (K-5) Tennessee state licensure endorsement area.*
Early Childhood [EC] (pK-3)
Residents in Arete's Early Childhood Program will complete the requirements for
1) a nationally recognized Montessori teaching credential for Early Childhood
2) the Early Childhood (pK-3) Tennessee state licensure endorsement area.*
*All candidates working in Tennessee public schools who do not possess state teaching licensure will successfully complete the edTPA upon completion of the residency program.
Check out what our residents are up to!
FOR MORE INFO:
Libertas School of Memphis - Arete Memphis Public Montessori Teacher Residency
3777 Edenburg Drive
Memphis, TN 38127
Brooke Fly, Director of Educator Preparation: info@ampmr.org
