A Scientist and an Educator
Born in Italy, Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was the first woman to graduate from the University in Rome’s school of medicine. This was after obtaining first a degree in engineering (Lillard, 2007). Vivacious, stubborn, and endlessly curious, Maria Montessori was described as having "an insatiable thirst for knowledge" (Davidson Films, 2004). Her research focused on the observation and instruction of children with developmental delays. Combining this research with a growing interest in school environments, Montessori applied her learning by founding a school for children with mental impairments and designing specific teaching materials for that school. In 1901, the students of that school, despite a diverse level of academic ability, passed national examinations designed for typical children. Montessori, surprised that typically developing children did not display such an advantage, turned her course of study to child development and learning (Lillard, 2007). To aid in that endeavor, Montessori returned to school and took coursework in education, philosophy, and anthropology. Through continuous observation and a systematic process of testing and refining educational materials, she developed a curriculum for early childhood through middle school. As her methods gained widespread recognition for their success, she began the San Lorenzo project, founding a similar institution for children in poverty. She called this the "casa dei bambini", and it became the center for her research while she acted as director. She recorded not only physical growth of each student, but also their cognitive growth through detailed observations of each and every child (Montessori, 2008). This was only the beginning of what she would accomplish in the field of education (Hainstock, 1978). Montessori went on to establish her schools across the world, collaborating with famous developmental psychologists such as Erikson, Piaget, and Dewey. She continued to work tirelessly in the field of education until her death at age 81 (Davidson Films, 2004).