Kristi Perry, like many Montessori teachers, was introduced to and fell in love with the Montessori philosophy when her child began preschool. As most parents do, Ms. Perry began volunteering at her child's school and discovered that Montessori was not only a perfect fit for her child, but for her as well. With a master's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communication and over 10 years of work experience as a writer and editor, Ms. Perry traded it all in for a new career as an Early Childhood Montessori teacher.
Montessori certification of teachers is a rigorous process. Not only must teachers learn everything about Maria Montessori, her method and the Montessori materials, classes in child development and other educational philosophies create the foundation for teaching children in accordance to the Montessori Method. In addition to all of the written coursework, hands-on work and year long student teaching experience, Montessori teachers must create an original set of Montessori "albums". Every album is comprised of a detailed description and photograph of every material presentation, or "work" given to a child in a Montessori classroom over a span of three years.
While attending the Columbus Montessori Education Center in Columbus, Ohio, to earn her Montessori teaching certification, Ms. Perry was assigned a project. In her own words, she explains how that project became Montessori Mosaic.
"Montessori Mosaic began as a project in philosophy class. The class was given 3 options by which to demonstrate knowledge of the role of the adult in the Montessori classroom. One of them was a creative project. The idea was to create some THING - any THING that represented the role of the adult. Tired of writing papers I took the creative option because I thought it would be more fun. I sat down with my husband; we kicked around some possible ideas. We started by thinking about what I already had that I could use to create my project. What I had was thousands of pictures I had taken of works to create my albums. Before long the idea of a photo mosaic was born."
A photo mosaic is created by selecting one primary image, dividing it into equal sized sections and then replacing each section with a different photograph. When the mosaic is viewed from a distance the individual tiles simply appear as the primary image, but upon close examination it is revealed that it is in fact made up of many smaller images. Ms. Perry goes on to explain that every photo within the mosaic, as well as the composition as a whole is meaningful and symbolic to the Montessori philosophy.
"The first mosaic aptly titled, The Role of the Adult, depicts a pair of hands holding a small potted plant. The hands represent the adult's role as guide to the child and creator and caretaker of the classroom environment. The pot stands for the classroom environment, which is specially prepared to meet the needs of the child. The plant is the child and reminds us of the bigger picture and how significant the role of the adult really is in the lives of children."
"The tiles, which comprise the larger image, each also represent the role of the adult in some way. They are images of the smaller day-to-day works we create and other things we encounter as teachers. The mosaic design concept itself is also in line with the philosophy. Montessori teaching always begins with the whole object and then explores the parts or smaller elements that comprise the whole."
The response by her peers and teachers to her photo mosaic project Ms. Perry, says was "overwhelming". "Everyone was so excited about it. We even ended up creating 3 more to give as class gifts to our teachers at the end of our training. Then, the class that followed mine heard about my project. They wanted their own copies. So, I created the website to manage requests. From there it just grew and grew. I was inspired to create new designs. I added Montessori-inspired captions and quotations from Maria herself, which further enhanced the meaning. It has been so exciting."
Now a certified Early Childhood Montessori teacher at New Albany Montessori School in New Albany, Ohio, Ms. Perry works everyday in the classroom with three-six year old children and also manages her growing Montessori Mosaic business. She is hopeful that Montessori Mosaics will "provide teachers, students, parents and others in the community with a beautiful way to appreciate, teach about and understand and communicate the Montessori philosophy".
With eight different photographic mosaics now available, Ms. Perry is always on the look out for new ideas based upon feedback from other Montessori teachers. Montessori Mosaics are also customizable. Ms. Perry will incorporate a school logo, quotation or even personalized photographs to create a truly original piece of Montessori artwork. Montessori Mosaics are available on-line and at the Cincinnati Montessori Society's annual conference.
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