Posts Tagged ‘Program Directors’

Raising the Bar on Montessori Education

As a mother and advocate of the Montessori way, Castle Montessori Schools founder and Head of School, Varsha Patel and her team of dedicated teachers and administrators have set the bar when it comes to providing a top-notch education for the young.

In a day and time where many schools are cutting their staff members and faculty to save money in a tough economy, Patel’s approach runs counterintuitive to the trend.

The addition of two outstanding AMS/AMI Certified Montessori education experts on staff, each with over 15 years of experience, has catapulted Castle Montessori Schools of Carrollton, Flower Mound and McKinney into the position as the premier choice of North Texas parents seeking a high-quality Montessori education for their children.

Patel has recently made a substantial investment in the forward development of each school’s program through the addition of the schools’ first Education Program Directors.  The Primary Education Program Director specializes in children ages 3 to 6 years of age while the Toddler Education Program Director specializes in younger children ages 18 months to 3 years of age.

As part of the management team, the Education Program Directors work in concert with Patel to ensure that the quality of the education being delivered is consistent not only from classroom-to-classroom but also from school-to-school.

When it comes to the sometimes challenging aspect of toddler life, the Education Program Directors have many answers. A deep love for children in this age range is a must, and the Toddler Education Program Director serves as a direct resource for parents who oftentimes are at a loss when it comes to the behavior and emotions of their little ones.

“It’s exciting that we are able to not just provide for the care and education of the very young child, but we have now put in place more ways for parents to learn important things about their child. When I was a young mother, I would have loved to visit with an expert on toddlers about so many things,” Patel said.

“I know it can be very stressful to have a toddler, and parents can sometimes feel very isolated and alone. We want to make sure our families know we are here to support them,” Patel added.

Castle Montessori Education Program Directors are also available to help families set up a home environment which meets the developmental needs of their child, and also works with teachers to deepen their understanding of the needs of children.  This, in turn, maximizes the ability of the child to receive the full benefits of a Montessori education.

Both directors also work daily to provide continuing education support for teachers and their assistants by providing training in new courses as well as refresher courses. Patel believes the school’s teachers are free not only to teach, but to learn as well.  The position also serves to help with all areas of classroom management and acts as part of a unique teaching team which is focused on ensuring quality education for each and every child.

“I really believe in a team-based learning environment for our schools when it comes to our staff,” Patel said. “In this way, everyone feels supported and staff members know they always have somewhere to turn to gain or share new ideas for improving our educational processes.  “The Montessori way is certainly not just for children. It’s also a philosophy that transcends into all human interaction, if we allow it to do so,” Patel said.

“Dr. Maria Montessori dedicated her life’s work to helping children discover and nurture their potential, and through my schools I hope children gain a sense of community, a culture of respect, choice, and independence. I love the fact that in each of my schools we have created a place where children feel successful, at peace, and are actively engaged in purposeful and focused learning,” Patel said.

Each Castle Montessori School campus is built featuring state-of-the-art computer labs, indoor gymnasiums, outdoor playgrounds with upgraded play structures, music rooms with baby-grand pianos and closed-circuit monitoring security systems. A distinct sense of order and beauty is seen throughout each classroom.

All lead teachers (Directresses) are certified by the American Montessori Society (AMS), Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), or the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE).  Teachers holding certifications from these organizations have undergone a rigorous two to three year Montessori training program and have achieved their teaching certificates only after having passed their exams and internship requirements.

Castle Montessori schools offer year-round programs for children ages 18 months to nine years, before and after-school care, nature study, music programs, computer programs, two foreign language programs (Spanish and Mandarin Chinese) as well as extra-curricular programs such as dance, martial arts, indoor soccer, golf, and more.

New students have a unique opportunity to spend time (free of charge) to ensure the transition period into Castle Montessori schools is an enjoyable and stress-free time.  Parents may bring their child into the school for as little as a few minutes or as long as several hours so that both parent and child can gradually adjust to the new school environment.

Parents are invited to visit the school anytime for a tour with or without an appointment. For more information, please contact the schools directly at www.CastleMontessori.com

Improving Your Medical Residency Application: Tips for Obtaining Optimal Letters of Recommendation

Matching to a residency program through the NRMP® (National Resident Matching Program) is a competitive endeavor. Even top-tier candidates can have difficulty getting PGY-1 (post graduate year one) positions in many specialties. Those that do match may not get their first or second choices, leaving them in suboptimal locations or programs. Consequently, the submission of an excellent residency application is crucial.

The Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) is a centralized program that transmits applications, letters of recommendation (LOR) and other supporting credentials from the applicant to program directors using the Internet. Most residency programs now use ERAS®, although a few use individualized applications.

Some of the most useful residency application advice I can offer includes ensuring that your letters of recommendation are optimal, as these evaluations are one of the most critical aspects of applying to residency.

One way to do this is to choose the right person to author your LOR. A wish list for an evaluator would be the following:

1. S/he is senior faculty with a weighty title who is well known in his/her field.
2. S/he is in a specialty that is the field to which you are applying or a closely related one.
3. S/he has spent significant time with you.
4. S/he is an experienced letter-writer.
5. S/he has explicitly stated s/he will write you a strong LOR. It is important to directly ask any potential author, “Can you write me a very strong letter for residency?”

Of course all of these qualifications are not possible for all letter writers. But the more of these you can garner the better. With regard to (a), residency directors are human just like the rest of us: Receiving a LOR from an accomplished, known colleague will be weighed much more heavily than one from someone deemed less successful and unfamiliar. If you are better connected to someone without a title (for example, a resident), consider asking a more senior person who has a weightier title if s/he would consider writing a LOR with significant input from your closer contact.

To improve your residency candidacy fully, consider working with a professional. Because applicants can unknowingly undermine their chances of success with poorly compiled application materials and underdeveloped residency personal statements, a qualified, personalized residency admissions consultant provides a great advantage.

Residency consulting companies come in a variety of forms. Some are bigger businesses that focus on admissions to several types of graduate programs – not just medicine. Others are smaller and provide a medical focus, but have a pool of consultants of varying quality. Finally, elite companies offer both the medical focus and a highly experienced consultant who works one-on-one with clients. These professionals are ex-admissions officers from highly respected medical institutions. They have the inside knowledge of how residency admissions work, providing individualized guidance to optimize Residency application personal statement, ERAS® and interview skills.

When choosing a residency admissions consulting company, a candidate should verify the company’s references and research its consultants. Elite companies that offer both the medical focus and a highly experienced consultant who works one-on-one with clients offer a large advantage for applicants, especially during these competitive times.

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