Anglo-American University in Prague Motivating Kids to Change the World: An Interview with AAU Alumna and Montessori School Director Miroslava Vl膷kov谩
AAU alumna Miroslava Vl膷kov谩 is the founder of several family centers, a kindergarten, and an elementary school as well as the director of the , educating teachers from all over the world.
Montessori education centers鈥攏amed for Maria Montessori鈥攈ave more respect for children and their learning needs in order to support and build the foundation of intrinsic motivation. For example, the kindergartens in mixed-age classes are encouraged to plan excursions, and teachers act only as shadows, making sure they are safe.
In her interview on , Vl膷kov谩 talks about her own experiences in elementary and high school that led her to seek out a different path for herself in university鈥攇oing to study in the US and also graduating from AAU鈥攁nd then for her own children.
Gaining an international experience on exchange and then at AAU was important to understanding more of the world, she emphasized. Students who have Montessori education are in many cases more successful than children in regular classrooms because they learn to work independently and approach problems creatively.
鈥淢ontessori leads us to be able to constantly develop in dialogue with the whole. The goal is not just to become the “author” of our lives, but to reach a state where we perceive the deep interconnectedness of all living things鈥攖his is the moment when we truly want to consciously participate in changing the world for the better,鈥� Vl膷kov谩 said.
Read the full interview in Czech on .