My American Dream: Becoming a Preschool Teacher with Short Training

• Nina just finished her training for Montessori Early Childhood Education and got the credential. Nina has been to the States since 2002.
  
  She said, "When I first came to the U.S., I didn't want to use my mom's money. I became a waitress at the restaurant for several years.
  
  Not only that I didn't learn anything there, but my health condition was also getting worse. I thought to become a nurse, bartender, or a casino dealer. I studied different programs, but I couldn't finish any one of them. In fact, I didn't really like those jobs. My mom was a preschool teacher in China. She always wanted me to become a professional and get a good full time job. She recommended me to study for Montessori Early Childhood Education."
  
  Nina said, "I was afraid that my English was too poor to learn. However, from the teachers and classmates' help, I soon discovered that I started to like Montessori teaching method. I wish I was growing up in a Montessori school."

  She emphasized that, "Montessori provided excellent environment for children. Children learned to be independent; they were encouraged to think and become a self-learner. I enjoyed working during my internship at the preschool. My students gave me a lot of joy and they inspired me to improve myself. My English was getting better, too!
  
  Fortunately, I was hired to work as a full time teacher after I finished my internship. I was happy that they paid me pretty good salary. I really appreciated Capital Education Institute Montessori Teacher Education Center that gave me the opportunity to learn, so I could get this great job".
  
  

Retire Means Re-tire

• In August, 2006, my friend Xu came to LA to visit me. Xu had several bilingual schools in China. She asked me to co-found a Montessori preschool in China. Xu admired Montessori teaching method, and predicted that Montessori preschool had great potential in children education market. She believed that Montessori preschool would attract many parents and Montessori teachers who held accredited credentials had better opportunities. Immediately, I began to search information about training program to get a Montessori credential. I found information about Montessori training program. The school, Capital Education Institute, was close to where I lived.
  
  From the seminar Capital Education Institute provided, I learned that I could finish the program in just one year. I was about to retire at the time; my age and health condition did not allow me to take too much time in studying. My goal was to get an accredited credential that I could use in different countries (other than the U.S.) in a short time. This program fulfilled my goal; therefore, I started my studying.
  
  I only needed to take one day a week to attend academic classes at Capital Education Institute. Besides that, I also did my internship at a preschool. I talked to the teachers and learned from their experience of how to manage a school and types of different preschools. In addition of my observation in the preschool, I applied the knowledge I learned from the academic classes.
  
  I started a new career when I was about to retired. My studying renewed my life and transformed it into a better meaning. I deeply appreciated my instructors and classmates who gave me support to help me finishing study. Now I am about to graduate, I am full of hope. In the near future, I will bring my accredited credential to meet Xu and start a high quality Montessori preschool in China.