The journey to becoming the first Arab AMI Montessori Trainer
I was not looking for Montessori.
In many ways, Montessori found me.
As a young woman from Bahrain, I always carried a deep belief that education could change lives — not only for individual children, but for entire communities. Even early on, I understood that if we truly want peace, dignity, and transformation in our region, it must begin with the child.
That conviction led me to Ireland, where I studied and built the foundation of my life’s work. My journey began in 1998, when I first started working with children in schools during my training placements. I was privileged to gain real classroom experience while I was still studying — learning not only through lectures, but through the daily life of the child. I spent years immersed in education — first as a teaching assistant, then as a Montessori guide, then as a tutor — while completing my academic journey in Montessori education. My path included my BA (Hons) in Montessori Education, followed by deeper professional and academic formation, eventually leading to my AMI Primary Diploma and later my Master’s degree.
But the real training did not happen only in lecture halls.
It happened in classrooms.
It happened on the floor beside children.
It happened in those unforgettable moments when a child’s eyes lit up with discovery.
I saw children come alive through Montessori.
I saw independence emerge.
I saw concentration deepen.
I saw dignity take root.
And I knew this was not simply a method.
This was a way of seeing the child.
From Ireland to classrooms and leadership roles across the world, I carried Montessori with me everywhere I went. Whether I was in a fully Montessori setting or in a school where Montessori was not yet understood, I always found a way to bring its essence into the environment. Because for me, Montessori was never just a profession.
It was always a mission.
Over the years, I worked in respected schools internationally — as a directress, tutor, academic leader, and school founder. I taught in Ireland, the Caribbean, the UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain — always building, always advocating, and always holding onto one question:
How do we bring authentic Montessori to the Arab world?
That question became clearer over time, and in 2019, I made one of the most important decisions of my life:
I began my journey into the AMI Training of Trainers (ToT) pathway.
Not because it was easy.
Not because it was quick.
But because it was necessary.
Because AMI matters.
Association Montessori Internationale is not just another name in Montessori.
It is the legacy of Dr. Maria Montessori herself.
It is the protection of the integrity of the work.
It is the standard that ensures Montessori remains Montessori.
And if we are serious about bringing authentic Montessori to the Arab world, then we must build it on a foundation that is uncompromising.
That is why I chose AMI.
And that is why this journey became bigger than me.
One of the most transformative chapters of that journey brought me to India.
I was privileged to spend nine months in Chennai, working closely in one of the most respected Montessori training environments, alongside trainers globally known for their dedication and faithfulness to the work. To be in India was deeply meaningful — not only because of the training itself, but because India holds such a profound place in Montessori history.
It was there, beginning in 1939, that Dr. Maria Montessori spent some of the most formative years of her life and work, especially in Madras (now Chennai). To learn in that lineage, in a place where Montessori history still breathes, shaped me deeply — not only professionally, but personally.
It strengthened not only my practice.
It strengthened my inner formation.
And it deepened my understanding that Montessori is not simply something we teach.
It is something we must continue to live, refine, and embody.
By the time I returned to Bahrain, one truth had become undeniable:
If I remained within one classroom or one school, my impact would always be limited.
A school touches children.
A training center transforms teachers.
And transformed teachers can touch thousands of children.
That was the turning point.
And it was during the uncertainty of the COVID years, in 2021, that Manama Montessori Training Center was born. What began in a time of global disruption became, for me, a time of deep clarity.
MMTC was not born simply as a business.
It was born as a response to a need I had witnessed for years across the region:
The Arab world did not simply need more Montessori schools.
It needed authentic Montessori training.
It needed standards.
It needed depth.
It needed Arabic-speaking educators who truly understood both the pedagogy and the culture.
And so MMTC became more than a training center.
It became a mission.
A platform.
A promise.
A place to help build authentic Montessori formation in Bahrain and beyond.
In 2026, I was honored to receive my AMI Auxiliary Trainer Certificate — a meaningful milestone in a journey that has required years of study, service, sacrifice, mentorship, and unwavering commitment.
But even this is not the destination.
This was never only about becoming a trainer.
This was about becoming a bridge.
A bridge between:
• Arabic language and authentic Montessori
• AMI standards and Arab educators
• global excellence and regional relevance
• the child’s universal needs and our cultural identity
For years, I have carried this vision with me:
To help raise a generation of Arab Montessori educators who do not have to choose between authenticity and accessibility.
To make it possible for Arabic-speaking adults to receive Montessori formation at the highest level.
To show that our region is not on the margins of Montessori —
it belongs in the center of the global conversation.
And today, that journey continues with one clear purpose:
To become the first Arab AMI Montessori Trainer.
Not for the title.
Not for recognition.
But because our children deserve it.
Our teachers deserve it.
Our language deserves it.
And our region deserves a future rooted in dignity, intelligence, independence, and peace.
This is not the end of the story.
This is the beginning of a movement.
I am Thanaa Jaberi.
Founder. Educator. Builder.
A woman from Bahrain with a global Montessori journey and an Arab heart.
And I am walking this path not only for myself, but for the child, the teacher, and the future of our region
toward becoming the first Arab AMI Montessori Trainer.