Dr. Maria Montessori was a woman who broke ground in many ways. Born in 1870, she became the first female physician in Italy at a time when women in the medical field were unheard of. Her medical practice and observations paved the way for her far-reaching educational reforms. She defined education as "aid offered to life" and the role of the teacher as a facilitator who guides the child's development.
Her discovery of the limitless ability of children to absorb information from their environment through their senses, and their tireless interest and spontaneity in doing work, inspired her to establish a new system of education. She was inspired by the simple but profound truth that "children teach themselves".
