ABOUT CARMEN GAMPER
Carmen
Viktoria Gamper is an inspired self-directed learner and founder of New
Learning Culture. She shares simple guidelines
for Child-Centered Education and Non-Invasive
Teaching.
She combines extensive academic training with experience and intuition
to accompany parents and teachers towards joyful sustainable education.
Carmen was teacher and pedagogical director at two alternative Montessori
schools, a.k.a. Wild-inspired schools, in Europe. She was invited by
the leadership of the Kinderhaus
Miteinander in Woergl (Austria) to re-create the elementary school's
learning environment and re-write the mission statement which helped
the alternative school being awarded the status of an accredited school.
In her hometown of Merano (Italy), she was teacher and pedagogical
director at a private alternative
Montessori School, and helped develop their self-directed learning
environments.
After her degree in literature/linguistics for pedagogy, Carmen absolved
a Montessori teacher training with Claus-Dieter Kaul who founded the 'Institut
für Ganzheitliches Lernen' (Institute for Holistic Learning) in
support of a new wave of enhanced Montessori teacher training in Europe.
She studied with Rebeca
and Mauricio Wild (Pestalozzi School,
Ecuador), two of the world's foremost promoters
of self-directed learning.
As a true self-directed learner, passionate for education, Carmen has
acquired knowledge and skills from educational
approaches such as the Steiner/Waldorf schools, the Reggio Emilia-approach,
Friedrich Froebel, Boris and Lena Nikitin, "free" and democratic
schools, such as Summerhill, Sudbury. She is learning
from visiting schools worldwide, talking with teachers, school founders,
children and parents; from reading original writings,
cutting-edge literature, current media; attending talks
and workshops.
Based on Maria Montessori's educational method,
Carmen is sharing guidelines for self-directed learning, which are
adaptable to individual situations. A template for self-directed
learning environments can include elements of a variety of educational
methods, which respect the child's inner guidance.
She has proven her
ability to share her skills in an easy and fun way in the U.S. and
in Europe to help fulfill her client's purpose: nurturing children
on all levels - physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually,
and thus bring joy to learning.
She is also a Pranic Healer (non-certified), and is studying with Grand
Master Choa Kok Sui and Master Sai Choletti. www.pranichealing.org
Dear Reader,
Personal Letter from Carmen Gamper
During the early part of my life I was not at all interested in children and the world children live in. On the contrary, I thought that childhood is a stage of life in which we are not able to contribute anything valuable to society; we are just loud and silly, and a 'pain in the neck' at family reunions. I thought children needed training, and constantly given orders so that they do not break anything, hurt themselves or offend somebody. I really could not see their innate intelligence.
That was probably because I had not yet seen children move freely with dignity in a self-directed learning environment.
Luckily divine synchronicity brought me to the S.O.S.
International Village of Children in Trento (Italy), which is a holiday resort for orphans from all over Europe. Various kinds of activities (theatre, music, handicraft, painting) had been structured by a wonderful Montessori teacher, Ulli Schindl. She made all activities freely accessible at certain times. The children could choose spontaneously what felt ideal for them in the moment.
I went to the S.O.S. village to work as a translator and story-teller for four summers in a row. For the first time, I had the opportunity to just be, and observe the way children move when they are not being directed. I experienced sudden illumination and deep understanding, seeing clearly that there was perfect intelligence in the children’s self-chosen activities. I intuitively sensed that these children were moving according to a mysterious logic which was interlocked with their environment.
Most of these children had experienced deep trauma by losing their parents. So, whenever the environment was safe and loving enough, they immediately used the opportunity to tell their personal story and cry and hug and be held. Using the safe space I provided with my simple presence and loving attention, they released their emotional tension. This was clearly their priority. Before they could go and play and learn anything and interact meaningfully with their environment, their emotional body had to released some of its stored trauma.
During this time, spent observing so many children, I began to see the inherent intelligence in their spontaneous activities. I know now that everything a child does is an important stepping stone in their development toward the most healthy organism possible.
And so my path started. Through research I found out that I am not the only or the first one to discover the mysterious order and harmony in spontaneous learning processes. Maria Montessori’s original writings became my greatest inspiration. I did a Montessori-teacher training at the Institut für
Ganzheitliches Lernen, Institute for Holistic Learning, with its
founder, Claus-Dieter Kaul, in Munich, Germany. He founded this institute
in support of a new wave of enhanced Montessori teacher training
in Europe. I studied with Rebeca and Mauricio Wild, founders of the
Pesta a school based on active learning in Ecuador. The Wilds are
leading researchers and promoters of self-directed learning. I went
on to be the pedagogical director of an alternative Montessori-school
in Austria, and then I co-created Die Pfütze - La Pozzanghera Montessori
school in my home town, Merano, in Northern Italy.
As a devoted self-directed learner, fueled by my own curiosity,
I studied numerous educational systems from books, workshops, and
by listening to teachers and children. I studied Reggio Emilia preschools
and kindergarten, many kinds of Waldorf and Montessori schools, democratic
schools and more.
From these experinces a vision of learning based on unconditional
love and compassionate communication emerged. Wishing to share this
vision with many people, I established New Learning Culture Consulting.
We need more love and understanding for the genuine
needs of children. Let's tread new paths in education! Let's give
children all the tools they need to learn in self-directed ways! Let's
experiment and
find out what happens when we start believing in the child's inherent
capacity and willingness to learn...
— Carmen Gamper
Carmen, 3 years old
