Interview with Chien-Chih Li, First Cohort Participant of TMEC Tuition-Free Montessori Elementary School Teacher Training Program
“The training helped me discover that my cosmic task is to care for myself, others, and the environment. I learned that each stage of human development has unique traits and needs different forms of support—support that is grounded in observation.”
What is your cosmic task? In Montessori education, “Cosmic Education” is a philosophy that permeates the entire approach. Chien-Chih Li, currently serving at the Green Shepherd Montessori School in Taichung, says that if someone asked what the Taiwan Montessori Education Center (TMEC) “Tuition-Free Montessori Elementary School Teacher Training Program” is truly about, he would answer: “This program helped me discover that my cosmic task is to care for myself, others, and the environment. It taught me that every stage of human development has its own characteristics and requires different kinds of support—support that is grounded in observation.”
A Path Guided by God
A graduate of the Department of Mathematics and Information Education at Taipei Municipal Teachers College (now National Taipei University), Chien-Chih was a game developer and anime enthusiast before discovering Montessori education.
At 39, after achieving his dream of becoming a game design engineer, he found himself in a fog, searching for the next step in life. Chien-Chih’s wife received AMI Montessori training in the past, and by chance Hui-Chun Chen, founder of Green Shephard Montessori, introduced him to TMEC’s tuition-free Montessori teacher training program. Chien-Chih decided to take a leap of faith and applied to the program.
As a devout Christian, he laughed and said, “Maybe I created too many addictive games. If I get accepted, that must be the path God wants me to take.”
Just like what Montessori cosmic education wants to convey: everyone has the ability to contribute to the world. In addition to building knowledge and learning, discovering his own cosmic mission is the biggest gain of Chien-Chih Li's trip!
Rediscovering the Joy of Helping Others
With the strength of his faith and his own tireless curiosity, Chien-Chih was one of the few who successfully completed the rigorous three-year training. “The three years weren’t the hard part. It was the assignments that were the real challenge,” he said. Balancing work and training required strict time management to stay on track.
“The training journey was like a condensed version of life. When you feel like giving up, you must ask yourself: What was the initial inspiration and goal?” That’s the message he wants to share with others.
Filled with gratitude for the grace extended by Y2, TMEC, and countless mentors, Chien-Chih tried his best to complete assignments on weekends—sometimes spending up to ten hours at a stretch. He freely shared his insights from class with his peers and was surprised by the response.
“Everyone got to know me and expressed their gratitude. I had no idea I was helping so many people!” With emotion, Chien-Chih recalled, “In my previous job, helping colleagues and supervisors individually ended up making me unpopular.” He had once been hurt by trying to help others, but in this training program, he received genuine appreciation. “This world is full of unsung heroes. We can be the driving force that makes the world a better place!” he said joyfully.
Just like what Montessori’s Cosmic Education teaches: Every individual has the power to contribute to the world. Beyond building knowledge and skills, discovering his own cosmic task has been Chien-
Text by Yu-Hsiu Su
Image provided by Taiwan Montessori Education Center