Introduction. The article presents the results of a theoretical and practical study of the history of the museum collection of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy, Herzen State Pedagogical University. Particular attention is paid to the creation of motivation for students to master the pedagogical profession and to realize its value in society.
The purpose of the study is to describe the history of the creation of the unique museum collection of authentic materials by F. Froebel and M. Montessori, the rationale for using the potential of collections in the education of a modern teacher.
The result of the study was a description of the museum’s potential for organizing the research work of teachers, students, undergraduates and post-graduates of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy Department, Herzen State Pedagogical University. The possibilities of the museum collection for acquaintance with the history of the formation of the profession “kindergarten teacher” are described. Analysis of the legacy of M. Montessori and F. Frobel leads to a conclusion about the modernity and relevance of the ideas of the educators and their reinvention into the practice of the kindergarten of the XXI century.
Conclusion. The presented description of the authentic museum collections of materials by F. Frobel and M. Montessori of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy, the explanation of the potential possibilities of their use in the educational process of the pedagogical university reveals one of the ways to solve the urgent problem of higher professional education in creating motivation for students to master the pedagogical profession. An excursion into history allows young and experienced teachers to rethink the modern theory and practice of preschool education.