We do not pull up a plant to check if its roots
are growing, similarly we do not interrupt learning and concentration of a child
that is discovering, instead we simply observe without interruption and
judgement.
MONTESSORI PHILOSOPHY & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Maria
Montessori believed that learning is self-discovery and that children educate
themselves; hence the purpose and practice of Montessori education is not to
teach but to give direction or assistance to the child to what comes naturally,
which is their own learning through exploration and interaction of material
(Montessori, 1995). Montessori's
extensive research is line with Piaget's constructive theory that children's
developmental stages or planes facilitated learning (Duchesne, McMaugh, Bochner
& Krause, 2013).
Montessori
discovered that sensitive periods during development are when children become
more susceptible to certain behaviours and have heightened interest that
facilitates learning (Kramer, 1976). Montessori classrooms are equipped with
manipulative materials that appeal to children during these stages of
development and are sequentially introduced to encourage self-control, order, concentration and independence (Ramachandran, 1998). Hence
respect for the child is the underpinning philosophy of Montessori education
which means that children have a right not to be interrupted and learning
cannot be forced (Kramer, 1976).
The Montessori
Method relies on observation that forms the basis of evidence that allows the
teacher to establish whether she can intervene. Extrapolation, interpolation,
questions, anecdote and interest are considered to determine intervention and
is used so that the child can develop further, fill in gaps or readjust thinking
(Roemer, 1999). If we apply constructivism to this model of education, then we
can immediately identify that it is not the teacher that seeks permission to
intervene, but instead, is awarded permission by the child to aid in their
learning (Montessori, 1995).
The teacher
uses the observation to determine if intervention is required, when it will be
done and ensure that it occurs at the appropriate time. Often a presentation is
chosen to match the needs of the child. Over and above mastery in these
strategies, a Montessori teacher must connect and have a deep understanding
with the child. She must also have the knowledge of human development,
constructivism as well as the principles behind the materials and the
environment to make good educational predictions about students' needs
(Montessori, 1991).
OBSERVATION & ASSESSMENT The teacher
must combine pedagogical and developmental knowledge so that observation
becomes skilful scientific practice. Observations must also become habitual and
extensively practiced so that the teacher is able to make good decisions that
enhance the learning experience of the child (Montessori, 1991). They are used
daily through a variety of methods ranging from brief jotting of children's
comments, achievements or interests to data entries in a checklist, or
Individual Learning Plan (ILP). They track children's achievements against a
list of activities available according to areas of learning. It is a quick way
to note progress in a range of activities and offer personal guidance, planning
of activities and the teacher can use it to identify the next step of learning
(Gibbs, 2006). Longer
narrative observations or STREAM (suggested, time, record, evidence, assess,
monitor) assessments are also done and provide a deeper insight to the
child's manipulative skills and levels of engagement with materials. It also
provides information about their problem-solving, thinking and language
abilities, as well as social responses towards peers and adults (Gibbs, 2006).
This record is also beneficial in determining the learning development and
mental age of the child in relation to the concentration and enjoyment in
activities (Marsh, 2008). Observations can be supported with photographs and
samples of children's work to provide evidence of the child's formative
assessment while underpinning summative records of the child's development.
This differs
from mainstream schools where children are required to sit tests or have their
work marked, to identify the next steps for learning or gaps in their learning.
This is often stressful for the child, alters his state of mind and is,
therefore, not always an authentic measure (Gibbs, 2006). Furthermore unlike
mainstream schools, Montessori children are not taught from work that is
finished as it interferes and presents obstacles in development, instead their
work is intrinsically appreciated.
Five instances that a Montessori teacher can gain permission to intervene
The role of
a Montessori teacher involves far more than just presenting a Curriculum;
instead she is a dynamic link between the children and the prepared
environment. She is a guide or mentor that provides a safe, calm and ordered
environment necessary to meet the needs and interests of the children to a
point where their minds and hearts are stimulated, intrinsically motivated and
focused on the love of learning (Culverwell, 1914).
To meet this
challenge teachers must:-
Have sound knowledge and experience
in developmental research views as well as ongoing professional development of
Montessori pedagogical approach, which need to be both relevant and current for
practice.
Have full understanding and use of
the Montessori learning materials as this knowledge will allow them to develop
activities or purchase material that complement, or enhance the children's
understanding, knowledge and skills.
Know how to place the needs of the
children before teacher needs. In other words, it must always be the child that
leads the learning and the teacher becomes the guide, not the other way around.
Must have personal knowledge of the
children and plan specifically for their individual needs and interests.
Know how to combine these traits to
sensitively organise the classroom according to the children's needs and
abilities so that the environment is never static.
THE ENVIRONMENT
The role of
the Montessori teacher is to prepare the environment so that it not only
corresponds to the child's development needs of his age group but also reflects
his interests. It includes classroom culture, order, display and the
programming of activity, challenges and changes of pace that meets the child's
needs. Since the
teacher needs to identify and assist the child's psychic development, the child
must be observed in a free, open environment because it is only then that the
child can fully reveal himself (Montessori, 1989).
Therefore structure of the
universe must be reflected in the classroom for children to internalise and
build their own mental order and intelligence. Through this internalised order,
the children can trust the environment and feel safe to interact positively
within it.This
favourable environment nurtures both learning needs and interests and provides
opportunities for children to have spontaneous learning experiences.
The
teacher needs to observe the patterns of development to understand if she has
permission to intercept learning and direct the child's growth (Montessori,
1991). Observation is the key tool for identifying a child's needs so that the
environment can be modified accordingly.
THE LEARNING MATERIAL
The aim of
the equipment is not an external one of teaching children skills or imparting
knowledge, as overly emphasised and widely publicised; instead it is an
internal one that assists the child in self-construction and mental
abstractions. It aids growth as the stimuli that capture and maintain the
child's interest, while initiating the process of concentration (Lillard,
1972). The material however, must correspond to the child's inner needs. In
other words, the material must be presented at the right moment of his
development, and that intervention must be adequately and sensitively observed
and determined prior to the presentation (Montessori, 1965).
The teacher
must watch for the quality of concentration and the spontaneous repetition of
action with the material. The greater the child's concentration and absorption
with a piece of material, the more likely he can connect the transition from
concrete to abstract knowledge and this natural process should not be
interfered with (Montessori, 1995). These
responses indicate the meaningfulness of the materials at that precise moment of
growth and whether the intensity of the stimuli (that the material presents)
matches his internal needs, and this determines if there is a need for
intervention.
Should intervention be
required, both the material and the quantity of the stimuli can be adjusted
according to the child's internal needs, therefore, there is no rote following
of the progression of the materials (Lillard, 1972). The teachers must be
flexible in altering the sequence or omitting materials according to individual
needs of the child.
Materials
are designed for self-correction and the control of error lays within the
material themselves rather than the teacher. It guides the child in the use of
the material and allows him to recognise his own mistakes without the teacher
interrupting or hurting his ego, placing the child in control of his own
learning (Montessori, 1914). If the child does not see the error in spite of
the material's design, then it means that he has not sufficiently developed to
do so, but will eventually be able to correct his own error over time (Lillard,
1972).
THE FUNDAMENTAL LESSON
Fundamental
lessons introduce new material, allow the teacher to discover more about the
child's inner discipline and determines an interest. Hence the teacher uses the
lesson to observe his reactions by using experience, observation, extrapolation
and sensitivity so that lessons are chosen at the exact moment. The fundamental
lesson is given on an individual basis since no two children are at the exact
point of development at the same time (Lillard, 1972). Contact must be clear, accurate and of definite character, therefore the teacher must have thorough knowledge of the materials and conscientiously practice before the presentation is given. This maximises the child's response and fulfils his spiritual needs (Montessori, 1991).
The child is then invited to use the
material in a similar way. During the first use, the teacher remains with the
child to observe his actions, taking care not to interfere with his liberty. The child's
interest in the material and how long that interest is held for, is observed.
The teacher must also observe facial expression and take care not to provoke
the child to make an unnatural effort because then she will not be able to
determine the spontaneous activity of the child (Culverwell, 1914).
If a lesson
is meticulously prepared, but the explanation of the object is not understood,
the teacher must not insist on repeating the lesson. She must also be careful
not to make the child feel as if he had made a mistake or misunderstood because this will not allow her to observe the natural state
of the child (Montessori, 1991). If the teacher has misjudged her moment of
introduction, the material is put away and used again on another day, when the child
is ready (Montessori, 1965).
REPETITION
The
repetition process is useful to the child's developmental needs and growth. It
only occurs if the child understands the idea the exercise represents and if it
corresponds with his inner needs and interest (Lillard, 1972). It gives the
child a mental grasp of the concept, as well as cognitive development for the
information to be abstract, and the child can now apply or create new knowledge
from it. This repetition is what the teacher watches for, and that is when she
is aware that she has assisted to match the inner needs of the child to his
material and can now leave the child to direct his own learning (Montessori,
1991).
After
repetition, another phenomenon appears, and the child will begin to create new
ways of using the material by combining different exercises that are
interrelated or through comparison of the material to related objects and gains
a thrill of discovering the unknown for himself (Montessori 1995). The teacher
must be careful not to pre-empt the child's right to make his own discoveries
with the material. By showing him more than the basic idea robs him of his joy
of self-discovery as the creativity that he would have eventually experienced
(Montessori, 1965).
The last
stage is accomplished when the child no longer seeks approval after each step;
hence the inner discipline has firmly been established and the teacher must be
careful not to interfere, praise or help the child as it may destroy the
experience (Lillard, 1972).
THREE PERIOD LESSON
Once the
teacher is convinced that the concept has been mastered through observation
(extrapolation), she can intervene by introducing a new concept using a
"Three period lesson". In the first step, the teacher uses simple
explanation to associate the name of an object with the abstract idea the name
represents (Lillard, 1972).
In the second step, the teacher tests the child's
mind to establish if the name is associated to the object. If the child does
not succeed, the teacher does not correct him, however, if the child is
successful the teacher proceeds to the next step which involves asking the
child to pronounce the appropriate vocabulary himself.
Once the vocabulary is
established, the child is capable of communicating a generalization of the idea
and finds objects in the environment that corresponds to his new knowledge
(Culverwell, 1914).
DEVELOPING WILL
The child
must be also be guided in developing his will by providing opportunities for
him to coordinate his own actions and achieve something that he has chosen to
do. The child must also develop inner discipline through constructive work
opportunities and be able to distinguish between good and bad decisions
(Montessori, 1989). Although the children's decisions must be protected and not
violated there are instances where teachers can intervene. The teacher must
respond immediately if the students' safety is at risk or if there is a
disruption (Ramachandran, 1998).
The teacher
needs to provide choices for irresponsible behaviour or she may interrupt and
reprimand disruptive behaviour before the environment becomes disorderly. For
example, if a child is playing at the tap instead of washing her hands.
The teacher needs to intervene before she starts to splash water onto the other
children, and they all join in, causing disorder.
EXTENDED ROLE OF THE TEACHER
The main
focus in Montessori education system is self-construction that leads to
balanced, sensitive, well-informed children that enjoy life and learning.
Children develop a deep understanding of their social responsibility and can make
decisions by themselves; therefore it fosters self-awareness, self-worth and
self-discipline (Kramer, 1976). Warmth, love of life, understanding and respect
for self are essential qualities of a Montessori teacher who serves as a model,
to be interpreted by the children (Montessori, 1995). The teacher, therefore,
must grow herself accordingly and be realistic about shortcomings as this
allows children to develop a healthy attitude towards their own mistakes.
A Montessori
teacher gives a great deal of time to children's family and community relations
as she understands that cooperation and communication between the parents,
community and school have positive effects and supports the child's journey
(Montessori, 1989). The teacher plays an important role of sharing the
Montessori vision and expectations with the parents and the community while
facilitating understanding that allows the commitment of the children's
learning to extend beyond the classroom.
The teacher
needs to fulfil her role of being an active inquirer and an invisible partner
to the children, during their instructional process. She must make appropriate
decisions for her students learning while ensuring that the learning is
inter-related and diverse, to meet all students' needs. Above all, the teacher
must be flexible and of humble character so that she can learn from and with
the children in her classroom.
REFERENCE
Brian Quotes
Inc. (2014). Maria Montessori quotes. Retrieved from
