The teacher’s role in a Montessori classroom

Montessori education is based on major principles - such as observation of the child, knowledge of developmental levels, respect for human tendencies, the absorbing mind and sensitive periods - and the use of materials specifically designed and adapted for children. But this pedagogy could not exist without the central figure of the teacher. Throughout her works, Maria Montessori devoted many pages to describing the ideal "maestra", who is "like a flame whose heat activates, invigorates and invites". This new teacher is truly at the heart of Montessori's educational revolution, which aims to give children a helping hand in life. She is the person who enables each child to reveal his or her full potential and to develop an assertive, calm and altruistic character. Far from being a mere babysitter, she is a kind of midwife, aware of the importance and greatness of her mission for the whole of humanity.

Becoming a Montessori teacher is not easy. It's not enough to love children, to want to pass on knowledge or to be patient. Of course, these qualities are necessary, but to accompany children in their development and lead them to achieve their full potential, the teacher must go much further and undergo genuine preparation. For Maria Montessori, "the preparation of teachers must go hand in hand with the transformation of the school".

The first preparation is physical. Because she is in constant contact with the children, the Montessori teacher must be a model. "The teacher's appearance is the first step towards understanding and respecting the child". The teacher is the first adult with whom the child spends most of his time outside the home. Her appearance, attitude and behaviour are therefore of great importance. While some of Maria Montessori's words may seem a little dated today ("teachers should be as elegant as possible"), the underlying message is nonetheless powerful and coherent. If children are to develop a mirror image of themselves and their teachers, the latter must project a positive and attractive image of themselves.

In terms of dress, for example, the teacher should be dressed in a way that reflects the respect she has for the children: neither too naked, nor exuberant, with no flashy jewellery or strong body odour. The teacher should be clean and professional, and comfortable enough to bend down or lie on the floor on a mat. Similarly, in terms of movement, the teacher must be exemplary in showing the children what she expects of them. Her movements must be slow, graceful and precise, any handling of equipment must be done with great care, and her movements in the classroom must be discreet. Her voice should also be soft, to contribute to a calm and serene atmosphere. The teacher must refrain from shouting, just as she must not whisper: she must address the children at the volume of a normal conversation so that they, by mimicry, imitate her and address each other in an appropriate tone of voice. All these considerations about the teacher's posture are based on one and the same premise: children observe everything, and everything the teacher does in the classroom has an impact on their personality and behaviour.

Alongside this physical preparation, the Montessori teacher must also prepare herself intellectually. She must study and understand the child's development as a whole - the developmental planes, the human tendencies, the absorbing mind and the sensitive periods. She must know its purpose, role and characteristics. She must also understand the aims of the Montessori material - which can only be done with a deep understanding and intensive practice of the material. The teacher must be comfortable with all types of material - practical life, sensory material, language, mathematics. It is therefore vital for her to practise again and again, especially with the materials she 'likes' the least, because children can sense when someone is apprehensive about an object or an activity. This in-depth understanding of the material, its aims, its progression and the interaction between each object is essential to the smooth running of the class and the development of the children.

Because children are curious about their environment and ask lots of questions, it's also important for the educator to have a good general knowledge (of botany, zoology, music, science, etc.) to support the child's curiosity. This culture will also help her to find the right resources to arouse the children's curiosity and enrich their understanding of the world.

Finally, the third level of preparation for the Montessori educator is spiritual preparation. Admittedly, Maria Montessori was a fervent Catholic who made no secret of her religious faith. However, the spiritual preparation of an educator is not the same as religious preparation. When Maria Montessori spoke of "spirituality", she was referring more to a personal preparation of the self, an introspection, an inner preparation of the adult who is destined to accompany the child's development. This type of preparation is the most important because it is the one that has the most profound impact on the relationship between the educator and the child. We all have our faults, we all make mistakes, we all have our regrets. The Italian pedagogue is not looking for perfect teachers. What she wants are adults who have faith in the child:

"the teachers who arrive in our schools must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work"

Maria Montessori also invited all educators to do some introspective work to study their own attitudes and get rid of any obstacles that might stand between them and the child. "The teacher's duty is to show the way to perfection, providing the means and removing the obstacles, starting with those that she herself represents, for she can be a great obstacle." This means that the teacher must not dwell on the child's immediate activity or behaviour, but must always keep in mind what she is working towards. So she must avoid labelling or having preconceived ideas about a particular child. The trap of these preconceived ideas is the self-fulfilling prophecy: what you expect from a child is often what you get. Anger, pride and envy can also become obstacles between the educator and the child. She must not allow her own emotions to overwhelm her and interfere with her relationship with the child. Maria Montessori called for a genuine inner conversion, even revolution:

"The preparation that our method requires of the teacher is self-examination, the renunciation of tyranny. He must cast off the old crust of anger and pride from his heart, humble himself, and clothe himself in charity".

So the teacher must never say negative things or speak ill of a child in her care. She must see each child as the unique individual that he is, and respect him as he is. Obviously, there is a difference between accepting a person and accepting harmful behaviour (violence, aggression, etc.). The educator's priority must be to discipline the child both inside and out, but she must not reduce a child to his behaviour, however unbearable it may be. The educator must also show a sense of humour: she may laugh with the children, but never at them. It also goes without saying that corporal punishment is out of the question, although the educator must be firm when necessary.

Thus, the educator must progress "along the paths of humility, self-denial and patience, and destroy the pride that rises from the emptiness of vanity". This preparatory work is ambitious and demanding. There is no magic formula for achieving it. "Some people meditate. Some people concentrate on preparing their environment. Some will need solitude to reflect. You have to look for things that nourish you and help you to look at the child without prejudice. This inner preparation is fundamental and underpins everything else. In any case, this work requires a willingness to put oneself at the child's service and, above all, genuine faith and trust in the child.

Once this physical, intellectual and spiritual preparation has been completed, the educator has a very specific role to play in the classroom. First of all, she must prepare and maintain the environment, of which she is the creator and guardian. The prepared environment is created in response to the child's developmental needs. It must be maintained and cared for on an ongoing basis so that the child can develop harmoniously. The educator must create the environment with knowledge and understanding of the child's development. This environment must be complete, clean and organised. "At school, the teacher's first care must be the same: order and care of the material, so that it is always beautiful, clear and in perfect condition; that nothing is missing; for the child, everything must appear new, complete and ready to be used." Activities should be organised in a logical way: this helps the child to be more independent. The educator must also bring the environment to life by changing it regularly. She can rotate certain activities (rotating certain objects, etc.) to maintain the child's interest. In all cases, she must make sure that the activities on the shelves serve the child's development: there is no room for unnecessary activities. The educator can make certain objects (for example, boxes for language material, rags for the cleaning activity, folding towels, etc.). Finally, she is responsible for looking after the plants, feeding the animals, etc. In short, her role is to keep the environment lively and attractive.

As well as maintaining the environment, the educator is also the link, the dynamic link between the child and the environment. There is a sort of trinity: the child - the adult - the environment. It's the teacher who has to show the children how to use the equipment, through individual presentations. When she offers a child a piece of equipment, she must encourage the child to gradually discover the material in order to arouse his interest. The material offered should be neither too easy nor too difficult for the child. The educator must also choose the right moment to make the presentation. Whether the presentation is individual or collective, she must always think of each child individually.

"The exact and intimate lesson given to each child separately is a gift that the teacher brings to the depths of the child's spirit".

This raises the central question of the teacher's position in relation to the child: when to stand back? When to withdraw so that the child can have his or her own experience? When to intervene or interrupt a child who is making a handling error? On all these questions, Maria Montessori is very clear: the only indicator that counts is the child's concentration.

"Never intervene when a child is working alone. Don't worry about their mistakes; this is not the time to correct them. The important thing is not that the child handled the material correctly; the important thing is that the material was able to attract his or her attention."

For the Italian pedagogue, nothing is more important than keeping a child who is concentrating and immersed in his activity free from interruptions. Care must be taken to ensure that they are not disturbed by other children or by an adult. Sometimes, a simple look, a simple smile or a simple praise can break the magic of concentration. "The teacher must be sensitive and ready to recognise this phenomenon of concentration as soon as it arises. She must be prepared to refrain from intervening and correcting". Obviously, there are situations where the adult must intervene. It's not an easy choice to make on a daily basis. The educator has the right to make mistakes but, as far as possible, she should only intervene if the child is using the equipment incorrectly. Children sometimes misuse equipment when they have lost interest or don't know how to use it. The educator has a duty to stop a child when his behaviour is not constructive for his development or when his actions disturb the concentration and development of others. But there are also circumstances where the child makes very interesting discoveries by manipulating the material in a slightly different way (e.g. making a vertical tower with the brown stairs or making a maze with the red bars). If this is going in the right direction, it's possible to let them do it, while always keeping the goal in mind.

Unlike traditional education, where the omnipresence of the teacher and the immediate correction of errors are cardinal values, Montessori education places discernment and observation at the heart of the educational act. Observation must be the educator's first mission. As an Indian saying goes, "To obtain knowledge, one must study, but to obtain wisdom, one must observe". Observation enables us to detect the different levels of development, as well as the sensitive periods and moments of great concentration that each child goes through. Observation also enables us to know when to intervene and when not to. Observation differs from monitoring the child's progress in terms of presentation. The child must not be aware that he is being observed. The adult must observe as objectively as possible and without judgement. It is not always easy to sit in the classroom and observe the children: it requires you to leave your active posture and step back to see what is really happening for each child in the class. This requires a great deal of patience and practice. The more you observe, the more you realise how much observation helps practice. The teacher can then base her actions on facts, not presuppositions. It is only through observation that she can respond to the needs of each child.

Observation is essential to achieving the ultimate goal of any educator: to instil in children a genuine inner discipline and complete autonomy. So, unlike traditional education, where the teacher spends his or her time leading the class, directing the children in their various activities, the Montessori teacher can consider his or her mission accomplished when he or she sees that the children know how to occupy themselves alone in the classroom, concentrate on an activity, in complete autonomy and in harmony with each other.

"What is the main indicator of success for a teacher transformed in this way? Being able to say 'Now the children work as if I didn't exist'.

All the teacher's work must be organised around the three key words of observation, free choice and discipline. Observation means only intervening when really necessary and encourages the child's free choice of activities and learning. Thanks to this freedom of choice, children acquire a genuine inner discipline that will enable them to develop to the full. Maria Montessori summed up her theory in just a few lines:

"The child who has fixed his attention on the chosen object and is in the process of concentrating entirely on the repetition of an exercise is a saved soul, in the sense of the spiritual salvation we are talking about. From that moment on, there is no longer any need to take care of him other than to prepare an environment that satisfies his needs, and to deflect the obstacles that are likely to create a barrier on the path to perfection".

Finally, although Maria Montessori did not mention it clearly in her writings, the Montessori educator also had a role to play outside the classroom. Among her prerogatives are communication and interaction with parents. The teacher must strive to maintain good relations with parents or carers (grandparents, nannies....) - relations based on trust and respect. They must be good listeners, so that they can deal with difficult situations (bereavements, separations, departures, etc.). She is also the representative and spokesperson for the Montessori pedagogy, and as such should endeavour to disseminate as many of the Montessori principles as possible to parents, in order to ensure pedagogical continuity between the classroom and the home.As part of this, it is advisable to organise evenings or "open doors" to present how the class works and the activities on offer to the children. She must ensure that the school is an open place for dialogue and exchange, for the well-being of the children.

The other role of the Montessori teacher is to work as part of a team. Because you can't run a classroom on your own, it's essential to know how to collaborate and work in symbiosis with the other people involved in the school (assistants, people in charge of the after-school activities, people responsible for housekeeping, etc.). Always true to her role model, the teacher must embody the figure of the cooperative adult who respects others, addresses them in a calm and composed manner and builds a relationship of trust and mutual support with them.

Maria Montessori's writings paint a picture of the ideal Montessori teacher: an expert in child development and Montessori materials, a keen observer of the children in her care, with a calm, patient and positive personality, who has worked introspectively to rid herself of all feelings of anger, pride and envy. This educator is also, and above all, a person who sees herself as a servant, placed at the service of children, and who responds to the exhortation of Maria Montessori herself: "Help us, O God, to penetrate into the secret of the child, so that we may learn to know him, love him and serve him, according to your laws of justice and your divine will".