Observing a Montessori Classroom

When you walk into a Montessori classroom to observe, you will truly be amazed at the active, engaged, productive children who are enthusiastic about learning. Montessori classrooms are bright, sunny, and full of action. Children will be counting into the thousands in our 3-6 classrooms. You will be amazed at how this group of children can be so peaceful, yet active and learning.

When a Montessori teacher sees a new child entering her classroom, she sees a child full of possibilities. She has been well trained in understanding how to observe each and every child, looking for spontaneous action that shows a child’s eagerness to explore and learn, vs. a spontaneous action that needs to be stopped or corrected. As the child learns to reflect on her own acts, and becomes more self aware, she will be truly free to explore and investigate the world around her.

Observing more closely, you will see the diverse learning materials that call to the children; these materials fill the inner need of their quest for learning. Our classrooms are supplied with an amazing array of materials through which the child will be drawn to touch and manipulate, practice and master. Most of these materials are designed to isolate one important new concept for the child to master, with increasing challenges at higher levels available sequentially.

By observation, you will notice that the teacher in the Montessori classroom does not correct every mistake, but she takes note so that she can focus her next lesson for that child with precise accuracy aiming towards the child discovering the ‘missing link’ from the previous lesson. 

For example, if a child colors a tree trunk red, she is not corrected, for she has not yet become an observer of trees, but the teacher may guide that child to sit outside with others to draw the trees that they see. Eventually, it will ‘click’ and she will start coloring her tree trunks more realistic colors.

We do not consider a child disciplined only when he/she is mute or immovable; a child is considered disciplined when he or she has mastery of himself and can, therefore, regulate his own actions. The purpose for reaching self-discipline is not to eliminate activity in a child, but to prepare him for life, through habit and practice. The liberty of the child has a limit only in the form of what is universally acceptable behavior. For example, we must redirect a child who offends or annoys others, or demonstrates rough or offensive behavior. The Montessori classroom allows and celebrates spontaneous actions, and never suffocates the unfolding life of a child.

Please, come observe a Montessori classroom; you might be pleasantly surprised to see such young, eager learners, helping themselves to the inviting materials and working together to accomplish the great work of becoming life-long learners.

Cynthia Thomas founded her first Montessori school in Brevard County in 1983. She now operates five schools throughout Florida. She discovered Montessori’s unique approach when her children attended a school in Hawaii. She received her masters in education specializing in Montessori from Charminade University in Hawaii.

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