5 Surprising Things I Learned From Observing a Montessori Classroom
After nearly a year of creating my own Montessori inspired activities and lessons for Goose, we made the difficult decision to enroll him in a formal Montessori School. In the end we decided that my lack of training would never equal the lessons that a true AMI certified teacher could provide. Now as his first full year comes to a close I realize just how right – and how wrong – I was.
I have learned so much more about the Montessori method throughout this year, and the most helpful learning tool has been the opportunity to observe my son’s classroom multiple times throughout the year.
1. The Sense of Order is Impeccable
My biggest concern about Montessori was whether 2 teachers could really keep 20+ children ages 3-6 under control for an extended period of time. There are days when I struggle to keep up with my 2 boys, I can’t even imagine trying to keep ten times that many focused on their work.
The reality is that the Montessori method not only encourages order but almost guarantees it. As I observed I saw children seamlessly selecting a work, carrying it to their chosen table or mat, performing the task and then carefully putting it away. Snacks were available throughout the morning and as children became hungry they had the freedom to fix themselves a plate, dine with a classmate and then carefully load their dishes in a dishwasher. It was amazing!
Of course even the most impressive child is only human, and I occasionally witnessed a child who was disruptive. This behavior is not handled with discipline. Rather, the teacher encourages the child to sit beside her while performing a calming work such as coloring or tracing. The children don’t even know they are being reprimanded. They are simply given the much needed opportunity to collect themselves.
2. Every Material Has a Multitude of Uses
When I first began to research the Montessori method I was introduced to several materials that feature prominently in every primary classroom. Materials such as the Pink Tower (shown below) baffled me. Clearly it was important to Montessori theory but why? How is this tower any different from the stacking toys found in most homes? It has many uses and teaches many concepts.
To continue our Pink Tower example; this material is used to develop motor skills by stacking with centers or edges aligned. The smallest unit is exactly 1/10th the dimension of the largest unit. This introduces math concepts like scale and weight and language concepts like size and comparison.
3. Observation Isn’t Just for Parents
Observation is a powerful tool for students in a Montessori classroom. It allows the younger students the freedom to see what their older classmates are learning. This can motivate younger students to work harder so they too can perform advanced works. Observation also helps students to see how their work fits into the bigger picture. For example: simple tracing leads to tracing letters which leads to writing.
This is incredibly motivating for students.
4. The Teachers Might Be Superhuman
I know I said earlier that the teachers maintain order with ease, but their management skills deserve another mention. The teachers track each student’s progress individually by using an iPad app. I frequently witness a teacher giving a lesson to one student, answering another student’s question, and playing a game with a third student simultaneously. Their powers of observation are uncanny as they design individual lesson plans for 20 students.
5. Children are FAR More Capable Than We Give Them Credit For
The most important lesson I learned is that we don’t give our children nearly enough credit. I never thought to let my 3 year old help load the dishwasher. It seemed like a recipe for broken dishes. However, in the classroom I saw him doing it with ease. I would never suggest that we force our children to grow up too quickly, but I think we do them a disservice by limiting them. There are so many learning opportunities around them every day if only we take time to teach. There is no telling what our children can do when they aren’t limited by our own assumptions!
Is there anything you’ve always wondered about the workings of a Montessori classroom? Feel free to ask away in the comments! Or maybe you have observations of your own, tell me all about it!