In our first Montessori episode, Kat Love went over some of the big concepts in Montessori education, and one of those that she mentioned was the focus on independence. Kat explained, “independence is an ongoing and organic process. As children learn to pour water, put on their own shoes, pack away their work, or solve their own problems, they become more confident, independent, and intrinsically motivated. Montessori once said, ‘How does the child acquire independence? He acquires it by means of continuous activity. Independence is not static. It is a continuous conquest. And by means of continuous work, one acquires not only freedom but strength and self-perfection.’ As a result, Montessori philosophy advocates never giving more help to a child than is necessary because practice and repetition lead them to the attainment of developing power; power to do it for themselves. The active child, who feels skillful as well as capable, naturally exerts maximum efforts. If the guide were to interfere, they become an obstacle to the child’s growing independence.” You can note in her explanation that there is no mention of a “teacher”. That’s because Montessori education uses the term, “guide”, which I think really helps us understand the expected role of the adult in the classroom.
I think in any early childhood classroom, there is an effort at leading students toward the ability to do things on their own- tie their own shoes, zip up coats, clean up their materials, etc. One of the things that sets Montessori apart, is that the independence of the child is a main focus of the environment, rather than an added goal.
There are a lot of things that go into that independence and help bring success to the concept. One, is the prepared environment. A Montessori environment is designed very intentionally to promote independence- furniture is child-sized. Materials are all stored within reach. Items have designated places on shelves. All of this contributes to the ability for children to be independent. The furniture is sized appropriately, allowing them to move a chair or make an adjustment as needed, rather than having to ask an adult for assistance. Materials are all stored within reach. Not only learning materials, but any items the students may need. Are paper towels or a rag needed to clean up a spill? The child can access them without adult assistance. Is a broom needed to sweep up scraps? One is stored in a place that is accessible to children, AND it is sized appropriately for a child to use.
There are also a variety of self-correcting materials available for children- materials that allow the child to check their own work without assistance, providing opportunities to problem solve independently. As Maria Montessori said, “any child who is self-sufficient, who can tie his shoes, dress or undress himself, reflects in his joy and sense of achievement the image of human dignity, which is derived from a sense of independence”.
One other environmental factor that helps with the focus of independence is the minimalistic nature of the classroom. The more stuff on a shelf, the more complex is its visual appearance, and the more challenging it is to clean up. The more posters, art, and decor on a wall, the more visual stimuli there is to add distraction. A Montessori classroom takes clutter into consideration to create an environment that benefits the children, allowing them to care for it themselves and limiting added stimuli.
That focus on independence is also reflected in the role of the adult in the classroom- rather than the title of “teacher”, that adult is referred to as a “guide”. (I’m going to go ahead and say right now that habit might make this difficult for me, so if I mess up and say “teacher” at some point instead, you have my apologies!)
So in the majority of early childhood classrooms, we have a teacher who plans lessons and activities for the class as a whole, and everyone in the room is (generally) doing the same activities on the same days, with of course some individualization to accommodate different developmental levels. In Montessori classrooms, there is a guide who observes each individual student and plans individual presentations for each student, introducing a concept or a material and then allowing the child to explore. The guide then would, you know, guide the student in a direction, and then allow the student the opportunity to pursue that path at their own pace and in their own way.
The North American Montessori Center lists the roles of the adult in the Montessori classroom as guide, model, observer, record-keeper, parent ally, and professional.
In Montessori classrooms, the goal is to guide and facilitate, rather than to force any individual ideas of what children should learn and when. This involves consistent demonstrations and actions from the adults, rather than simple adjustments in words and tones. Part of acting as a guide means the only interventions occur when a child has not made a suitable choice- a suitable choice meaning one that suits the child’s skills, interests, and abilities, and does not create a disturbance to others. In the Montessori method, this is the point at which a guide would step into the situation. This goes back to that emphasis on independence, too- rather than stepping in immediately at any indication of a mis-step, the Montessori guide observes the distinction between an isolated error or mistake and an on-going habit. For example, if a child is carrying a chair across the room and it bangs into a table leg, the guide would notice, but wait. If there is no more banging and clanging, the child has self-corrected and demonstrated recognition of their actions. If the chair continues to knock against other items on the way across the room, the guide would approach the child, softly asking if the chair can be moved without making a sound, and prompting the child to listen. It’s important to note here that the focus is on how a behavior can be corrected- NOT on the mistake that was made. The effort is in guiding towards positive behavior, rather than focusing on the error or neglect.
When the time does arise to intervene, as will always happen eventually, the guide focuses on redirecting toward positive behavior, reviewing the given processes for activities, adding opportunities for responsibility, and, if needed, meeting with parents to discuss strategies. We can redirect a child toward the actions and behaviors that are preferable, guiding by example and assisting children in thinking about their actions. We can review expectations, such as closing doors quietly, steps needed in cleaning, and more. This strategy is assisted by maintaining consistency throughout the year, offering continual opportunities to review expectations. Adding opportunities for responsibility again supports a child’s independence by providing them the opportunity to demonstrate positive behaviors to others. A child who has demonstrated a tendency to throw sand on the playground might be asked to help keep all children safe by offering reminders to other children that the sandbox is for building things, not throwing. Lastly, after other efforts have been unsuccessful, a discussion with school leadership and a meeting with parents can be arranged in which all parties are treated as equal partners with a common goal: the well-being of the children in the classroom.
When adults in the classroom act to guide the actions of students as they go through their day, providing opportunities but following the interests of the students, it promotes a focus on each child as an individual and allows them the time to find their own independence in a safe environment that has been intentionally prepared for them.
Sources:
Gausman, D. (2021). North American Montessori Center: Montessori Classroom Guide, Early Childhood (3-6). North American Montessori Center.
Episode 2