A Montessori Observation Primer – Part 1: The Who and Why of Observation

This post marks the start of a five-part series on Montessori and Observation. Part 1 focuses on the who and why of observation: who should be observing, why it is important in the classroom and at home, and why Montessori placed value on it in her pedagogy. Part 2 takes a look at how to observe, both in the classroom and in the home. Part 3 focuses on what to look for while observing. Part 4 will be all about where and when you can and should observe, and we’ll wrap up with a fun observation challenge. I hope you’ll join me on this journey as I share a primer on this key piece of a beautiful pedagogy.

WHO should be observing?

I’m going to be honest: I think the whole world could benefit if everyone was a little more willing and able to observe. Life is so hectic. Human existence is busy. The world can feel frenetic. There are a zillion legitimately important things to do. It can be super annoying when someone tells you to stop and smell the roses. However, when I took my training ten years ago, I discovered that if I could allow myself to take a step back and just watch, I would often find the rhythm, calm, and peace… in the world, in life, and in the classroom. Observation was one of the many gifts that I truly understood and received when I became a Montessori adult. So who should observe? Everyone!

I know, I know. EVERYONE is not really a helpful answer here, even if it is true. So to clarify and offer Montessori context:

• Observation is essential for the guide and the assistant in the classroom. It informs practice and gives the children space to work. I’ll detail this further below, and in upcoming posts.
• Observation is for the children in the classroom. Nine times out of ten, this is the way my own child learns in the Montessori environment–by watching others. He may not tell me that he had a new lesson but he will certainly tell me that a friend learned three new leaf shapes in the botany cabinet that day: spatulate, chordate, and linear.
• Observation is for the parent. If you are curious and want to know if Montessori is the right fit for your family, observation is the first step to take. If you are already enrolled and have wondered: does my child really only eat snack and do nothing else? If you have heard a zillion times about the “Metal Insects” and want to know what the heck they are, observation is for you (YouTube and InfoMontessori might help here, too). If you really want to see the magic, observation is the way.

Montessori schools also often host trainees who are practicing to become teachers, educators from other educational systems who want to know more, and community members who want to connect with what is happening around them. Maybe you have no intention of ever sending your child to a Montessori environment but you want to see that action up close and personal. Take the time and call and set up an appointment. Every environment should have observation chairs, and I hope they are warmed often.

Alright, Kari. I get that EVERYONE should observe. But WHY is Observation so important?

Observation allows an adult to remove themselves from the situation and gather objective information about the child. Speaking as a guide, observation was the cornerstone of my pedagogical classroom planning. Quite simply, the Montessori Method would not exist and classrooms could not function without time spent in observation. When Dr. Maria Montessori was creating her curriculum, she named it “The Scientific Pedagogy.” Based on non-judgmental, fact-based, scientific observation, Dr. Montessori introduced a variety of materials and concepts in her environment and let the children be her guide. Dr. Montessori was driven to discover who each child was and what they needed. She said:

“The vision of the teacher should be at once precise like that of the scientist, and spiritual like that of the saint. The preparation for science and the preparation for sanctity should form a new soul, for the attitude of the teacher should be at once positive, scientific and spiritual.

Positive and scientific, because she has an exact task to perform, and it is necessary that she should put herself into immediate relation with the truth by means of rigorous observation…

Spiritual, because it is to man that his powers of observation are to be applied, and because the characteristics of the creature who is to be his particular subject of observation are spiritual.”

(The Advanced Montessori Method – I’, Clio Press Ltd, 107)

It is the job of the guide to understand, deeply, who the child is and what they need. By immersing themselves in what the children are doing each day and noting what is observed, the environment may be adjusted and lessons adapted to suit the child’s individual needs. This objective observation, done in humble service to the child, allows an adult to come to conclusions without labeling the children, trying to categorize them, or allowing their perspective to be tainted by previous experience. Observation is always an opportunity to make new discoveries. Dr. Montessori said:

“It is logical that if one can discover both tendencies and sensitive periods and one is able to second them, he will have found a secure and permanent foundation on which to base education, if education is viewed as a help to fulfill the optimum potential of the child. “

(p. 20, Human Tendencies and Montessori Education).

Okay, so I hear what you are saying about the Montessori environment. Where does observation fit into the Montessori home?

Maybe you are asking yourself questions like: “When is a child ready for this activity?” “What should I be offering my child to do?” “This behavior is really frustrating. How did we get here?” “Where did this new behavior/skill/need/come from?” Maybe you’ve received a phone call from a relative or a holiday is coming up and you want to know what a good gift would be.

This is why observation in the home is so important. No one else in the world has that view of your child: in their safe space, with their safe people, living life and seeing the world. And because we all know that children develop at their own pace and that various developmental milestones (or Sensitive Periods) are overlapping and broad, there is no way for anyone that is not there, watching and seeing the child, to know if a child is in one. It is about stepping back, sitting on your hands, biting your tongue, and watching. It is about understanding that if something is not dangerous, damaging, or distracting to someone else, it is probably okay to follow the child and see where they are headed. It takes patience. It takes trust. It takes some courage. But it is a tool that will serve you so, so incredibly well if you are willing to step back and do it.

I hope you have found this first piece of a Primer on Observation helpful. I’ll be back next week with a ton of information on HOW to Observe. Until then, I wish you a warm drink and a cozy place to sit and watch. –K

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