A Montessori Observation Primer — Part 2: How to Observe

In part 2 of our series, we will explore how to observe! In specific, we will discuss practical preparations for the adult and the characteristics of the observer, in the prepared environments of school and home. If you missed last week’s post, part 1 covered the specifics of who observes, and why it is so important to the Montessori pedagogy. Join us next week for part 3, a discussion on what to look for when you are observing.

If you come from the traditional early childhood environment, you probably envision the adult as the front or face of the classroom. That you might look into the classroom and be able to spy, at any given time, her busy body shuffling from one place to another, wiping noses with one hand while handing out coloring sheets with the other. I know before I found Montessori, I thought teaching young children was all about energy, about being able to command and hold attention.

What if I told you that the ideal Montessori environment could operate without the guide entirely? I am going to give you two quotes from Dr. M to ponder, and then I want to dive headlong into today’s discussion of Observation:

“And so we discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words, but in virtue of the experiences in which the child acts on his environment. The teacher’s task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child.”

(p. 8, The Absorbent Mind)

“What is the greatest sign of success for a teacher thus transformed? It is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.’”

(p. 283, The Absorbent Mind)

Kari, I understand that observation is a critical part of the Montessori pedagogy. How do I make it happen?

If you have a child in a Montessori environment, observations can be scheduled through the school. Usually they like to allow a short settling period at the beginning of the year before they begin to schedule observations. Expect to set aside anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour of your time. Be sure to arrive on time, turn your phone off, and bring a notebook along. Prepare to sit quietly back and follow the guidelines I will offer below. The Guide and Assistant will manage the environment–your only task is to watch. Often the school will provide a few suggestions of what you can look for, and I will share more in next week’s post.

If you are observing as the prepared adult in a school environment or at home:

I want to preface by saying that not all observation needs to be formal. Sometimes you are washing dishes and you look into your dining room and your child is delicately splashing water on the table. Before you rush in, take a breath, watch what is happening, and make a note of what you see. If you can, I would highly recommend even jotting these down on a post-it: “J, 10:30, tracing shapes into the water on the table with their left pointer finger extended.” Informal observations are valid and helpful. That said, they are of a different character than formal observations, so I really and truly want to encourage you to make time for those, too.

First, gather your materials. Whether at home or in a Montessori school environment, assess where you sit (or where you would sit, if you find you don’t frequently) while the children are engaged with work. Keep in that spot a pen, a notebook, and a water bottle. Either have a clock clearly visible from that spot or, even better, wear a watch.

I know, I know, who wears a watch around these days? But in order to observe properly, you need to be able to see and note the passage of time, and using your phone to do so is often a temptation to do anything BUT sit and actively observe. (I’m speaking from experience, here. If I pull that phone out of my pocket I am going to take photos or maybe send just a quick text and then I have lost my concentration and the thread of my observation.)

Discover a method for quickly transcribing your observations to paper. When observing my children at home, a quick initial and the time suffices. At school, I would note the initial of the child, sometimes (but not always) their age, the time, and the sequence of activities I was watching.

I also love the suggestions that Sally over at Montessori Assistant shares. Sometimes, you may have a lot to write–you observe something the first time, and you want to note specifics; a child displaying particular handedness, for instance, or a shift in the grip of a pencil that you want to note for later. When I have a longer note to write, I use abbreviations. It’s like creating your own shorthand! The only person who needs to be able to interpret it is you, so do whatever makes the most sense to you.

Dedicate yourself to being truly observant. Unless someone is in danger, let yourself watch without interruption/interrupting. In the school environment, children know that an adult sitting in the padded chair with a notebook and a pen is doing special work called “observation,” and that just as we respect the work of the children in our environment, we respect the work of the adult, too. You can let your child know at home, too: I’m writing right now. I’ll be available soon. It is valuable for them to see you finish your work.

For your first formal observations, maybe you only need to set yourself a 10 minute block; that’s okay. As a part of my training, we sat WHOLE DAYS in the observation chair doing nothing but watching. It was difficult in some ways, but it was also literally the greatest gift I could have asked for. It brought all of the studying of Montessori I had done to life without allowing me to exert my influence within the environment. It provided solid experiential training for my time in the classroom while also reminding me of the role of the adult.

Okay. Pen and notebook in hand… What does it mean to BE an observer? How do I do it?

If you want to read in more scientific terms than my own, I would encourage you to pick up one of Dr. Montessori’s books. In “The Advanced Montessori Method – I,” she lays out an entire chapter about her contributions to science through the pedagogy, entitled “Experimental Science.” In it, she says:

“It is necessary to adopt a scientific point of view in order to interpret the facts that reveal themselves in children when they are developed upon this system, and to divest oneself completely of the old scholastic conception according to which the progress of a child is assessed according to his proficiency in the various subjects of study. Here, almost like the naturalist, it is essential to observe the development of certain phenomena of life. It is true that we prepare special ‘external conditions’; but the psychical effects are directly bound up with the spontaneous development of the internal activity of the child.”

(P. 67, The Advanced Montessori Method – I)

The scientific observer must have certain characteristics. Here, in quick summary, are the some of the qualities Montessori described as necessary traits:

• Objective: You are distancing yourself and recording what you see without judgment or preconceived notions. You cannot know what the child is thinking–only what you see or hear.
• Unobtrusive: Pretend you are a fly on the wall. Keep yourself neutral and low-key. Try not to let your face give away what you might be feeling while you observe. Keep yourself still and quiet.
• Engaged: Be interested and alert–quiet on the outside while you analyze on the inside.
• Humble: Come from the perspective of understanding, rather than judgement. Know that there is more to every situation than is visible to the eye.
• Patient: Growth takes time. Even when you feel like what you are observing is unimportant, persevere. That magical moment might happen when you least expect it.
• Exact: Be accurate! Record what you see and know, without labeling or comparing.
• Repetitive: Observation should be ongoing. Frequent observation, formal and informal, is what will allow you to see the patterns that develop within your environment and help you create strategies to optimize development.

Dr. Montessori said:

“The teacher requires a special preparation, because it is not logic that can solve the child’s problems. We have to know the child’s previous development, and rather to shed our preconceived ideas. Great tact and delicacy are needed for the care of the mind of a child between the ages of three and six; fortunately, the child takes from the environment rather than the teacher, who needs only to stand by, to serve when called.”

(p. 58, Education for a New World).

Steep requirements when laid out, right? If I were to boil it down to one thing, I would say: minimize. Minimize your presence in the space, your ego, your preconceived notions. Make it all about seeing the child when you are as removed as possible from the equation. It takes practice–like any new habit! But it is worth the effort. When you center the child and their action on the environment, and remove your presence as a temptation for distraction, you allow them deeper engagement, and give yourself the chance to see their own wonderful, independent development.

We’ve now covered the who, why and how of Observation! Join me next week as I offer some ideas on just WHAT to look for while you are observing. Until next time! -K

 

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