The Role of the Adult in the Classroom
Education is a long-standing tradition in the history of the human community. From the earliest days, humans trained and educated each other by instructing the younger members in the essential tasks for survival, eventually creating both formal and informal schools. As Dr. Montessori herself reminds us, “Education is a natural process carried out by the human individual,” and yet, for Montessori, “it is acquired not by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment” (McTamaney 2005, p. 56). However, in most educational settings, and especially in traditional Western schools, the teacher or adult is the center of the educational environment and does the most work, with students aligned in various paths of orbit around him or her, passively absorbing information and frequently without authentic experiences with the concepts being learned. In the Montessori environment, on the other hand, the role of the adult is more of a peripheral role, instead centering the experience and work of the student and what knowledge he or she will construct in that environment. The adult in a Montessori environment takes on many roles. She acts as a dynamic link, an observational scientist, an emotional guide, and a curricular curator whose constant job it is to make him or herself superfluous to the growth of the child’s mind and spirit.
Firstly, as the dynamic link in the educational environment, the adult presents information for the students to consider and analyze through work of learning. As Dr. Montessori explains, “The directress must act as a ‘vivifying presence which awakens the sleeping soul of the child. Her role may be compared to that of the sun; for she is one who brings light...she also awakens that interest which comes from knowing better and more deeply than we knew before” (Standing 1998, p. 309). Montessori guides bring an idea or concept to light for the students, then step back so that the students may follow their natural lines of inquiry and curiosity to explore the topic, concept, or content in more detail. The presentation of lessons is only the starting point; the actual work of constructing knowledge is the larger piece, and one that is the responsibility of the child. “[The teacher’s] ideal must be that the child should - ever increasingly - become the more active partner and herself more passive” (Standing 1998, p. 303). As teachers, we must engage our students' interest and spark their curiosity while being prepared to step out of their way at the exact right moment to ensure their independence and success. Additionally, the encouragement and completion of “big work” projects have powerful impacts on student learning and motivation because “by offering the kind of inspiration and guidance Montessori recommended, you can offer children freedom and independence when working with projects. Then you are offering them opportunities to build up their general knowledge, their creative skills, their learning abilities, and their general character development, all at the same time” (Walls 2008, p. 75). These student-led products lead to multiple avenues of understanding while encouraging intrinsic motivation and giving space to a child’s natural curiosity. The role of the adult in this capacity is to get out of the way.
The adult in the environment is also an observational scientist, designing a learning laboratory and observing student engagement, work, mastery, and inquiry without interfering. As students learn, we observe their process, and make reflections for targeted instruction, intervention, enrichment, and social-emotional learning opportunities. As E.M. Standing explains, “Hence it is the adult’s duty to observe the child, not only in order to find the psychological moment to give it the necessary instruction along some new path, but also that she may be able to understand its tentative gropings, its doubts, its sudden discoveries, its joyous wonderment” (1998, p. 310). Teachers in the Montessori environment are privileged to witness this student-driven learning and the construction of knowledge. Especially in consideration of this “joyous wonderment, “ the gift of being an observer is one of the most fulfilling parts of being a Montessori guide.
Some of the heaviest lifting that the adults in a Montessori environment have the opportunity to do is in the gentle guidance of moral, ethical, and social development. The adults “support the basic principle of the child’s self-determination necessary to ignite the child’s motivation” (Duax 2014). Part of this self-determination is an increase in social and emotional awareness, and as guides, we are charged with supporting social and emotional growth as much as intellectual growth. Facilitating difficult conversations between peers, engaging metacognitive faculties to consider one’s own emotions and the emotions of others, and modeling appropriate language and constructive conversation techniques are all part of this guidance. The importance of this work is due to the Montessori belief in the child’s individuality and humanity. “The teacher needs to acquire a deeper sense of dignity of the child as a human being; a new appreciation of the significance of his spontaneous activities; a wider and more thorough understanding of his needs; and a quicker reverence for him as the creator of the adult-to-be” (Standing 1998, p. 298). The adult in the environment is charged with supporting this hard work as the children construct themselves, understanding their own needs and the needs of others. As guides, we recognize the essential importance of successful normalization, both academically and socially, to the growth of a child, and we task ourselves with supporting that normalization throughout the learning environment and society at large.
Finally, the adult in the environment also acts as a curator of learning experiences. Through active decision-making and setting priorities, the adult makes thousands of important decisions to prepare the learning environment, and then becomes “the guardian of the prepared environment,” (Montessori, in Standing 1998, p. 304). She designs and organizes the environment, both for beauty and for accessibility. She chooses materials and creates lesson presentations. She creates a space for learning and then gives it to the students so that they may investigate and utilize the materials and resources as they work. Judi Orion, an educator with AMI, explains it this way: “We have to create an environment that is designed for the children of the age group, and we spend a lot of time and effort and money and our personality goes into it. Our soul goes into it, and that’s the first stage. Then we have to give it to the children,” ((Montessori Guide, 2021). This reinforces the de-centering of the adults, which is the core of Montessori pedagogy, while also empowering students to take the lead on their own learning. The role of the adult moves from leadership to support and service, fulfilling a vocation rather than simply doing a job: “Each material we prepare is a prayer, a tiny smiling gratitude to the children who offer us the chance to do this work well” (McTamaney 2005, p. 42). Once again, the most important person in the room is not the adult guide but the student who is actively working to construct knowledge and know him or herself.
In conclusion, the role of the adult in the Montessori environment is multifaceted and complex. He or she must take on a plethora of duties and responsibilities, and yet, his or her focus must always be on serving the child. The holistic learning environment is facilitated by the adult, but the students must do the work. As teachers, we must learn to let go and step back, to trust the minds and hearts of our students, and to give students a voice and a choice in their learning process. We have to do the work and then be prepared to fade into the background, supporting our students incessantly without taking away their self-respect, agency, and curiosity. As Dr. Montessori reminds us, “To consider the school as the place where instruction is given is one point of view. But to consider the school as a preparation for life is another. In the latter case the school must satisfy all the needs of life. An education that suppresses the true nature of the child is an education that leads to the development of anomalies” (Montessori 2020, “From Childhood,” p. 12). We must allow students the space to be themselves, while respecting their humanity and their learning process. The role of the adult in the Montessori environment is to step back and let the learning happen.
References:
Duax, T. (2014). Every Adult in the Environment: A Unifying Approach to Safety. Montessori Guide. Published. https://montessoriguide.org/every-adult-in-the-environment-a-unifying-approach-to-safety
McTamaney, Catherine. (2005). The Tao of Montessori. New York: iUniverse Star.
Montessori, Maria. (2020). From Childhood to Adolescence. Delhi, India: Aakar Books.
Montessori, Maria. (2020). To Educate the Human Potential. Delhi, India: Aakar Books.
Montessori, Maria. (1967). The Discovery of the Child. New York: Ballantine Books.
Montessori Guide. (2021, October 24). Support for Montessori Practice: New Teachers [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/79257352
Standing, E.M. (1998). Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work. New York: Plume.
Walls, Clare Healy. (2008). At the Heart of Montessori 5: The Elementary School Child (6-12 Years). Cork, Ireland: Waterpark Books.