Thursday 11 June 2020

Why Observation Is So Important In Montessori

Maria Montessori was medical doctor as well as scientist and was trained in making careful observations. She developed the course which is now globally accepted as Montessori programs. The course involves a lot of observation and the Montessori classrooms rely heavily on it. You can see that in the classrooms kids are given an opportunity of action which is welcomed and encouraged. The guide of the mentor is supposed to sit in a corner and observe how these kids are doing.


In Montessori teacher training programs, the enrollees are taught not only the educational curriculum but also how to observe the children. The training helps to gain insight about the various developmental phases that the kids go through. In a proper Montessori classroom setting, the mentor is in charge of decision making and assesses the children's mastery of skills. These skills are very basic and can involve everything including studying, playing or other daily activities.

Why planning appropriate lessons are important?

The Montessori educators, after passing the online Montessori Training are equipped to create extensive tasks for the children. They have the knowledge about the various developmental phases of the children and looks at them growing which is much different than what and how things are done in traditional education program. The guides are aware of how to take into consideration the various seemingly insignificant occurrences as a step towards the new plane of development for the kid. The guides are trained to respond well to every situation that occurs in the classroom and help them understand their growth.

Environment plays an important role in kids' development. While the guide is responsible for understanding and noting down the behavioral changes in the kids, environment plays an even bigger role. The kids in the classroom need to feel inspired and foster a sense of independence while being comforted and being safe. For instance, when a guide observes a piece of furniture hindering the flow of the kids' movements, it will be moved before the next class starts. If the kids in the classroom are comfortable sitting on the floor and working, the guide or the mentor will arrange for rugs instead of chairs and tables. The idea is to observe and understand what makes the kids comfortable and to introduce them to a space where they love coming down.


Keeping these ideas in mind, there are two types of observations listed down by Montessori - formal observations and informal observations.

In formal observations, the guide will look around in the classroom for about 15 to 30 minutes and the method might vary from one guide to another. Some like to sit in a corner with the clipboard and note down everything about the children; while for some it is easier to intervene and mix with the kids to understand and observe what they are doing. Basically, the idea is to involve making a lot of notes that is strictly observational. Any form of judgment or inferences will be done some point later.

Informal observations are when guides will make notes at any moment of the work period - while walking across the room and suddenly retrieving a point from a child. It can also come when speaking to a kid about a certain task. The guide will gather and record all these notes that can help the children educational experience smoother and fruitful.

If you have interest in kids and want to improve your career in education MKU training institute is here to offer an authentic Montessori learning environment.

Visit https://mkutraining.com to find out more.

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