Observation of the Child
/“As we observe children, we see the vitality of their spirit, the maximum effort put forth in all they do, the intuition, attention and focus they bring to all life’s events, and the sheer joy they experience in living.”
Observation requires a teacher to step back and watch students objectively, even if it means letting them make mistakes in their work.
Watch and learn.
What comes to mind when you hear that phrase? A master and apprentice? The expert in his trade pridefully showing his inferior how it’s done?
What if we flipped that? What if the master watched the apprentice instead? What might the master learn from this? What could the apprentice gain?
This is what the Montessori approach aims to do. There is a reason the Montessori teacher is often called a guide instead of a teacher. You see, the main goal of a Montessori education is authentic learning. Education should be student-focused. Learning > Teaching.
And it all starts with observing the child.
The Struggle is Real
Consider a toddler practicing pouring water. She is bound to spill at some point, right? As she’s about to spill, the observing teacher has two options: 1) intervene and help the child focus on her pouring so she doesn’t spill everywhere, or 2) observe as the child spills everywhere.
The next time the child visits that work could look vastly different depending on the teacher’s previous reaction to the child. 1) Would she remember the time she almost spilled, but her teacher jumped in to help her? Maybe. 2) Would she remember the time she soaked her shirt and had to take lots of extra time to wipe and mop up the mess? Probably.
Have you been there before? If you’ve ever worked with kids, you probably have. We are practically wired to train and correct children. Especially when they’re about to make a mistake.
The idea of a growth mindset has been gaining steam for several years now. This theory embraces mistakes, recognizing them as effective learning tools. The problem with this idea is it’s messy.
Let’s just acknowledge, we as adults want a neat, clean process tied up with a bow. We want to lead and direct the child on her way to learning. After all, we know best, right? But that thinking is too teacher-centered. And as we’re learning, Montessori is anything but teacher-centered.
Observing without Judgement
We are one week into our new school year. As a parent, you expect that your child will walk into our rooms with a clean slate. We will treat your child with respect and dignity. Truly observing a child requires this of teachers as well.
One of the keys to constructive observation is specific detail without interpretations. We don’t watch the child for the sake of confirming what we already think. We observe the child to follow the child.
Observation must be conducted without judgment. Every day we must focus on what is happening with the child, not what we think is happening. This is especially important as we learn who each child is. What makes her excited? Gives her confidence? Provides her with satisfaction?
The Value of Observation
There’s so much to be gained through observation, but it can often feel impossible to do it. After all, true observation requires the teacher to just...watch. Nothing else. When is a teacher (or parent) ever invited to do nothing but watch a child?
Yes, there are instances where observation is impossible. For example, if a child is in immediate danger, you have to intervene. If a child is putting others in danger, please step in.
But by and large, adults are guilty of swooping to a child’s aid much more than necessary. If we can restrain ourselves, there’s a lot to be gained from simply watching a child work through problems on her own.
The Child becomes the Focus
What happens when the child is allowed to work, observed but uninterrupted by the teacher? Well, she can:
Make mistakes
Work through problems independently
Develop stamina in her work
Discover answers for herself
Learn through her observation and manipulation of materials
Take ownership of her learning
The big thing is, when the student has the opportunity to work (while the teacher does nothing but observe), she can be the learner rather than the object of the teacher. In a sense, the teacher observes as the student teaches herself as much as possible.
The Adult becomes the Scientist
As the Montessori quote from a couple of weeks ago said, “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.” We love this quote.
Children are wired to learn. They want to explore the world. They are full of questions.
Adults are uniquely positioned to provide children with experiences, resources, and answers. But first, we need to slow down and observe like a scientist. By stepping back and just observing, we can:
See a child’s relationships form
Observe works (and play) that a child self-selects
Notice difficulties she may have
Notice her strengths
Recognize her interests
See how she interacts with peers
See how she conducts herself in the environment
Gauge her self-discipline
Recognize Sensitive Periods for the child (much more to come on this exciting idea!)
Only after careful observation will a teacher truly be ready to provide lessons appropriate for each individual child. The more the teacher observes the child, the more the teacher knows the child. The more the teacher knows the child, the better she can help the child learn.
Follow the Child
Once again we find ourselves in a position where we allow the child to direct the course of her education. We provide freedom so her education can be about learning, not teaching. We guide and set limits, yes. But we give her the time and space to make her own discoveries - to learn how to learn.
After observing this process we’ll start to see patterns in the child. We’ll recognize where our experience, knowledge, and assistance will be most valuable. We’ll perfectly blend a student’s readiness to learn with our ability to teach. We’ll help foster authentic learning that follows the child.
“...education must have a new goal: to study and observe the child himself from the moment of his conception. Only in this way can a new education based on aiding the inner powers of the child be developed to replace the present method, which is based on the transmission of past knowledge.”