Role of the Guide

"An adult can shape the environment, but it is the child that perfects his own being." 

-Dr. Maria Montessori

The role of the Guide in a Montessori classroom is different than that of a Teacher in a traditional classroom. A Teacher is at the center, where as Guide is there to observe. A Teacher makes plans based on curriculum standards and timetables first. A Guide has her albums ready, but pays attention to what lessons a child is truly ready for. A Teacher follows a schedule, while a Guide follows the child.

 Our job as Guides is to bring the child to the door, so close they might be able to peek in through the key hole, but then we are to leave them there. And when are ready, the child will open the door for themselves. This is the opposite of what mainstream education is built upon. When I was a traditional classroom teacher, I delivered information. But now as a Montessorian, I know it's not just about disseminating curriculum. Guides are trained to present impressionistic lessons, often through storytelling, to entice the child to want to go deeper into a topic of interest and learn more. The child is our teacher, Maria Montessori believed.

Its easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of resources, suggestions, and advice on how to home school. But what our children are saying, and what they are displaying, should be most important. The children are still themselves. Laughing, playing, creating, imagining, learning. They have their moments of upset, frustration, and boredom. Sure. And all of these patterns and emotions are telling us good information. Helping us to understand what our children need next. The Guides are working tirelessly to help bring Montessori to your homes. But our answers can often be found within the children themselves. If they are happy, leave them be. If they are stressed, back up a little bit and let them breath. If children are asking for help, by all means sit with them. Like Guides, parents should not do the work for them. Most parents are not teachers and needn't pressure themselves to juggle this additional job. No. The child more often than not just longs to know we are there, supporting and encouraging them. Believing in them. A Guide has been trained to step out of the way of the child.  The child is wired to work and persevere. To try and fail and try again. The child is carving the path right now, and it is important that we, as parents, follow their lead. 

The Planes of Development

"Our aim is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core." -Dr. Maria Montessori

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Dr. Montessori based her philosophy on four, distinct planes of development, or stages of learning. These are: Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, and Maturity. Infancy is broken into two parts, The unconscious Absorbent Mind, from age 0-3, and The conscious Absorbent Mind, from 3-6 years. This is the "Help me do it myself" phase. Children here learn primarily through the senses. Childhood (The Reasoning Mind, ages 6-12), is the "Help me think for myself" plane. Here, we see exploration of ideas and information. Adolescence (The Humanist Mind, ages 12-18), is the "Help me think with you" section. It marks the transition from family to society. And finally, Maturity (The Specialist Mind, ages 18-21/24), where we find the "How can I help you" mindset. This final plane focuses on self-knowledge and self-realization.

Each plane has a very distinct set of characteristics which can be observed within the child. These characteristics can be physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual, and are what help to construct the individual. There is a range, of course, as each human being develops and learns in different way. Dr. Montessori made space for this in her three year cycles of education. She believed that children were always absorbing, taking in the world around them, and growing. 

And they still are. I promise you. Even today, when far away from their Montessori classrooms and working at home, our children are still learning. They may not have access to bead frames or checkerboards or pin maps. They may not be rolling out a rug to place their work on. They may not be using grammar boxes or metal insets. But they ARE learning. They are still working on their reading, writing, and math. They are still researching topics of interest and virtually exploring geography and cultures around the globe. They are playing outside more, enjoying art, and using their imaginations to create new games. They ARE learning. They are learning to adapt and be flexible. They are learning to be more independent and responsible. Today's learning may look and feel different to all of us. It may involve Legos or wooden blocks instead of traditional Montessori materials. Maybe we feel happy for the family time one minute, and then overwhelmed by the juggling act that is our new normal. Some may feel nervous about how all of this will effect our children long term. But I promise you, they ARE still learning.

The Prepared Environment

“Education is a natural process carried out by the child and is not acquired by listening to words but by experiences in the environment.” 

-Dr. Maria Montessori

The prepared environment is something unique and special to a Montessori classroom. Dr. Montessori designed work environments to encourage creativity, concentration, and independence. She believed everything should be beautiful for the child. Today, Guides spend countless hours sorting, organizing, and positioning various shelves and materials in the classroom before your child steps one foot through the door. And when the children do arrive, the responsibility becomes a shared one. The children, along with the teacher, work together to care for their sacred environment. Everything has a place and everything has order. 

Well, we are home now. So how do we replicate even a portion of this? We don't have room for separate Language, Math, Geometry, History, Geography, Science, or Practical Life shelves. But with some creativity, we can prepare a home environment that will indeed support the Montessori principles. 

If you can, designate a special area for your child to work. Ideally, it is separate from where the family eats or plays. It can be a small table or a corner of a room- that's enough. In our house, it took some rearranging, but our home school work area is clearly delineated from the rest of the house. Our materials are there and stay there. This sets the tone for work and is not accessed unless we are "at school". As we wrap our brains around the next few months, and are all looking at more time in our homes than usual, I encourage you to do some thinking about this. Discuss the options with your children. Together, make a list of items needed...paper, pencils, art supplies, books, etc. And they can brainstorm a few jobs to help care for their new home school environment...table washing, sweeping, or dusting, for example. The more you involve the children, the more connected and responsible they will feel. Go ahead! Move some furniture around, rearrange some shelves, or empty some baskets. Have a little fun finding what works for your family. 

The past several weeks have been a big adjustment and there wasn't much time to plan. We should give ourselves permission to pause and breath. Its not always easy, but the shift in mood that occurs when we allow ourselves to take a walk, play a game with our children, or to do something fun, is powerful. I have tested it myself. And when we remember to step back, we let in a growth mindset. And with this, we can prepare our home environments to best support the next few months of home learning. This sets up our children, and ourselves, for success.