The importance of a trained directress

The Directress is one of two essential elements of a Montessori classroom. The other element
is the Prepared Environment
“The teacher’s part and its techniques are analogous to those of the valet; they are to serve, and to
serve well: to serve the spirit.” – The Absorbent Mind

1.The Spiritual Training of the Montessori Directress

Maria Montessori wrote extensively about the role of the Directress, particularly about the
spiritual journey on which a Directress must go before and during her time in the classroom. So,
the Directress must not only train in order to effectively prepare the classroom, but she must also
train to prepare herself for the classroom.
Montessori quoted that “the best preparation for teaching is a study of one’s self.” The
Directress must prepare her spirit – “her values, beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, habits and
omissions” – before she enters the classroom to serve the spirits of the children. Children
“literally soak up everything in their environment including the behaviors and attitudes of the
principal caretakers.” (Nurturing the Spirit, pg. 33)
So, the presence of a Directress is as much a part of the environment as any material on the shelves.
The children feel her spirit, igniting or diminishing an inner drive to learn and to develop and to self-
educate. The journey of self-discovery for the teacher is a critical component of a successful
Montessori environment.

2. Faith
Faith believe that the children is able to do by themselves
Our culture always telling the children what they have do. We don’t trust their potential.
The Directress must not intervene with a child who is concentrating and focusing on a task even if
that same task is repeated again and again without perfection. The Directress should not interrupt the
effort. The birth of concentration is delicate and subtle, a teacher must always be observing and
utilizing her “moral sensitiveness”.

3.The Preparer of the Environment

The Directress must be trained to carefully prepare the environment. The Prepared
Environment is what sets the stage for the child’s learning. In other words, an environment
that allows freedom within limits must be carefully planned and executed.

For example, elements include child-sized furniture, high-quality natural materials, and
natural light. Furthermore, the classroom must be organized, warm & welcoming to the child. Ideally,
the classroom is open, clean, beautiful & serene with clearly designated work areas. More closely we
can see simplicity and order in the way the materials are set out. There is only one of each material to
promote caring and sharing of the materials because a child must respect other’s work time with the
material. The materials are hands-on, encourage movement, based in real life, often involve sequence,
and require a lesson by the teacher. All of these aspects require training by a Directress in order to
effectively execute.

4. The protector of environment

 No compare
 Maintain the class rules
  Order the pace

5. Observer
The Directress observes the child and knows when to intervene to direct the child to an
appropriate activity. If the child is not treating material properly, then the Directress will
redirect the child either to end that work. She may also give another lesson on that work. The
child learns respect through these experiences.
The Directress must know when to step in to guide the child and when to allow the child to
guide himself.
With regards to discipline in the classroom, when a classroom is nearer chaos than discipline,
a teacher must
1) supervise
2) give individual lessons.

Free choice is the ultimate goal but free choice cannot be utilized if a child lacks the will and
inner discipline. If a child responds to every stimulus in his environment, he is not
disciplined. In other words, he cannot yet obey his inner guide.

The Directress is the dynamic link between the child and the prepared environment. To succeed in
becoming a dynamic link, she must possess knowledge, patience, observation, discrimination, tact,
experience, and sympathy.

The Directress must be proactive, know the function of the prepared environment, and the “nature and
purpose” of each material. Furthermore, she must understand the age & developmental
appropriateness of the material. Once she has prepared her own spirit, a teacher’s number one priority
is the prepared environment. Then she can proceed in serving the children.

3-steps in solving problems

1. Stop

 don’t judge
 don’t assume
 don’t compare

2. Observe

 Point of view of children

  Trigger (positive&negative)

3. Implement

 Solution
 Flexible
 Consistent