Directress (or director) is the word Maria Montessori used for the adult in the classroom. Today many schools say guide. The word stresses that the adult directs the environment and the child’s activity rather than lecturing.
What the Role Involves
- Preparing the environment. Choosing, arranging and rotating materials so that every option is purposeful.
- Observing. Watching each child closely to see what they are ready for.
- Presenting. Showing a material to one child or a small group, slowly and with few words.
- Stepping back. Letting the child work, repeat and correct their own mistakes through the control of error.
- Protecting concentration. Not interrupting a child who is absorbed.
Training
Montessori teachers in the US usually train with AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) or AMS (American Montessori Society). Courses are specific to an age level, such as 0 to 3, 3 to 6 or 6 to 12. See AMI vs AMS and the Montessori teacher’s role.
At Home
Parents take on the same posture in small ways. Prepare a simple space, show a task slowly once, then watch instead of directing every step.
Common Misunderstandings
- “The teacher does nothing.” The work is mostly invisible. It happens in preparation, observation and individual presentations.
- “Directress means strict.” The word comes from directing the environment, not from discipline.
Questions Parents Ask
Why are Montessori teachers called guides?
Because they guide each child to the next step instead of teaching the whole class the same lesson at the same time.
Do all Montessori schools have trained teachers?
No. “Montessori” is not a protected name in the US, so ask which training the lead teachers completed.
Sources
- Montessori, M. The Montessori Method (1912), on the directress.
- Montessori, M. The Absorbent Mind (1949), on the teacher.