Observation Guidelines
Thank you for choosing to observe the classrooms at Cougar Mountain Montessori. Prior to your visit, please take a moment to review the following guidelines. Please see Open House & Tours for more information about scheduling a school tour and classroom observation.
When Observing, please...
| Enter quietly, respecting the child’s world. |
| Take a chair carefully, carrying it with two hands (a child may be watching you and will later imitate you) and place it in a corner or by a wall out of the way of shelves and tables. |
| Have a note pad and pencil with you so that you will be busy with “your work.” Take notes on children as much as possible, as it will give you something to do. If a child asks you why you are there or what you are doing, you can simply say you are doing “some writing, and this is my work.” |
Please relax and enjoy your visit. And please don’t feel the teacher is ignoring you. Her attention will be with the children. If you have questions, please write them down to be addressed after your visit. The teacher probably won’t say much to you during class because time won’t permit and adults talking may distract the children working. |
| Perhaps you might note the following: | | Is a child outgoing today or quiet? | If he is in a group, is he leading or following? | Is a child choosing his own work or following another? | | Is he choosing to be by himself today, or to work in a group? | Which children are balancing their day between the work areas and among a variety of activities? | | Can you tell if he is what Montessori termed “normalized”, i.e.: free and relatively independent, secure in his own choices and feelings. (Does he use his freedom or misuse it?) | | Is any particular child staying with one activity quite a long time? What is the activity? | | Does he need more movement, seem restless; or is he peaceful and contented? | | Does he require help to complete his work and return it to the shelf, or does he follow through himself? | Which children is the teacher still imposing discipline on today and which ones seem to have some internalized discipline of their own today? |
Feel free after observing for a time in one room, to take your chair back and move to another room. You may sit on a mat on the floor also if you prefer. Merely use care when moving that you go slowly and gracefully, taking special care in the hallway to give the children who are carrying water trays or buckets the right of way. |
Keep in mind that any given child may or may not be having a “regular” day. (S)he may be quite excited and act silly, perhaps trying to get your attention as you are a “new face” in the classroom. Don’t be concerned or bothered at all; just be busy with “your work”. You might suggest softly to him that he needs to choose some work of his own, but if he wants to remain near you, just enjoy observing the others. Trust him that he will do as he feels best he should. If his behavior gets no extra attention, he will soon choose work that will truly interest and satisfy him and lose interest in gaining either your approval or disapproval. |
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Try and take objective notes. There is probably no right or wrong way for a child to behave if he has chosen a task himself and seems purposeful about it. Try and be specific. |