How is a Montessori teacher different from a mainstream teacher or early years worker?
Montessori teachers are seen more as facilitators than teachers, guiding children's learning rather than imposing it. Montessori schools highlight learning through experience and use a specific set of activity or learning materials, providing a foundation of learning for all children. Children are given spontaneous access to the materials, which are displayed on shelves.
Barbara Isaacs is academic director at the Montessori St Nicholas Charity, which represents the Montessori movement in the UK. "Because the children have the freedom to choose from all areas of learning, the teacher has to observe what the children engage with and plan the curriculum around their interests," she says. "They also will see that some areas are not of interest and think about how to develop those areas. It is an anomaly – you are a Montessori teacher but you do not teach."
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