The Importance of

Trained Directress

Ms. Ami
 Introduction
“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

There two essential aspects in Montessori classroom.

One, the Prepared Environment. Second, the
Directress itself.

2
 Role of a Directress
“The best preparation for teaching is a study of one’s self.

Maria Montessori wrote extensively about the role of the directress, particularly
about the spiritual journey on which a Directress must undergo 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 train to prepare herself for
the classroom. The directress must prepare her spirit — her values, beliefs,
strengths, weakness, habits and omissions — before she enters the classroom to
serve the spirit of the children.
3
 Role of a Directress
“Children literally soak up everything in their environment including the
behaviors and attitudes of the principal caretakers.”

The presence of a directress is as much as a part of the environment as any

materials 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 a teacher is a critical component of
a successful Montessori environment.

4
 Role of a Directress
Faith — Believing that the children is able to do by themselves

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 perception.
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”.

5
 Role of a Directress
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.

Elements essential for a Montessori class includes child-sized furniture, high-

quality natural materials, and natural lights.

6
 Role of a Directress
The classroom must be organised, warm and welcoming to the child. Ideally,
the classroom is open, clean, beautiful and serene with clearly designated
work areas. In a way that 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 the these
aspects require training by a directress in order to effectively execute.

7
 Role of a Directress
A directress is essentially the protector of the environment.

Ways to protect the surroundings is by doing no comparing among the

children, maintaining the class rules, and ordering and preserving the pace
of the classroom.

8
 Role of a Directress
The directress observes the child and knows when to intervene to direct the
child to an appropriate activity.

If the child is not treating the material properly, then the directress will redirect the
child either to end that work or to 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.

9
 Role of a Directress
Free choice is the ultimate goal but free choice cannot be utilise if a child
lacks the will and inner discipline.

With regards to discipline in the classroom, when a classroom is nearer chaos than
discipline, a teacher must supervise and given individual lessons. If a child
responds to every stimulus in his environment, he is not discipline. In other words,
he cannot yet to obey his inner guide.

10
 Role of a Directress
The directress must be proactive, know the function of the prepared
environment, and the “nature and purpose” of each material.

Furthermore, she also must understand the age and development

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.

11
 Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s Don’ts
• Observer • Interrupting
• Flexible • Timid
• Consistent • Intimidating
• Believe in the process • Dull
• Approachable • Passive
• Creative • Judgmental
• Interactive • Comparing others
• Well prepare • Unjust
• Insightful • Favoritism
• Dynamic • Rude
• Intuitive • Unsympathetic
• Reliable • Short-tempered
• Patience and passionate • Apathetic
12
Thank you

13