OBSERVATION

by Lakshmi A. Kripalani
The adult who is inexperienced in the art of observation may, even with the
best intentions, react to a child’s behavior in a way that hinders instead
of helping the child’s development. Kripalani outlines the need for train-
ing and practice in observation in order to “understand the needs of the
children and…to understand how to remove obstacles.” To this end, she
outlines a technique for practicing observation. She also lists the different
aspects to be observed in the classroom and discusses points of awareness
in the observation of each.

Observation is essential to human progress. It is an art that has

helped humanity from its inception, when there was no language,
no tools, and no machinery. Man, in protecting himself through
vital information gained by observing, invented fire and the wheel
to meet his needs and to make life safe, even comfortable.

Observation as a technique in understanding human behavior

is an enormous undertaking strewn with all sorts of limitations.
Observing children is especially difficult because their verbal com-

Lakshmi A. Kripalani (1920-2013) was a devoted Montessorian for the

better part of Montessori history. In 1946, as a young teacher in Kara-
chi, India, Lakshmi studied and worked with Maria Montessori. In the
early 1960s she moved to the US, just in time to help shape the nascent
American Montessori movement. During her long and productive Mon-
tessori career, Lakshmi was a teacher, teacher educator, head of school,
and international consultant. She established the Montessori Center of
New Jersey teacher preparation center in 1966 and pioneered Montes-
sori schools throughout the world. As a student of Dr. Montessori, she
meticulously recorded and preserved each of her mentor’s lectures. These
handwritten notes, along with letters and other historic documents, are
now part of the AMS archive at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Lakshmi’s own experiences
as a pioneering educator are documented in her book Montessori in
Practice: Observations from a First-Generation Montessorian, a
collection of articles that first appeared in Public School Montessorian.
Reprinted with permission from AMI Communications 1 (1987): 2-11.

Kripalani • Observation 229

munication is not merely inhibited by their lack of command over
words but generally does not reflect the inner functioning of the
child’s mind. Their behavior, however, does give some clues to an
experienced and trained eye. To a beginner the manifestations of
their behavior can be misleading. The predicament that confronts
such a novice is that he/she fails to comprehend the child’s real
inner needs. Thus the individual either gives up in frustration or, in
the name of love, help and concern, falls into the trap of hindering
the child’s growth and development.

A child tries to put on his coat by himself. He struggles to put on

the zipper and is trying very hard to succeed. One teacher comes in
and zips up the zipper. The child may or may not protest. Even if he
does not protest, next time he lacks confidence to try it by himself
and continues to be dependent on the adult’s help. In the extreme
situation, he may even whine and say: “I cannot do it”. The adult,
out of love and concern, consoles the child and says: “Yes, it is too
hard to put on a zipper. I will do it for you.” Another adult, who
has mastered the art of observation, perceives the same situation in
quite a different way. She will note that the child is not holding the

The Montessori Children’s House: An Introduction © NAMTA 2013

230 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

clip of the zipper down enough to hold the pin on the other side of
the zipper in its proper position to function. She will approach the
child cautiously and hold his hand and help him to hold the clip
down and allow him to put the rod in the hole with the other hand
by himself. The child then succeeds in pulling up the zipper, gives
a smile and may say: “Oh! Now, I can do it by myself.” This type
of direction serves as a stepping stone to independence, confidence
and happiness.

The intention of both the above individuals was to love and

help the child. However, in the case of the first adult, the very love,
help and concern turns out to be an obstacle that hinders the child
unintentionally. The adult may not consciously be a participant in
these hindrances. The adult does not even recognize that he himself
may be to blame for the child’s deviated behavior. Besides the dif-
ficulty of comprehending the inner working of the child’s mind and
its resultant behavior, the perception of each individual adult varies
from that of every other individual. We perceive the world with the
special eye of our own experiences. Furthermore, the words and the
language we use play tricks with our minds because of their varied
usage according to our own experience and interpretations.

What to one individual is rigidity, to another is consistency. What

to one is license, to another is freedom. What to one is teaching, to
another is restricting the personal growth of the individual being
taught and depriving him/her of the opportunity to explore and
internalize the experiences that lay the firm foundation of learning.
This internalized process of learning cannot be taught by another
individual. One may succeed in making another individual produce
mechanical reproduction of transmitted facts. This rote learning does
not help those so taught to transfer this knowledge to other situa-
tions and consequently is of no value in real life. This immediate
gratification and illusion of learning overshadows the importance
of observation and its significance.

I remember the first parent meeting that I had to address in

Iowa City, Iowa. It was my very first experience in addressing a
P.T.A. meeting. In India and in Pakistan, at least in those days,
there was no such thing as P.T.A. meetings. There were individual
conferences and those only in case of emergencies. Children’s plays,

Kripalani • Observation 231

drama or elocution competitions were held to reflect the philosophy
of schools. I was experienced in public speaking having addressed
masses in the fight for freedom in India, but, in a way, for this first
P.T.A. meeting in Iowa, I was nervous and not quite sure as to how
to address a group of enthusiastic people. I was concerned that I
would not say the right words to keep their enthusiasm alive, or
that I might mislead them or be trapped into the responsibility of
fulfilling their unrealistic expectations of transforming their chil-
dren into university scholars. When we restarted Montessori in the
late fifties, the expectations were that of producing geniuses with
the magic word of Montessori. Maybe, even today this is true in
certain circles. However, I got up and said: “I have never taught,
I have not come here to teach and I have no intention of ever
teaching.” You can imagine the reaction of the crowd full of Iowa
University professors and graduate students who had worked so
hard and advanced their own personal money up front to search
the whole world for a Montessori teacher who would transform
their children into immediate scholars. Instead of elaborating my
statement, I quickly put up a demonstration of peeling quite a large
potato without breaking the peel, the peel whirling around like an
interesting snake to hold their attention. This practical demonstra-
tion for the development of coordination and control of movement
saved me from being responsible for stopping the heartbeat of at
least two individuals, who had made all sorts of promises to start
the first Montessori school in Iowa City, Iowa. However, I meant
every word of my statement that I do not teach. I believe you all are
well aware of the fact that Dr. Montessori did not start the schools
to teach. It was to help the child to develop and grow according to
his/her maximum potential. However, learning was an incidental
phenomenon of this process. Today we are caught in the dilemma
of learning how to teach teaching.

Mario Montessori Jr. reminded us, at the study conference in

the Netherlands, August 1982, that Dr. Montessori elaborated on
the school environment but always observing the child in his/her
spontaneous behavior within his/her environment and learning from
these observations. He further stated that: “If Montessori courses lose
that point of view and do not give enough attention or importance
to observation, they will become rigid and only have narrow theo-
ries to offer.” We have unconsciously fallen into this trap of narrow

232 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

theories. Dr. Montessori used her observation to discover the inner
functioning of the child and to understand the forces that direct hu-
man development from within. Dr. Montessori did not want us to be
dependent on her or her theories. She insisted that we continue to
look at the child and try to understand the child. She was continu-
ously in search of the understanding of the fascinating phenomenon
of creation from its inception and thereby tried to understand the
potentiality of the child from conception. This is the challenge we
have inherited from her. We have the responsibility to transmit this
realisation to the trainees that the observation that they have to do
for a required number of hours is merely an introduction to the pro-
cess of learning how to observe. The process of observation has no
end in itself. It continues not merely in the classroom situation but
wherever you have the opportunity to find the children. Speaking
of the preparation of the teacher, Dr. Montessori said,
if pedagogy is to take its place among the sciences, it
must be characterized by its method; and the teacher must
prepare herself not by means of the content but by means
of the method ... the fundamental quality is the capacity
for observation ... That the possession of senses and of
knowledge is not sufficient to enable a person to observe;
it is a habit which must be developed by practice. (Maria
Montessori, The Advanced Montessori Method, Volume 1,
Kalakshetra Publications, p. 107).

Our observation requirement of a minimum of 75 hours combined

with the overwhelming material covered and its preparation is like
ripples in the water of a pond that occur against the background of
stillness and through the medium of water. “When stillness and activity
are in balance, the state of the pond reflects the subtle rhythms that
are ordinarily obscured and confused by surface ripples.” (Arthur
J. Diekman, M.D., The Observing Self, p. 104). Mechanical use of the
material is like the surface ripples distracting and obscuring the
depth and the extent of the potentiality of the child and the process
through which normalization is achieved.

When Dr. Montessori talks about observation, she is talking

about the ability to perceive the unfathomable potential of the child
that is always there but has been difficult to perceive because it is
shadowed by the child’s inability to function in an environment that
is full of obstacles. Imagine a seed sown in a rocky place without

Kripalani • Observation 233

proper sunlight. The seed
may sprout and take its Dr. Montessori used her observation
root in a zig-zag terrain, to discover the inner functioning of
and somehow it may man- the child and to understand the forces
age to appear out of the that direct human development from
rocks to get a glimpse of within. Dr. Montessori did not want us
the sunlight but it will not to be dependent on her or her theories.
bear the fruit or the flower She insisted that we continue to look
that it contains within itself. at the child and try to understand
If it does bear the fruit, it the child. She was continuously in
will be of a much inferior search of the understanding of the
or a twisted quality. For a
fascinating phenomenon of creation
would-be teacher, it is im-
from its inception and thereby tried
practical to proceed on pure
to understand the potentiality of the
faith. For a new teacher to
child from conception.
proceed on pure faith, there
lies a rocky road ahead to
realize the fruit of her labor. The teacher generally tumbles down
on this rocky and shaky venture. Even if she is strong enough to
hold on to pure faith, she may seem to succeed in a mirage that is
neither real nor true. Maybe we too are groping in that mirage or
are paddling in shallow waters. With some luck and some intuition
we are content with the partial results of our labor here and there.
Are we following the framework of our training courses which is
safe and convenient for our protection rather than having the cour-
age to question or to investigate our shortcomings? Observation
has occupied a peripheral position in our training courses. In spite
of its uniqueness and importance for our own growth and that of
protecting the child’s rights to be what he is born to be, we have
not been able to give it proper time and consideration. We are so
intertwined in curriculum and perhaps overly dependent on the
material that we exhaust our time and energy losing sight of the
legacy that we have inherited from Dr. Montessori: “To follow the
child, to know him, to understand him and to provide him with an
environment devoid of obstacles.”

The basic premise is to follow the child to know him. Many a

time our new teachers, armed and loaded with the material, are so
bewildered and lost that they are left with no choice but to impose
this material mechanically on the children. Instead, we must give

234 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

them sufficient time with children to observe them and to know them.
Luckily and/or incidentally or even accidentally, some children, like
a seed depending upon the soil and the environment (which extends
from the conception to the home, to the community, to the school),
do flower anyway. However, the flower may not be as profound·in
shape and size as it ought to be.

Any change is difficult to assimilate or to accept. Even when it

is accepted it produces results only through a very tedious process
requiring patience, perseverance and persistence. To do justice to
children in the world geared to the rights of adults is almost an
impossible task. But as we have persisted and claimed to be the
soldiers for the protection of children, as Mario Montessori used
to call us, let us give a serious consideration to the essential task of
observation. Our purpose as I perceive it, especially in our limited
setting, could be at least twofold:

1. To provide more time to trainees to observe spon-

taneous behavior of children at different levels of
development within the Montessori classroom and
also outside the Montessori environment.

2. To provide the time and the opportunity to the train-

ees to assimilate and to comprehend the process of
non-intervention and at the same time not to abandon
the child to the vagaries of behavior.

To understand the inner needs of the child, the trainees must

study them by direct observation of the child in his/her natural
surroundings long before the child enters the school at the age of
three. The spontaneous behavior of the child at this early stage of
development reflects the functioning of the inner conscious urge.
After three years, the responses of the child are more or less inter-
twined with the conscious and unconscious urges. By observing the
child under the age of three, i.e., before the intervention of conscious
functioning, the trainees will obtain a clear idea of the transition
from the unconscious urge to the conscious act.

For the teacher to understand how the child’s psyche urges him
to respond to the environment, observation is crucial. Observation
provides the trainee with a better knowledge of the child’s inner

Kripalani • Observation 235

needs and prepares him/her better to be of help in the natural spon-
taneous development and growth of the children that are entrusted
to him/her. It is not merely essential to observe children from birth
to three years in their natural surroundings but in different envi-
ronments as well.

The art of observation is not an easy task. It is acquired through

practice combined with lots of patience until it becomes second na-
ture to one. One can observe the children anywhere one sees them.
I have watched children in odd places even without being aware
of the fact that I am watching them until something unusual hap-
pens and I jump to respond. Recently, at the airport I noticed two
passengers reading a book. Suddenly, I noticed another observing
person jumped up and caught a toy car that might have hurt a child
in a stroller a number of feet across from where she was sitting. A
child of about three years was playing with a couple of toys and
suddenly decided to throw them around. There was another pas-
senger ’s child in the stroller sucking on a milk bottle. The mother
was relaxing with a book. If the individual had not caught this toy
car, the child would have been hurt. The mother was reading, so
was the individual. The mother was so oblivious to the other child
playing with toys that she was startled to see someone catching a
flying toy in the nick of time and save her child from being hurt.
One mother was very apologetic and the other very thankful. For
the experienced observer it was an unconscious and spontaneous
response but a very crucial response for all concerned. The stranger
was really involved in the book but was simultaneously aware of
the two children and their actions.

So far our emphasis on observation of the child in the Montessori

class has been to focus on concentration, obedience, normalization,
imagination, social behavior, moral behavior, etc. These are the
essential clues that indicate when the development of the child oc-
curs. However, what the trainees also need to keep in mind is what
leads to concentration, normalization, etc. The goal of observation is
two-fold: to understand the needs of the children and, secondly, to
understand how to remove obstacles. It is this type of preparation
that will equip the teacher to be a source of help in removing the
obstacles that the children face in their growth and development.
This will help save the teacher from disappointments leading to

236 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

disbelief or being caught in the trap of old techniques of teaching
rather than directing the children in their development.

In order to do justice to the path Dr. Montessori led us onto,

we have to rely on the process of our continuous, repeated and objective
observations and continually re-evaluate our interpretations of our ap-
plication. Mr. Joosten rightly emphasised that:
We must also learn to direct our observations so that
merely sensorial looking becomes mentally alert, intel-
ligent observing … We have to reach a level where our
observation does not exclude our direct activity with and
for the children, but accompanies it constantly, guiding it
continuously, like the beating of the heart. (A.M. Joosten
‘Observation’, Communications, No. 4, 1971.)

In the same article Mr. Joosten describes observation as:

The source of the vital and developmental power of Dr.
Montessori’s work that animates the love which flows
through it. This must do for us also if our work is to
preserve its vital and artistic character, if we are to avoid
the danger of slow, often unconscious degeneration and
mechanical imitation.

As a human species, we all are endowed with the power of obser-

vation, but we do not cultivate that art and power of observation. ln
our civilized and mechanical age we all are spoon-fed with everything
ready-made. I believe that soon we will be fed mechanically and we
may not even have the much appreciated pleasure of making our own
cup of tea. The preparation of good tea is an art which has already
vanished. Today, we dunk the tea bag in water and drink a colored
water rather than the real tea that has its own delicate taste.

To train the trainees to recapture the art of observation, the fol-

lowing technique and practice has proved to be of great asset:

1. To remember that the art of observation is a continu-

ing and an ongoing process. It starts from the time of
training and continues throughout one’s lifetime.

2. Before the trainees attempt to observe others, they

must observe their own growing process, reflect and

Kripalani • Observation 237

 write their own childhood experiences and that of
their siblings and recollect their earlier memories
and their reactions to their environment inclusive
of their parents. This will help them to analyze their
own preferences and resentments to the work they
are embarking on.

3. To give the trainees different and graded games on

observation techniques, such as:

a) Cover a few objects with a piece of cloth, open it

for a couple of minutes and see how many they
can remember.

b) Increase the number of objects as they prog-

ress.

c) Decrease the time the objects are disclosed.

d) Put the objects that are associated in groups,

e.g., needle, thread and scissors; paint, brush
and paper; safety pin, button and hook; etc.

e) Put the objects in (d) above without grouping

them.

f) These games have a tremendous variety and in-

numerable variations for sharpening the visual
periphery of perception. The more they practise,
the sharper their perception becomes. Therefore,
it is advisable that the trainees develop such an
interest in the games that, during the free time,
they continue to play. Later on when they, as
teachers, are in charge of 30 children or so with
a variety of activities going on, they will be able
to focus their attention on the ongoing activities
in the class.

4. Group the trainees in small groups and ask one group

to observe another group. Each member of the group
records the observation individually. Let the group

238 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

 being observed record their own activity and their
own behavior. Let them then share objectively their
own perception of themselves and the way others
observe them

5. To observe and record the director of training carry-

ing out activities with the Montessori material and
then discuss in the group what was perceived.

6. To observe children between the age of 0-5 years in

their own surroundings, i.e., at home, in the park,
in the shopping center, etc. (We achieved this in our
community by giving each trainee a letter of intro-
duction to the parents explaining our objectives. We
also announced in the local newspaper and requested
the co-operation of parents.)

7. Time was provided when the trainees could share

their observations with the director of training pres-
ent, to work as a catalyst as and when necessary, to
have a meaningful and professional understanding
of perceptual differences.

8. While these activities are in progress, the rest of the

training in other areas is simultaneously in progress.
After sufficient groundwork is laid down, the train-
ees are now well equipped to proceed for further
observation in the field, i.e.:

a) Nursery schools

b) KG and Grade 1

c) Montessori school

At continuous intervals, time is provided for trainees to exchange

their observation under the direction of the trainer. This provides
the opportunity to compare and interpret different recordings of the
same observation. This helps to sort out the objective aspects from
the subjective aspects. Besides, the difference in previous knowledge
and experience of the individuals in the group enhances the devel-

Kripalani • Observation 239

opment of the group as a whole, as well as that of each individual
in the group. (Caution is taken to discuss the observations without
naming the individuals involved.)

All these experiences help the individuals to acquire the art and
professionalism in the process of observation. Further, the trainer
accompanies these visits intermittently to help in assessing the
process of developing the art and objectivity of observation.

After the general observational experience in all the above three

settings, the trainees are now required to concentrate only on Mon-
tessori classrooms. At this stage they are required to concentrate
only on one of the following aspects of the Montessori class but
not be oblivious to the functioning of the class as a whole. Having
been exposed to all the above experiences enables the individual
to observe meaningfully. All the above is just a preparation for
observation that follows, which is systematic and classified. These
periods of observation now can be classified in the following cat-
egories that follow with emphasis only on one aspect at a time but
the awareness of the total class continues.

As a director of the class, one has to acquire this ability of be-

ing aware of the whole class to be really effective in following each
child according to his/her needs.

The different aspects to be observed are:

1. observing a child

2. observing a small group of children

3. observing a teacher

4. observing an assistant or an aid

5. observing an environment

6. observing a specific piece of material

This is not an exhaustive list. It can be enlarged according to

the size of the class and other variables involved.

240 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

 O BSERVING A C HILD

Child’s spontaneity to select and persist in completing an activ-

ity: how does one overcome the hurdle? Does he/she give up easily?
Can he/she wait for assistance from the directress? Does he/she
seek help from another child? What follows when he/she completes
a task successfully or when he/she cannot proceed? Does he/she
repeat the activity? Is repetition meaningful or just busy work to
avoid the responsibility of doing any other meaningful activity?
What is the difficulty that he/she is facing in doing this task? Can
you think of a possible solution if you are responsible for the class?
(This is a good time to be aware of the analysis of difficulty that
most of the children face in their development.) What is the level
of his/her persistence and/or concentration in spite of the distrac-
tions in the environment? Does he/she continue when distracted
or interrupted in the environment? What is the consistency level
of the child in pursuing one task after another? What are his/her
reactions to a meaningful activity, such as expression of joy, state of
serenity or manifestation of love? When does he/she operate on a
high level of energy and when at a low level? Does he/she have a
particular pattern of activity, such as from activity to no activity and
spontaneously back to another activity, or is he/she being coaxed
to continue to work? If so, how
does the child react? Is he/
she generally orderly or dis- The goal of observation is two-
orderly? Does he/she take fold: to understand the needs
interest in the development of the children and, secondly,
of his/her companions? Is to understand how to remove
he/she a leader or a follower? obstacles. It is this type of
Does he/she show interest or preparation that will equip the
admiration for the work of teacher to be a source of help in
others? (This is just a partial removing the obstacles that the
list of the different aspects of children face in their growth and
the child’s behavior that can development. This will help save
be observed. At this stage one the teacher from disappointments
is merely looking at what the leading to disbelief or being caught
child is doing not why the child in the trap of old techniques of
is doing what he is doing. There teaching rather than directing the
is special time provided later children in their development.
to analyze why the children

Kripalani • Observation 241

behave the way they do. Specific situations are also clarified for
better understanding.)

O BSERVING A G ROUP OF C HILDREN

After having some experience and being able to concentrate on

an individual child, the trainee now should proceed to observe a
group of children especially those that are usually interacting with
and around the first child observed. The trainee may first go from
one child to two children and then concentrate on a small group of
children. Later on she may increase her periphery according to the
individual ability and proceed till one can observe the whole class
in detail with some facility. Besides observing the above aspects as
in the case of one child, there will be special attention diverted to
the details of the interaction between the children as well as with
the teacher and vice versa.

O BSERVATION OF THE T EACHER

While observing the individual child as well as the group of

children, the teacher was inevitably there in the peripheral obser-
vation all the time, but now the concentration is fully focused on
the teacher. The aspects of observation now specifically include
her movements in the classroom, her general tone of voice, and
her facility in presentations. Is the tone of voice normally soft or
unusually soft that it is quite unnatural or does she direct from one
corner to another? Does the teacher accept the low level of activity
or inactivity patiently and let the children find their own rhythm
of activity? Or does she get restless and collect the children, or
frequently ring the bell to get them to work? Is she always happy
to meet the challenges put forth by the children or is she irritated
or desperate when a child cannot do a task as it should be done?
How does she approach the children who are not meaningfully oc-
cupied? Does she start the presentation from the beginning or does
she analyze the hurdle the child is facing and show the child how
to cross the hurdle, or does she solve the hurdle herself or does
she abandon the child, day-dreaming indefinitely? Is she flitting
like a butterfly from child to child to help them or does she glide
smoothly to wherever she is needed? What is her body language?
Does she sit down patiently to observe what is going on and then
answer the call of need or does she sit glued to the chair instead of

242 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

at a desk and expect wonders to take place? Does the teacher mostly
work with the individual child, or with a small group or the whole
class? It is very essential for the trainee to absorb all these aspects
of adult behavior so that when she is in charge of the class she can
be conscious of her own behavior and act according to the best of
her ability. Caution must be taken that this analytical observation is
not done to criticize or to put down the teacher but to comprehend
what behavior is essential if you are to meet the needs of children
and help them in their process of development.

O BSERVATION OF AN A SSISTANT OR AN A ID

An assistant or an aid in the classroom is an essential part of the

living and acting part of the environment. Generally, the assistant
is not a trained individual and is not supposed to be a teaching
assistant but she is an acting human being and an essential part of
the environment. It is essential to note her attitude, her interaction
to her work and to the environment and his/her role in the class.
ls she actually working with the children or is she generally in the
background? Is the aid made responsible for the total discipline of
the class while the teacher is totally engrossed with an individual
child and oblivious to the rest of the class? In what area of the
classroom is she more active? Is she limited only to the practical
life area, the most important area of a Montessori class that really
helps the process of normalization? Is this area totally ignored by
the teacher? Is the assistant really struggling to keep the children
and herself with the household chores, as a maid? Or is she func-
tioning as a teaching assistant? Or is she only responsible for the
upkeep of the prepared environment? Does she replace the broken
or soiled material as and when necessary? Or does she wait till the
end of the day? Does she keep the supplies ready at hand? Do the
children have to line up for the paper to be cut for drawing insets?
Does she introduce the new material or only represent the material?
Is she respected as the teacher? (Sometimes the role of the assistant
is the most demanding role and at times even confusing for her to
be or not to be!)

O BSERVATION OF THE E NVIRONMENT

Observation of the environment needs essential attention. What

is the physical layout of the environment? Does it allow free move-

Kripalani • Observation 243

ment of the children? Is the environment aesthetically pleasant? How
are the different sections of the environment organized? These are
some of the basic aspects of the classrooms but the physical size and
shape of the classrooms vary indefinitely. It is, therefore, essential
that the trainees have the opportunity to observe a varied number
of classrooms and be aware of what makes an arrangement of the
classroom within a set of circumstances more practically workable
for the children to have the freedom to move around and carry out
their activities smoothly.

Is the environment attractive and alive with plants, flower pots,

pets, etc.? Do the children take care of the plants and pets? Are the
pets and the plants there only for the decoration rather than part
of the activities in the classroom?

Is the outdoor environment an extension of the indoor environ-

ment, where the children can carry out their activities freely? Or is
the outdoor environment only as an outlet for the repressed energy
in the classroom? Is the outdoor environment attractive as well as
peaceful—surrounded with flowers, plants, bushes and trees or only
equipped with jungle gym, swings and seesaw, etc.? Do the children
have their own area where they can dig, sow and plant their own
vegetables and flowers? Or is the outdoor area maintained by a
gardener for the attraction of the adults? Are the children allowed
to take care of their own gardening area? Does the teacher prepare
the outdoor area and encourage individual participation so that the
children learn to enjoy and respect the whole environment?

Another aspect of the environment is to see how the environ-

ment is maintained when the class is in session, for instance, when
a child leaves handwashing material in disarray (wet soap in a basin
with water) or some of the cubes of the pink tower on the floor or a
large one on top of the small one, or number rods not in sequence?
Is it all left alone for the rest of the day to respect the work of the
child? Is the child forced to put it in proper order in spite of his/
her outbursts of refusal? Does the teacher rearrange it without a
fuss to set the example for the child to follow suit happily and,
therefore, comprehend how the material is expected to be left in
the classroom for other children to function without an obstacle?

244 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

Cornerstone Schools, St. Paul, Minnesota

Or do the other children help and put the things in order? Are all
the dirty linens, etc. replaced when necessary or at the end of the
day? Are the supplies, like paper, pencils, wash-cloths and sponges
available conveniently or does the activity stop till the replacement
of articles can be fetched? Do the children replace the supplies? Are
music, art and physical exercise activities part of the prepared envi-
ronment? Or does an outsider come in and interject half an hour ’s
program to fulfill these needs? Is the chipped material repaired
and/or replaced frequently or left in that condition for the rest of
the year or forever?

Another aspect to concentrate on is the material used. What

material is used, how frequently, and at what age? When is a par-
ticular piece of material totally ignored, etc.? Are the exploration
exercises with the material allowed to comprehend the various
aspects of the material and to enhance the creativity and imagina-
tion of the children?

Kripalani • Observation 245

 All the possibilities of concentration on varied aspects of ob-
servation have not been exhausted. The possibilities evolve as the
ability to observe enhances and the interest in looking for further
details increases, that is when the fire is lit and the trainee, who
now becomes a teacher, does not stop the observation but contin-
ues the search for knowledge and how to improve it. Observation
becomes a tool for acquiring further knowledge rather than merely
a requirement to be fulfilled.

No specific time for each aspect of the observation has been pro-
vided intentionally since the number of students and the experience
of the students varies from year to year. The trainees bring their
own richness of experience or lack of it. The children available for
observation in the vicinity also varies from year to year. Therefore,
depending on the needs of the trainees and other practical consid-
erations, the timing has to be flexible for each aspect.

Another point taken into consideration is to put two trainees

together at a particular observation. To enhance their understanding,
it is required of them to write their independent observations and
then share their recorded observations with each other. Also, the
director of training has to be prepared not only to have the ability
to follow the child but also to follow each trainee in her develop-
ment, to be able to direct each one individually and let each one find
their own limitations, their own assets and their own solutions. This
was practically achieved as the trainees were involved half of the
day either in observation or in practice teaching. Practice teaching
generally followed after sufficient observation but then they were
handled intermittently as the need and growth of the individual
dictated. (L.A. Kripalani, ‘A Continuing Exploration in Montessori
Teacher Training’, NAMTA Quarterly, Summer, 1981.) The teacher,
however, must also keep in mind the “Guide for Psychological Ob-
servation” written by Dr. Maria Montessori (The Advanced Montessori
Method, Volume 1, chapter 3.) Here the emphasis has been to help
the trainees to develop the art of observation and comprehend the
importance of continuous observation in order to know the children
and their needs.

Dr. Montessori used to say that the children we know are men-
tally starved and psychically unhealthy. It is then essential to acquire

246 The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 41, No. 3 • Summer 2016

the ability through analytical observation to appreciate the laws of
development and to know the mental starvation and the psychic
health of the children. “Development has laws of its own. If these
are respected and if respect does not start too late, the child will
be normalised and reveal the true nature of man.” (Dr. Montessori,
Communications, No. 3/4, 1984.)

By this she means that through observation we will understand

the child and learn to respect the child and his needs and acquire
the ability to prepare the right environment for the right age, where
the child can function independently and enjoy the freedom with
a sense of security and self-confidence.

Let us then remember that we will aspire to respect the laws of

development only when we understand them. We will understand
these laws only when we understand the needs of the child. We
will understand the needs of the child only when we observe the
child and his environment with a clinical eye and the warmth of
our hearts in the service of the child.

Kripalani • Observation 247