Montessori teachers think of themselves as “enlightened generalists”, trained in the details of the curriculum. Montessori teachers have four principal obligations:

1. …to awaken the child’s spirit and imagination;
2. …to encourage the child’s normal desire for independence and high sense of self-esteem;
3. …to help the child develop the kindness, courtesy, and self-discipline that allows him to become a full member of society, and;
4. …to help the child learn how to observe, question, and explore ideas independently.

Dr. Montessori observed that children learn most effectively through direct experience and the process of investigation and discovery. Thus, the basis of the Montessori method of instruction is a combination of the prepared environment with specially selected materials, and a teaching style that emphasizes observation and guidance rather than direct teaching and providing answers.

The teacher rarely presents a lesson to more than a handful of children at one time, and these lessons are limited to brief, efficient presentations. The goal is to give the children just enough to capture their attention and spark their interest, intriguing them enough that they will come back on their own to work with the materials.