Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 13 The Essential Is Invisible to the Eye: The Evolution of the Parent Observer. Part 1 In acknowledging the privilege that we as Montessorians are given, "the privilege of being present as children construct themselves," Mary Caroline Parker proposes that parents also should be given that same privilege. Parker created an "Art of Observation"…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 12 Question and Answer: Observation in the Elementary Classroom In this article, Kay Baker sets out to answer the questions, "What is observation? What is the nature of observation in the elementary class? How can observation help the adult guide the development of children?" She responds by listing the areas that can be…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 11 Observation Helfrich addresses two perspectives from which to think about observation in the classroom: that of the teacher observing her classroom, her group, and its needs, and that of the outside observer coming into the classroom. Offering advice from her own…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 10 Observation In order to achieve the goal of observation, preparation of the adult, the observer, is necessary. This preparation, says Hilla Patell, requires us to "have an appreciation of the significance of the child's spontaneous activities and a more thorough…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 09 Observation 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 training and practice in observation in…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 08 Errors and Their Corrections "Our primary concern is not that the child learns to do something without mistakes. Our real concern is that the child does what he needs, with interest." The reaction of so many adults to the mistakes of children is to correct, immediately and directly, says…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 07 Observations Joosten begins his article by telling us that love and knowledge together are the foundation for our work with children. This combination is at the heart of our observation. With this as the foundation, he goes on to offer practical advice to aid our practice…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 06 The Road Home "Children have the potential to create a world we cannot imagine. This is our hope." In choosing Montessori, O'Shaughnessy says that we are choosing the road less traveled. We are choosing education as an aid to life. We are choosing an approach that respects…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 05 What Are We Observing and How? In this talk, Linda Davis discusses observation at the adolescent level. She explains that we must "adjust our approach for the third plane of development, for when they are becoming adults." Using examples, she discusses the characteristics of this plane,…
Digital Object NAMTA Journal 41/3 04 Becoming a Scientific Observer Greg MacDonald leaves no stone unturned as he places the complexity of second-plane observation into one coherent vision that includes the fundamentals of self-construction, the essential field of observation (freedom of work within the prepared environment),…
