…the teacher must bring not only the capacity, but the desire, to observe natural phenomena. (Montessori, 1912/2011, p. 100)

A Window to the Heart: Observations That Change Teachers’ Views of Children American Montessori Society 2011 Annual Conference Friday, March 25, 2011 Chicago, Illinois Presenter: Josh Thompson, PhD Texas A&M University-Commerce

observation transformational informing reawakening a learnable skill requiring patience, persistence, and guidance

In our system, she must become a passive, much more than an active, influence, and her passivity shall be composed of anxious scientific curiosity, and of absolute respect for the phenomenon which she wishes to observe. (Montessori, 1912/2011, p. 100)

Eexperience Others words added during session by participants: Experience, passion, love

Kid-watching an action, something we do a presence and awareness, affirming ‘I see you!’ a state of being, who we are

Kid-watching a stage of becoming, how we want to grow our true selves “unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The teacher must understand and feel her position of observer: the activity must lie in the phenomenon. (Montessori, 1912/2011, p. 100)

General Education Teacher Preparation in a Public University Schools & Society Intro to Teaching Child Development Programs for Children Curriculum Internship & Residency

Observation Assignments Schools & Society – 15 hours in 3 schools Intro to Teaching – 30 hours in one school Child Development – 5 children, 3 + case study3 + case study Programs for Children – 5 programs, observingobserving Curriculum – practice lessons Internship - >20 eight-hour days Residency - >60 eight-hour days

A simple liberating thought came to our aid, namely that things about children and for children are only learned from children. (Malaguzzi, 1998, p. 51)

What the pre-teachers saw Child behaviors Adult behaviors Child-adult interactions Child-child interactions Engagement with tasks (reading, eating, playing, watching, etc.)

How the pre-teachers described their Transformation “I didn’t imagine going into a child care center would show me so much about teaching and learning.” “Thank-you for making us go and look at children.” “When I first read about this, I just wasn’t sure. But now I see how important it is.”

Incidental changes transition to professional behaviors insight into school administration and operations content area information and background links between home life and school fine arts in education self-discovery, e.g. ‘schooling is not for me’

…the observation of the way in which the children pass from the first disordered movements to those which are spontaneous and ordered—this is the book of the teacher; this is the book which must inspire her actions; it is the only one in which she must read and study if she is to become a real educator. (Montessori, 1912/2011, p. 106)

Next steps Partnership for 21 st Century Skills Khan Academy Intel Educator Nugent and Brazelton – Newborn Behavior Observation System Big Thought – Dimensions of Quality in Arts Education ?

Follow the Child Josh Thompson Texas A&M University-Commerce