Qualities of a Montessori Adolescent Guide (Dec 2012)

Developmentally Appropriate Relationships

1. Compassionate toward individual lives of students
2. Kind in interactions with students
3. Humble in presence of hidden adolescent nobility
4. Clear in communication
5. Predictable in behavior
6. Fair in actions
7. A Mentor to students as developing adults
8. A Collaborator with students as they follow their interests
9. An Expert in academic subject area
10. Scientific in orientation to work of education
11. Supportive of the development of each adolescent’s adult will
12. Supportive of the development of each adolescent’s independence and identity formation

Developmentally Obstructive Relationships
Selfish toward individual lives of students Harsh in interactions with students Arrogant in presence of hidden adolescent nobility Vague in communication Uneven in behavior Unfair in actions Superior to students as developing adults Disconnected  from students as they follow their interests Uncertain in academic subject area Inconsistent in orientation to work of education Supplanting the development of each adolescent’s adult will Too Familiar with the development adolescent’s independence and identity formation

Teachers' Work

"The greatest work I do for my students is my inner work. You know, the Biblical thing of 'Deal with the log in your own eye, rather than the speck in your brother’s eye.'" -Herb Agan

I see many teachers who mistakenly think that great (transformative) teaching is a kind of 'Constantly-Taking-the-Inventory-of-the-Students'.  

A key part of being a teacher that constantly creates opportunities for student development, is the teacher constantly taking her own inventory.

Writing Progress Report Comments

In reviewing some high school progress report comments, I noticed that some comments did not align with the tone of others.  So, here are three thoughts to get us all on the same page.

1. Opening

Always open with a positive statement about something the student is doing well or clearly working hard on.  The opening sets the tone and communicates that no matter how rough a report this is, the teacher can see beyond the surface to the positive potential that is within every student.  It could just be the answer to one of two questions: "With which work has the student really done well or demonstrated deep engagement;" or, "What quality does the student demonstrate that supports their success?"  A more positive tone at the start makes the rest of the comment 'heard' with more open ears, especially the parts of the comment in which the teacher is communicating about areas of weaker observed proficiency.  

2. Phrasing

Phrase 'bad news' in a clear and compassionate way that focuses on what is observed.  Semester comments should be hopeful or optimistic about the student's positive growth and should convey the teacher's sense of the nobility of the student (even if it's presently only an internal nobility). Phrases like, "Tom's big issue is..." have a great potential to be triggers for negative response (consider avoiding the word 'issue' altogether).  Some alternatives:  Tom is still working on...; Tom appears to struggle with...; Tom is still working to perfect....

3. Closing

Wrap up with a forward-looking, optimistic comment that helps the student and parent to have a sense of your own hopes for the student.  This sentence will be the final thought from you in the student's and parents' minds.  A positive closure shows that struggles can be temporary and the student has positive things to look forward to.  Rather than, "She sometimes struggles with the equations we are using in our experiments" as the closer for Tina, shift that to the middle and close with one of the more complimentary sentences from the middle like, "Tina understands how to find good resources and to use them for research." It again highlights the teacher's ability to see beyond present challenges and convey how clearly he/she can see the the positive potential (nobility) within each student.