In a Montessori classroom we use the word “presentation” quite often. Teachers invite individual students, small groups, or even the entire class to a presentation during the course of the day. A presentation is a teaching opportunity for the teacher as much as it is a learning opportunity for the students. Presentations are the moments when a carefully trained and experienced Montessori teacher guides the students towards learning and growth.
In a prepared Montessori environment, teachers are continuously observing their students to be able to meet the students’ needs and provide them with developmentally appropriate challenges. The material the teacher presents is concise, exhibits simplicity, owns a control of error, and entices learning through repetition. The teacher may decide to spontaneously offer a presentation or she may have carefully planned to introduce a new material or concept to a student or a group of students who are ready to expand their knowledge and skills.
Presentations allow teachers and students to connect deeply, not only because they are conducted at child level. The lessons are usually short in consideration of the young students ability to focus and they are based on a mutual level of respect for another. Presentations are expressions of knowledge, purpose, and excitement towards learning and growth.
