Hovering over Before Swooping in.

One very large aspect of a Montessori classroom is observation. There is so much to be said about observation. It allows us to fully understand a situation before acting, or reacting to a situation. As a Montessori teacher, I believe that this is one area in which we can always practice and grow. At times, it takes a significant amount of time to simply observe a situation before truly understanding it. That takes patience, time and understanding. This is important time spent. 

There is a saying used by Chick Moorman, a well-known professional in the Montessori World. Something he says is “Hover over before swooping in”. What this means is to observe a situation until you fully understand it before you swoop in to help or intervene. This allows a child to truly problem solve and develop themselves, it also allows for less harm to take place. 

Here is an example. When we recently went ice skating, before we left, I reminded all the children to clean up their tables before we ventured out. One child in particular was far away from her table and, what appeared to be, just talking with her friend. I went over and said, “Could you please go check your table to make sure it is clean.” and she quickly said, “sure” and walked away. 

Next, an adult who was close to the situation said, “That’s funny, that is exactly what she was asking the other person, which was to help her clean up the table.” 

In this situation, I did not hover over to try to hear what was being said, I simply assumed that they were just talking and not taking care of their table. I simply swooped in, I did not observe to try to understand. 

I am so thankful that the person standing next to the situation mentioned to me what was being said because it was a great reminder to me of this advice. Hover over before swooping in. 

Yes, this takes time and it is not always easy, however, it is so important to understand a situation before swooping in. In most cases, swooping in isn’t actually necessary. 

Sincerely, 

Sara