The Directress

Essay on the Directress
The directress is a trained adult in a Montessori environment. She is an educator who assists the child in course of his fundamental development for him to live the way he is meant to live and to help unfold the child’s development. She guides the natural energies of the child to attain maximum potentiality and to bring out the best in him. She has to have the right assistancial approach towards the child and recognize that he has powers from within. The child has the capacity and the capability of developing himself. Destiny of the child is within himself and hidden capabilities have to be actualized.
Preparation of the directress is on three levels:
Spiritual: The directress must be suitable to guide the child and prepare a secure and loving atmosphere in a moral sense. She has to become aware of her own pride and arrogance in her dealings with the child. She also has to become aware of her prejudices that prejudge the child. These prejudices are engraved in us and are like cataracts in the eye that blur our vision. In order for her to get rid of her prejudices she has to realize what a great worker the child is and how worthy of our love and service he is. Her ego must be put aside for all this. She must be willing to accept her mistake, apologize and understand that the child is not perfect and have realistic expectations from him. She must have faith in the child that he has capabilities to do his activities by himself and should not interfere at all in any way or else he will lose interest in that activity. She needs to realize that all children are different and they develop at a different time and pace and acknowledge them. She must provide the help when needed and must be willing to learn from the child. She needs to realize that she is not his maker and should not impose herself on him. There should be no superiority complex as she is just being an aid. She has to be modest, helpful, humble and loving. She should assist the...