Hi! before you fill-up the application to apply for a job as a facilitator at SOLIDBASE, we would like you to read carefully the section below, introspect and ask yourself the questions that are asked at the end of this section.

At SOLIDBASE, we believe a Montessori facilitator should:

OBSERVE

Just like concentration is the key to the child’s ability to learn, observation is the key to the facilitator’s ability to guide. A facilitator can’t know what to do or when to do it without observing. Observation gives us a chance to see where the child is developmentally and what skills they are working on. It allows us to understand what lessons need to be presented and which ones need to be revisited.

MODEL CORRECT BEHAVIOR

There is a saying “Good behavior is caught, not taught". The children are watching our every move, and they will do what we do. Are we polite to others? Are we honest? Are we kind and courteous? Are we peaceful and grounded? Or are we complaining, gossiping, and being loud? Never forget: The children are always watching us.

TAKE CARE OF THE CLASSROOM

The classroom is for the children and the facilitator must prepare it with them in mind. It is their special place and we need to show them how to take care of it. There should never be anything in the classroom that the children are not allowed to touch. They are shown how to use everything with purpose and how to carefully put it back once they are done.

LEAD TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE

In a traditional classroom, the teacher is at the front of the room and is the center of attention. If you have a question, you ask the teacher. SOLIDBASE flips this on its head. The children become the center of attention. The facilitator sits with the children at a table or on the floor, blending into the class. The children learn to rely on the built-in “control of error” in the materials, on each other, on control cards or booklets. The facilitator is the guide, directing them towards independence.

REMAIN CURIOUS

Curiosity is the driving force behind self-learning. The invention has been driven by curious people. As the tagline of SOLIDBASE says, “Curious Minds at Work”, is not only for the children, it is for the facilitators too. A passionate facilitator will always be ready to learn and never consider themselves above anyone else or too experienced to learn from anyone else. Montessori facilitators should be delighted to make new discoveries.

TRUST THE MONTESSORI METHOD

This can be very hard. We have our own ideas about what we believe children should be doing and how quickly they should be advancing. What we simply need to do is give ourselves, and the children, time. The children need time to become acclimated to a Montessori environment and materials, which are different from anything else they see in the culture around them. We need to give them time for repetition, which is essential to the mastery of a skill. We need to give ourselves time to build a special relationship with each child. It doesn’t happen in a moment, a day, a week, or even a month. But with consistency, careful attention, and love, the children will begin to grow and mature. They will smooth out the rough edges of misbehavior and internalize the concepts of community, grace, courtesy, autonomy, and self-confidence. Montessori, done correctly, works. Montessori learning has worked all over the world, with all kinds of children and environments. Let’s never doubt that it doesn’t. And at SOLIDBASE, we believe that it is not the richness of the environment that determines the success of the Montessori method, but the preparation of a really great facilitator.