Observation In Practice Mentoring Program

Observation focused professional development with AMI Trainer Amy Kirkham

This live online course and individualised mentoring program with AMI 3-6 Trainer Amy Kirkham is designed to deepen observation and strengthen calm, purposeful practice in your 3-6 classroom.

Open to Montessori 3–6 guides from around the world (of all Diploma trainings), this program focusses on enhancing your observation routines and capacities, directly benefitting your day to day practice and environment.

Course Overview

Observation sits at the heart of Montessori practice — yet it is often the first thing lost in the pace of daily classroom life.

Through live online small group and individual mentoring sessions, this advanced course brings observation back to the forefront, supporting experienced 3–6 guides to see more clearly, interpret more accurately, and act with confidence in response to the children and the environment.

This is not an introduction to observation. It is a practical and advanced development opportunity for 3-6 guides to really work on and refine their craft — so classroom life becomes calmer, more purposeful, and easier to manage.

The cohort is limited to 20 participants due to individual mentoring and personalised support provided.

Outcomes

Through this course you will develop:

• A clearer eye
• A calmer classroom
• More confidence and joy

What this Course Supports

This course helps you to build a sustainable and regular rhythm and routine of:

Observe → Interpret → Act → Reflect → Adjust

Refined and regular oservation skills will helps you to better answer everyday questions such as:

• How do I support this child right now?
• What’s getting in the way of their progress?
• How can I manage this room with 20 +  children who all need support?
• What small changes can make a  difference?

As a result you will:

• Respond more confidently to individual children
• Identify barriers to concentration and progress
• Improve your confidence in knowing when to intervene — and when to step back
• Make small adjustments that improve flow, independence, responsibility and calm

Course Structure

• 7 live online small-group sessions across terms 1,2,3 covering key aspects of advanced observation
• Observation tasks completed in your own classroom (during your workday)
• Individual feedback on your observations from trainer Amy Kirkham designed to help you refine your observation practices
• Guided group discussion to troubleshoot challenges led by Amy
• Two individual 1-on-1 live online mentoring sessions with Amy to support your specific children, classroom and goals (live online for 30 minutes for each session – but up to 45 minutes where needed)

What We Will Explore

During the course we will explore and reflect on advanced aspects of matters including:

• Preparing yourself to observe: practical routines for seeing clearly, staying objective, and noticing what matters.
• Observing your environment: how often do you sit back and look at your environment? Is it working for your children?
• Reading the environment: how space, flow, materials and group dynamics reveal where change is needed.
• Toolkit for intelligent observation: looking at your techniques to record notes, spot patterns, and track concentration and mastery – follow through and what you do with these notes!
• Consider we are really observing
  • Normalisation as it emerges over time
  • Motivation and the development of will
  • Independence and responsibility in action
  • Group culture and community behaviours
  • Barriers to learning — and what to adjust
  • When to step in, when to step back

The focus throughout is on actionable observation — replacing “I don’t know what to do next” with real clarity.

What do the Individual Mentoring Sessions Involve?

This is your own time one on one with Amy Kirkham to work on supporting the individual needs of you and your classroom. The sessions should focus on your individual goals – you set the agenda.  For example, you may wish to work on aspects such as:

• Your environment – we connect live online in your environment
• Your observation work – how could this be adjusted and tweaked
• A challenging child – discuss what you have observed and strategies to try
• Routines and classroom culture – discuss ideas for tweaking these
• Working with other adults

Follow up observations or visits from an SMTC trainer can be arranged including on an ongoing regular basis.

Who This Course Is For

✔ feel more confident supporting children you might feel are “challenging” or have different needs
✔ improve the flow of the work cycle
✔ balance presentations and observations without overwhelm
✔ reduce conflict and increase independence
✔ understand what’s really happening in the room

Schedule

* Times are in AEST/AEDT – Australian Eastern Standard Time/Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra time zone)

Fees

• Course fee: AU $620 + GST (if applicable)
• Flexible Payment plan options to choose from:
  • $200 deposit + $20 a week
  • $200 deposit + termly instalments of $140 (payable start of terms 2, 3, 4); or
  • $200 deposit + a customised payment plan tailored to your circumstances (just email us to arrange)
• Cohort strictly limited to 20 due to individual mentoring and personalised support provided.