Typically, in traditional education, one who instructs but, in the Montessori, schools the teacher, referred to as guide, is one who aids the unfolding of life. The Montessori teacher’s role is to observe the learner and meet the learner’s developmental needs rather than imposing predetermined information in a predetermined schedule. The Montessori teacher understands that a learner learns through self-activity and that learning is deeply personal. The Montessori teacher supports this with a prepared environment full of opportunity for interest to develop with uninterrupted concentration which fosters development. (Barrameda, Boehnlein, Kahn)

“When instead we enter into the concept that the child develops through his own activity with the help of the teacher, yes, but only with that help which enables the child to choose spontaneously his various activities, then even theoretically one can easily conceive a school in which the teacher is in the beginning fairly active, giving some initiations, offering the several means for development, etc. but who retires more and more as the child, working by himself, gradually enters a path of spontaneous and orderly activity. It is also easy to realize that to conform to the increasing activity of the child, the greater this becomes the more the teacher withdraws, thus bringing about a sort of transmission of powers; the teacher who retires and the child who does always more. Just because she can retire the teacher feels the satisfaction of one who has succeeded in her task for now the active child is really advancing securely on the road of development which will produce the man.” (Montessori, Maria, Communications, “First Lecture”, 1973, 1-2, p. 4)