The Montessori teacher training is different from that of traditional early childhood and elementary teachers in that a great deal of emphasis is on observation.  The teacher spends a part of everyday just observing the children and the assistants are asked to share their observations with the teacher as well.  On occasions, the teacher will spend the day as a “watching day” where the children know that his/her work for that day is to observe. 

Other ways for the teacher to know that a child is ready for a new lesson include: the child asking for a lesson; another child asking if he/she may give a lesson (the children are frequently keen observers of each other); and information supplied by parents and caregivers.  The teacher is but a partner in the child’s education, and communication among all of those concerned with the child’s development allows the teacher to design the environment to meet each child’s need.