The elementary teacher’s role is to serve as a link to the prepared environment and the “keys” within it that arouse the children’s interest in further work and discovery. As in the preschool program, the teacher does not misuse the presentations and materials by dictating what areas the children are to explore, how they are to explore them, or what they are to discover and when. This would lead to a loss of enthusiasm and energy as the children become increasingly reactive and dependent upon adult monitoring and control. Rather, the teacher uses the children’s new powers of thinking and imagining to involve them in the exploration of their environment.

As in Montessori preschool, a child in Montessori elementary has the same teacher for three years. This trained professional is an “enlightened generalist,” with knowledge deep enough to know the fascinating details of each of the disciplines and broad enough to connect those details into a “big picture” across the disciplines.

The Montessori elementary teacher specializes in the whole child. A teacher who has a child for all subjects for three years gains an intimate knowledge of the child, which is seldom possible in a one-year classroom relationship. The teacher is keenly tuned in to the unique personality of each child. This sensitivity permits the teacher to “direct” each child into areas of natural interest. The Montessori elementary teacher facilitates creativity, independent thinking, and personal responsibility.