At Montessori classrooms there is a head teacher whose primary role is to observe and assess the behavior of each and every child. These teachers are trained and certified in the Montessori philosophy and understand and interpret behaviors to approach the development of every child in a comprehensive way. Some of the behaviors that Montessori teachers pay attention to are:

• The succession of activities (e.g., taking material out, working with it, putting it away)
• Choices of activity and repetition (or lack of it)
• How choices are made (does the teacher need to direct the child or the child takes the initiative?)
• What underlies the choice of activity (e.g., does the choice stem from default, curiosity, superficial choice or decisive interest?)
•  How and when materials are exchanged
• Which materials become focus centers
• How long it takes for a child to concentrate and how long this concentration lasts
• How disturbances might affect the child’s concentration and how concentration is regained after an interference
• How children relate to the environment (e.g., is it in response to an inner urge—spontaneous dusting—or from the discovery of an outer need—seeing a paper on the floor)?)
• Characteristics of the child’s social behavior (examples of cooperation/competition, adoption of leadership roles, admiration samples and compliments among children)