Dr. Maria Montessori discovered a method of teaching by observation. She spent much of her time observing the behavior and personalities of children and then guiding their education based on those observations. Dr. Montessori felt that one must adapt to the students individual learning style as opposed to the student adapting to the teachers style.

Dr. Montessori developed her methods initially for the purpose of educating children with special needs. The success was so great that her methods were then introduced into common classrooms around the world with amazing results.

Dr. Montessori went beyond just the materials and curriculum. She found that the whole environment had to be attractive to the student while simultaneously removing obstacles and distractions.

Ultimately Dr. Montessori wanted to teach in a way that respected each student as an individual. She found that this method created a joy for learning that would last a lifetime.