feelings of belonging and feeling welcomed -is included to suggest that, on most days, a young child should feel welcomed and included as a member of a group
Yes 100%!!! Every child should feel welcomed when they are at school. There are always going to be a child who is having a tough day of being away at school or is having an off day. We as educators need to allow those children that moment and always reassure them they are loved and welcomed every day.
well-meaning teachers saying to children every other minute: "Awesome;' "Super;' "Well done;' and many other positive, but empty phrases.
Yes I always catch myself saying these phrases especially if I'm knee deep in a project with another child. I have to catch myself to stop what I am doing to truly see, appreciate, and make him/her feel truly valued.
What does it feel like to be a child in this environment day after day after day?
This is a great question to ask. As adults we are typically worried about how "we" are going to feel with the children in the environment all day. There days should be filled with joy not just by experiences set up to meet some standard. But because they are captivated by the beauty of the experience.
t seems to me that using terms like outcomes and performance standards is based on an industrial or manufacturing analogy. In an industry, raw material is placed on an assembly line, and is then run through a sequence of processes, at the end of which out come identical shoes or cups or pencils or whatever else is being manufactured
What a fantastically disturbing analogy. To think of children as raw material on an assembly line. It makes me cringe. Children just like adults are humans who are individually beautiful.
the human species has the privilege of expressing itself through a plurality of languages
This stated so beautifully.
The pleasure of learning of knowing and understanding is one of the most important and basic feelings that each child expects to receive from the experience he or she is living through
If a child has no pleasure in knowledge and understanding...are we really teaching them with love?
in the form of realism, of resemblances, of logic, of imagination, and of symbolism, will become signs that carry meanings.
I always wonder about this with infant and toddlers. Do you take away their creativity by showing them the images of what it's suppose to look like?
Technology brough the camera, the tape recorder, the video recorder. the photocopy machine, the computer, and so on into theatelier. The school continually needs more tools,
The more the better. Giving children the opportunity to expand their knowledge through hands on exploration of technology builds so much curiosity and wonder.
participation of families
The participation of families is an integral part of a child's time at school.
The atelier had to be a place for researchingmotivations andtheories of children from scribbles on up, a place for exploringvariations in tools, techniques, and materials with which to work. Ithad to be a place favoring children's logical and creative itineraries, a place for becomingfamiliar withsimilarities anddifferences of verbal and nonverbal languages
This place, this atelier ,should be available for all children in their schools.
simpleminded rituals.
What are these "simpleminded rituals" he speaks of?
co-teachers
I do envy having that co-teacher in the classroom.
atelieristi,
This is a beautiful title to hold.
Children are born with many resources and extraordinary potentials
This could not be more true. I wish that everyone believed this and nurtured their potentials.
They also interact and have a continuous dialogue with parents who support them and participate in the life of the school.
Its a co-op!
eachers Follow the Children’s Interests
I think children engage more when they are leaders of their own learning. And they can only be protagonist if the teacher follows the Childs interests.
Also in the United States, teachers worry about how much and when to inter-vene, how to support problem solving without providing the solution
I do worry about when and how much to intervene.
moments of cognitive disequilibrium,
This is the inconsistency of what the child thought would happen and what actually happened. I love how they speak of challenges as "knots".
Teachers communicate with parents about the current theme and encourage them to become involved in the activities of their child by finding necessary mate-rials, working with teachers on the physical environment, offering supplementary books, and so on.
I wish that more of my parents would be co-participants in their Childs learning. As much as I ask them to be involved they are hands off. How do I relay the importance of parent involvement in the classroom?
children’s dialogue
The dialogue is the heart of their learning.
for the game to continue, the skills of the adult and child need appropriate adjustments to allow the growth through learning of the skills of the child”
This reminds me that each child is an individual and learns at their own pace and time.
the act of “listening” at the heart of education
I'm constantly thinking about the pedagogy of listening and trying to bring that more to my practice. Taking a step back and teaching to the competent child.
What kind of teachers are needed by our children
The kind of teacher needed is ever changing as it evolves with what is going on in the world, and within the context of the classroom as the children change as well.
Children are protagonist
Children should be seen as protagonist in their learning. This image of the child is important to remember as it is their right to engage and participate in their experiences.
The role of the adult as teacher complements the role of the child as learner;
Yes child and teacher should complement each other. The teacher should not overshadow the child with all her/his knowledge that impeads the childs learning
partner with parents.
It is absolutely a partnership.
Educating parents and encouraging family involvement
Family involvement is an integral part of educating our children.
language of education serves to organize and bring together all of the participants in the Reggio system into one community
I feel as though most education systems are not a community. Public schools do not seem to bring children and teachers together as it does in Reggio.
the role of the teacher in Reggio Emilia is com-plex, multifaceted, and necessarily fluid, responsive to the changing times and needs of children, families, and society.
As I learn more of the role of a Reggio educator I realize just how much more I need. The intricacies of the teacher are important.
our image of the child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent, and most of all, connected to adults and other children. (Malaguzzi, 1993, p. 10)
This image of the child is how we should all view children. Having connections to adults will strengthen the abilities of the child.
Which entry in the Boulder Journey School Charter on Children'sRights stands out most for you? Why do you think this entry is nota-ble?
So many entry's stand out to me but one in particular is Children's rights to play all day. So many schools do not allow enough time or no time for children to play. Academics and the next developmental milestone is put on the front burner. There by taking away a child's right to play all day!
Recall an instance when you witnessed a child's rights being disre-garded. Describe the occurrence, how you felt, and what you did or could have done to support the child.
Every day I witness a family do everything for there 2 year old. They open the door for him, carry him over the threshold, take off his shoes, put on his shoes, carry his lunchbox even though they are carry a carseat. It appears he is not aware of his rights. Although I wonder if he is putting aside his rights for now because of his baby brother?
the right to self-expression,
This statement reminds me of the dad who stole his child's right to self-expression as he chose to send him to a school to be "pushed around by other boys". Children deserve the right to express themselves freely.
true listening is a willingness to learn from and be changed by what the other says.
If we are to truly understand one another and have an open mind we must really listen.
The notion that children build ideas and gain insight through discussion with peers, although consistent with the social constructivist perspective of Boulder Journey School, runs counter to traditional views of children as antisocial or pre-social.
It seems traditional views place children into one category. I have seen children who appear antisocial and others who are quite social. I like the notion that "children build ideas and gain insight through discussion with peers".
n need of training in empathy
I never felt as though young children needed to be taught how to be empathetic.
seeking insight into preverbal infants' perspectives through the eyes of older children.
This right here is exactly why I love teaching a multi age classroom. Older children give incredible insight into what infants are capable or not capable do doing. It also gives them a chance to build on their autonomy. I love when I hear "watch me" when an older child wants to show an infant how its done!
considering the ethics of sharing
I consider this often as I teach a small group of 2 year olds. In their mindset everything belongs to them, even if another child may have ownership over an item. How do we discuss sharing with children who developmentally do not understand the act of sharing.
d respecting the rights of children means providing time. It may take time for children to exercise autonomy when they are mastering such new skills as crawling or walking down hallways, climbing into car seats, putting on socks and shoes, or washing their hands. Similarly, it may take time for children to express their thoughts and desires, especially when using a language that is not yet well developed. It also takes time
I often feel as though parents do not give their child the time to be autonomous due to maybe their hectic schedule and the need to get out the door quick. As an educator to children under the age of 3 I'm constantly working on mastering new skills. It is unfortunate to see children fight back their right to do a skill because mommy and daddy willing just do it for them.
appreciating the importance of slowing down.
As an adult we need to remember the importance of slowing down if we truly want to listen to what children are saying.
"Children have a right to play all day
It is their right...it is what they should be doing!
In addition to providing children with opportunities to use a multitude of languages, educators have gained insights into young children's understanding of rights through careful "listening" to children's behavior.
If we as educators learn anything it is to listen!
investigation,
children need the time and opportunity to investigate their world and figure things out on their own.
A children's rights movement must be as much about "adult ears" as it is about "children's voices" (R. Hart, 1998, cited in Miljeteig, 2000, p. 171).
I absolutely agree. You can not begin to understand what children are saying, thinking, or wondering without the ability to listen.
Children have a right to paint their fingernails, boys and girls, with their moms
Society needs to stop gender stereotypes. I am seeing more and more boys standing up to society (both my son's included) to this conventional way of thinking.
Children have a right
Children knowing that they are seen as a citizen in this world because as they all state here, "Children have a right"...
Children have a right to make ideas with other people
These children clearly have a love for community and working together.
The teachers began to wonder what children thought about rights.
If only more teachers had the time and opportunity to "wonder what children though about rights". I wish more schools stopped, listened, and cared more about the rights of the child.
Teachersneed to be set designers who create the environmentin which activities take place. At the same time, theteacher needs to be the audience who applauds
I have never thought of myself as a set designer but I love the analogy. It's true that you must maintain an environment that is engaging, exciting, and open to many learning opportunities all while being the Childs biggest fan!
Overactivity on the part of the adult is a risk factor.The adult does too much because he cares about thechild; but this creates a passive role for the child inher own learning
I often feel as though I do way too much for the children. Although I appreciate the unique individual abilities of the child and know they are capable people I get overwhelmed at times being by myself. How can I make sure that I am allowing the children to be assertive in their own learning?
The environment you construct around you and thechildren also reflects this image you have about thechild.
This resonates with me on many levels. First I'm cognizant of the importants of how the environment reflects the child. However I sometimes find it difficult to take out my opinions about the environment, i.e. are the children bored with what I have put in the environment? I also find it extemely valuable to have an environment that reflects the relationships between the educator, children, and parents.
Transcriptionsofchildren'sremarksanddiscussions
When working with infants and toddlers what are the best ways to document/transcribe?
Parentsareanessentialcomponentoftheprogram
Parents should be able to participate in their Childs learning and development. Having parents involved in their program shows a great deal of community involvement and an appreciation for their Childs program and teachers
Allchildrenhavepreparedness,potential,curiosity;theyhaveinterestinrelationship,inconstructingtheirownlearning,andinnegotiatingwitheverythingtheenvironmentbringstothem.
It is important that all educators remember just how much potential each child carries with them. Given the space and encouragement to do so each child can reach their full potential.
Botheducationandcareareconsiderednecessarytoprovidehighquality,full-dayexperiencesforyoungchildren
Providing high quality care allows the children to flourish and reach full potential as learners in this world.