even when reality may prove that learning, knowing and understanding can be difficult and require effort.
Helpful articulation of the importance of the experience of a positive feedback loop - to continue to push through the potential hardships of learning. Realistic, truthful and helpful.
When the EyeJumps Over the Wall. By this title they implied that one could see the potential
I can see why it would be hard to move away from this title- provocative, almost a dare, definitely an intrigue as to what is on the other side.
Make sure,
THIS. This whole sentence I feel I would be happy to adopt as a personal manifesto. Defending and giving value to (the often disempowered) images, thoughts, space of the child's beliefs, to "keep them alive", this brings out Mother Bear in me.
because creativity, like knowledge, is a daughter of surprise
beautiful.
researchingmotivations andtheories
Love the gravity that the atelier brings to both creating a space for and understanding children's work.
retort
RETORT! This literally makes me breathe deeper. Push back! It taps the sleeping elementary school aged giant of resentment in me of how marginalized expressive education has been in the US. I didn't know that I should /could/ had a right to be fighting back and hard when I was in fourth grade and not enough time in art class.
1972
This is such an impressive progression of legislation.
with Malaguzzi, the teacher brought paper and painting materials into the center of the city
Brilliant. Talk about making visible and taking their place in the community. I really want to do this.
Still another initiative undertaken by Malaguzzi was to seek public support for educational reform.
So ahead of his time. And in a position, educated, empowered young man to run with and promote his beliefs.
to express their differences and be receptive to the differences of the others.
What level of security does it take so difference is not perceived as a threat? Is it always a matter of power? If there is no power imbalance / struggle , then difference can be more opportunity than threat?
difficult path that requires energy, hard work and, sometimes, suffering.
Unflinching truth
They listen
Give attention/awareness. Synonymous with listen?
Listening removes the individual fromanonymity
Still so (recently) dependent on relationship for their survival. Makes sense that anonymity / no relationship could be equated with extinction.
It requires a deep awareness and a suspension of our judgementsand prejudices. It requires openness to change. It demands
I wonder how the cultural norms and rhythms of an Italian dinner table compare to the same of the American. Who grows up feeling that they have space for this suspension AND space to share? TIme and space, if allowed can they disarm the often desperate need to get one's voice in, be heard, be seen, be acknowledged, be-long?
Listening is generated by curiosity, desire, doubtand uncertainty.
love.
Listening a time.
all of this- so beautiful, so true, so hard sometimes to bear the silences.
Listening should be open and sensitive to theneed to listen and be listened to,
I love how, right out of the gate, with this and the first one, Rinaldi breaks the binary and shows our common ground, and the larger force(s) that we are all part of.
we cannot live without meaning;
whether we know it or not.
orientour searchfor thereasonsandgiveusthestrengthto find non-violent, honestandresponsibleanswer.
If wisdom is a combination of age, experience and reflection / "good" judgement. Is there a word for the inherent intelligence of less age and experience?
but alsobecausetheycanhelpus.
Yes, break the obvious narrative of the grown ups/ the more experienced being the ones with more to share. Embrace the mutuality, sharing, understanding in all directions.
Intellectual conflict is understood as the engine of all growth in Reggio.
How do you create this ethos in a learning environment? How much of this understanding is a cultural outgrowth?
“In my opinion,
I really appreciate this framing.
xtended mutual criticism and self-examination is very much accepted and an important part of teacher professional development in Reggio Emilia,
When and (how) is this happening at BJS? At other people's parcticum schools?
The teacher is not expected to figure out what she should be doing all by herself. She always works in collaboration with other adults.
Such a beautiful leap of trust and relationship. Honoring and testing the approach you are working hard to support with your students.
collectively over the past 50 years in Reggio Emilia
I would love to know if there is any tracking of the now adults who had this base in their childhood to see if there is any documentable correlations and trends. ie. longitudinal study on outcomes...
keying into the rhythm of the game
Between this and the next page's "tuning in to exactly..." , I feel like I am trying to developing a hunter's nose and instinct. Watching, waiting for the subtle or clear signs of interest, pattern, larger themes... and then pursue!
same aspects are seen
Love this extended and thereby reframing of the typical American goals of teaching. So much more relationship and flow with the nature of learning.
It’s important for the teacher who works with youngchildren to understand that she knows little aboutchildren.
This humility. The more we know, the more we know we don't know. This feels important.
serving in this way offers tremendous benefits. Itrequires a shift in the role of the teacher from anemphasis of teaching to an emphasis on learning,
LOVE THIS. This paradigm shift. I can feel my whole body relax with this idea. I think that it is a leveling of the teacher-student power dynamic that is so deep unconsciously if not consciously in me. I feel much more at ease being side by side learners.
The child wants to be observed, but she doesn’t wantto be judged.
YES!!
We don’t want to teach childrensomething that they can learn by themselves. Wedon’t want to give them thoughts that they can comeup with by themselves.
This passage makes me think of the cliche mother of the bride who takes over her daughter's wedding as her own, because that is what her mother did for/to her, and she now can have "her" day. It's as if we are sometimes driven to experience the a-ha moment vicariously through our students that we were not given the opportunity to have ourselves. That and not having the patience or skill to be able help the student's get there on their own.
Both children and adults need to feel active andimportant — to be rewarded by their own efforts,their own intelligences, their own activity andenergy. W
Purpose. All ages.
We cannot separatethis child from a particular reality. She brings theseexperiences, feelings, and relationships into school
Yes! And as mentioned above, we all bring our subjective, moody, complex selves too! I like the embracing from this messy truth.
standing traditions of too many experiences that are amusing or entertaining and exciting rather than interesting. The concept of interest refers to the capacity to lose oneself in a topic or activity, and to do so sufficiently to overcome setbacks and obstacles.
YES! Just continuing to make this distinction more clear is hopeful.
frequent and almost automatic use of phrases that are warm and kind and positive, but that do not really take children seriously. I
Kindness and warmth all good, but without the respect... drives me bonkers. Ditto for talking about or with older people.
The first of the proposed experiences -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.
How could a child really work on intellectual challenges if he/she/they don't feel safe/secure? my guess is that any such challenges would usually be directly linked to trying to establish a secure base. Maslow's hierarchy seems spot on here. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
what standards of experience should we provide for our young children?
This approach certainly seems to allow more room for expanding ones potential rather than narrowing focus to prescripted outcomes.
These outcomes are rationalized as ways to get children 'ready for school, ready to 'succeed' in school, and to perform well on test of academic skills
Ironically, it seems such standards only narrow a child's learning potential.
isnotregardedasartperse
I know what she means AND I think the children's atelier work actually sounds cloer to the original meaning/essence of "art" to me, its original meaning of technique, craft, skill- learning the skills of ones world, of ones self
They
The rest of this paragraph reminds me of farm life. It feels very organic and in sync with natural cycles. All pieces playing a part and feeding into each other and creating something new.
Afterobservingchildreninaction,theycompare,discuss,andinterprettogetherwithotherteacherstheirobservations,recordedindifferentways,toleavetracesofwhathasbeenobserved
I appreciate how the group of adults come together and share their takes on often the same subject matter, compare notes, and come up with a guess of how best to proceed. ..and the hypothesis piece below, doubles down this humility of NOT KNOWING , NOT being the authority, and taking a guess. Both inherently respectful of the children and it mirrors the children's experience of often not being in the know/ in control.
seriousreadersofJohnDewey,JeanPiaget,LevVygotsky,DavidHawkins,JeromeBruner,HowardGardnerandotherworldrenownedscientistsandphilosophers.Infact,ReggioEmiliaeducatorshavecontinuedtokeepabreastofthelatestresearchinchilddevelopmentandeducationinothercountries
Not locked down- continuously growing, re-assessing. The pedagogy walks its talk and never stops moving. It seems that a method that takes constant work- not set curriculum and done, is more life giving than life-taking.
traditionofcooperativeworkisfirmlyrootedintheEmiliaRomagnaregionandisbasedonasenseofcommunityandofsolidarity.Throughastrongsenseofsolidarity,peoplethereareaccustomedtoconstructandmaintaintheconnectionswiththecommunity.
Grapes and olives? Is R.E.dependent on the community coming together for harvest, historically and/or presently for economic survival? If it does have agrarian roots, has that shifted? Has the phenom and success of the schools become its new community core, identity, main export?
Suchparticipationbyparentshasallalongremainedanessentialpartofthewayofworkingoneducationinthatcity.
I spent four years as a member of a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool co-op. The school only exists with the active engagement of the parents- from fiscal management to grounds-keeping. All of the parents commit to jobs and spending days assisting in their child's classroom. Ultimately, that commitment naturally vets the families that are able and game to take on the whole package experience. And ultimately, despite inevitable grumblings through especially challenging job assignments, a strong, constantly regenerating community flourishes. I imagine this phenom is not unusual with co-ops,however I believe that the Reggio Emilia inspired structure and ethos allows for more chance of success. I am curious about any trends of parent -school relationships that play out across R.E. inspired schools.
Theresultsoftheeffortbyallthesedeterminedpeoplearepublicly-fundedmunicipalaswellasnationalprogramsforyoungchildrenthatcombinetheconceptofsocialserviceswitheducation.
*Knowing the significance of the early years, committing to them and making it a social priority