How does such revolutionizing happen? Is there anything like it in our day?

I love this so much! To make themselves visible to show what was possible. That is key, visibility.

I love this idea and you can feel that energy takeover when thoughts and theories are flowing in a group, one building on the other, this is when the magic happens. It feels like the group becomes a safe space to share ideas when it takes on the energy of a teaching place.

I do not know how well we do this in our culture.

We saw this last week when we watched Jacie and Shelby's video (but now that I think about it, that was ODA!) For those who saw it, they revealed to us the deep emotion that comes from listening. It is powerful which is why perhaps it is also scary and undesirable for some who do not want to connect with their emotions so profoundly. Deep listening invites deep emotions. Things we only feel and don't say come to the surface.

The idea that listening is not one isolated event but requires us to be silent many times over, every time we want to jump in and say something we must remember again to listen and be silent. This statement illustrates the richness that a moment can hold, it is full of our thoughts, the thoughts of others, our interpretations, our feelings, and our respect of the other as we listen.

The idea that internal listening encourages us to listen to others is so interesting to me. When we take the time to be in nature listening to ourselves or meditating or slow down to have an awareness of how we feel about something, it is this groundedness in ourselves that allows us to listen to others. I think this is a profound idea. We must start with ourselves.

I work at a Reggio inspired school and just had this happen for the first time where our administrator came to observe my co-teacher and I in our classroom and in all of our activities for the day. She videoed us and took notes. She has sent our video to us and we are going to discuss it! So interesting to be on the side of the documentee.

It is great that the children are allowed to be in their own place within their development and understanding just as we have talked about. Each is in a different part of the process of understanding and executing the drawing and it is okay.

I see this happen so often. Within my toddler classroom the same theme is picked up on by others whether they were involved closely with an experience or not. They may have vaguely see someone playing with something in a certain way and then that becomes the thing, the way to do it!

I am still finding my voice in this regard. I am new to my school and have not formally worked as a teacher other then through being a substitute teacher long ago and through volunteer work with children. I am not sure how to put my ideas forward to my co-teacher who has been doing this work for 15 years or so. I do not feel confident to put forth my thoughts and opinions unless directly asked. As I gain confidence and experience I hope to share more.

I have had this experience in my context recently. We had to move through a situation where everyone did not see the same solution but once a path was chosen we all learned from the ramifications of it and we will take that into our future dealings with each other as shared knowledge.

It's good to hear!

Both are seen as valid and important

This is a great way to approach the questions of a group. A knot that must be worked through.

This is a great point and the thing I am often trying to tease out.

An important point.

Responsive teaching is a new term to me but so appropriate and a wonderful way to frame what we do.

This is idea is wonderful especially as I have been teaching the toddlers in my classroom how to play with badminton rackets and birdies during our time on the playground. We have been working on it for a couple of weeks. I can really see how this fits! We will get to the point where we/they can hit it back and forth with each other but we are currently working on touching racket to birdie. It is a process!

And Respect! How can this thought be integrated into the mainstream edu. system? Not just the word but what it really means and looks like.

This is what is needed and what is so often lacking in the school life of children!

I love this idea!

I am happy to see this in writing! This is when I feel like I am doing what I am supposed to do when I can be in the moment with children like this.

Sometimes when I do this in my context by sitting quietly and observing, I feel like I am not doing enough even though I am doing exactly what I should be doing in that moment. It feels like a cultural/societal norm to need to interject oneself and tell the children--something, anything!

I am always amazed especially as our coursework goes on how the natural social nature of humans is denied in a typical school setting. My son who is in a 5th grade public school classroom has outlined for me the times of day they are allowed to talk and just how little social interaction and collaboration they are allowed in the day. It makes me sad. No wonder people struggle to work together and figure out ways of working together meaningful as adults when it is not a part of our early learning in an authentic way.

I think this is such an important point. We are talking about the whole child, we cannot separate out the parts we want to influence and bring meaning to. It baffles me that the working model in the US and perhaps other places has been/is that we focus on the child's learning without a frank discussion and understanding of how all the parts of a child/of a human being fit together. There is no other place to start than in consideration of the whole being and how we as teachers work with the image of the child as a complete person unto themselves.

This is so great! Our focus is often so different from that of the children we work with. That is the joy and work of observation to try to grasp what is really being focused on by the child, not us the observer.

Working in a classroom with toddlers, I am always aware of my gargantuan size so I naturally sit on the floor often and kneel down to do things. Most everything in the room is toddler sized. It feels funny being the one who is out of proportion with the space not the other way around.

This is an important distinction that this 4 year old child makes--a right is only okay if you do not hurt someone. She understands this basic concept and yet so often adults do not live by this in the world. If we listened to children, the world would be a better place.

Yes!

Listening to the hundred languages is about deciding to pay attention to the context of what is said while "observing the nuances" of the language spoken.

Such a great concept and way to start this project.

This is always so obvious to me. With my own children, it was strange to consider that words did not actually come out of their mouth, they seemed to communicate so much. Young children do communicate so much if we only gaze at them with the intention of listening.

It is interesting that this was/is the primary thought process surrounding children's learning. It seems you have to REALLY not listen to children to think they just need filled with information. The more we listen to children, the more we know about what, how and when they need to learn.

Maybe we should call our selves researchers of children versus teachers of children.

Haha!

It seems like we shy away from this in our culture in the US. We tell children to keep their hands to themselves. There is an uncomfortableness that arises when children want to use all of their senses in this way to understand another. It is a natural use of our senses that seems downplayed culturally.

This is a great understanding. This idea puts the teacher in a place of discovery that they can then utilize to look with fresh eyes on the face of each child.

So we the adult can see the thought and emotional effort that goes into the work not just the end physical result.

I feel like this statement is very true and I would not have known how to put that feeling into words. There is an active anticipation when we wait to uncover what is in the child, to understand what they are made of.

I love this idea!

This seems profound. It takes being a teacher to the next level when we consider our resources, potential and present state of mind in relation to that of the child we are observing.

When teachers repeat the same "lesson plans" over and over while students experience the same format day-in and day-out with little variation except the information given, how can learning be considered active from either side? Yet we all crave to feel involved and be genuinely engaged in what we are doing.

The philosophy of R.E. is one that comes naturally to me and I hold close to my heart but my experience of what a teacher is and does is something more traditional (at least in a classroom setting) so I am excited to dismantle any preconceived notions I have about my role as a teacher; break it apart at its foundation and build it back up again.

I see this so much in our schools in the US. In the public schools I have seen it is as if the children and teachers have grown used to and come to expect no joy in the school environment. Seeing me children, my teenagers, being a part of innovative public school programs gives me hope that there is a shift to include the things children actually like and grow from in the school environment.

I spend time trying to unpack where the child is coming from, what they value, where their focus is. They bring so much in with them as they walk through the door. Who are these individuals?! Especially those with little verbal language, we must watch and pay attention to try to understand their unique perspective.

I love this notion! And I think it is accurate. When are the adults going to loosen up and become people that interact and truly relate with one another. When that happens there is a joyful flow that moves through everyone; a true cooperation and working together.

I think this is very true which speaks to why we must be honest and respectful of children. To include them in what is happening in the environment because they have a keen sense of what is going on. If they are aware of tension or worry it is best to include them in the experience as it is part of their social experience too. To admit to being happy or sad helps them feel empowered in their ability to be relational people.