and I think each adult too...

The atelier isn't a space to work with art/expressive materials in a disconnected way, but to use those materials to further and connect learning in other areas of the classroom/day. I love how integrated the atelier is in Reggio; I think this is a difficult place to reach with studio spaces in the US.

I like how professional development includes the individuals in the school who don't directly work with children all the time. Rather than consider them 'extras', providing PD opportunities demonstrates their value to the school and helps them act as a valuable resource in supporting children's learning too.

It's interesting that the first people children's learning was to be made visible for was the larger community. As the approach has evolved and been brought to the US I wonder how the community has become less or more involved in children's learning.

Something I've been thinking about lately as we try to focus on each individual component in Jen's class. How do they overlap and what are the distinct qualities of each?

How do our actions contrast the fact that we always say we 'want more time'?

Something I've been working on...

This sentence has stuck out to me in the many times we've encountered this article and I feel like I still haven't come to fully understand it. In the uncertainty of our world, we share theories with others to connect with them, to see whether their attempts at meaning-making match ours. These connections and relationships can't be formed without sharing/dialogue/communication.

Listening not to respond, but to learn.

This is good advice for knowing when to step in and provide children with guidance in how to use a material. It isn't so much about children using things the 'right' way, but about whether they are able to use the tool to carry out their ideas at all. It's no fun if you have a material and an idea but aren't able to use one to carry out the other.

Can this still happen during COVID? If not, how can we involve parents beyond telling/showing them what the children are doing via the blog?

This 'joining in' was very present in the teacher in the second video.

I like this idea of 'borrowing'. It doesn't communicate that the child is lacking or incapable, in any way incomplete or needs adult support in everything, but that they just need to borrow some help for a second to achieve their goal.

This connection between my role as a teacher and my personal identity has been an unexpected discovery in this program so far.

Letting go of this dimensional thinking has been a little difficult. I spent so much time in undergrad learning about the different learning domains and what development looks like in each that to step back and look at the whole child beyond those categories and theories - without feeling like I've abandoned the knowledge I have about development altogether - is tricky.

The first set of descriptions falls flat for me while the reimagined roles bring a sense of energy, passion, and meaning.

Everything is done, created, formed for the good of the children and their learning!

This is a balance I've been working to find - being 'sweet' with the children while also helping them understand what is acceptable and what is not.

The children in may classroom surprise me by their competence every day! It absolutely reinforces and strengthens my image of the child.

Similar to the idea from the Learning Groups reading about how when individuals work together and share their ideas, everyone gains more ideas.

How do my attempts to show/teach children how to use materials "the right way" interrupt their fascination and exploration?

I could use more patience for children expressing their thoughts and desires. It's sometime tedious to pay attention when it appears a child has lost focus, when really they're just trying to figure out the right words.

It's interesting that this is true up to age 7. How does the transition from ECE to primary school do children a disservice as play is virtually eliminated from the school day? I wonder if children lose some of their sense of being seen and heard until they learn how to communicate better through speech.

The way we phrase things is so important! I think in an effort to be 'child-friendly', 'developmentally-appropriate', etc... the significance of some ideas and concepts can be lost or blurred.

If adults aren't open to or attuned to hearing children's voices, they will never be heard and respected. Children's rights are adults' responsibility.

I've never worked with preverbal children, so this question is fascinating to me.

This is interesting. Rights are rights, but only if they don't infringe on other peoples' rights, right? :) How to find that balance and distinguish between things that are rights versus things that are ideas/opinions. Who gets to say which is which and why?

This reminds me of the PRL readings from last week. Relationships are such an important part of early childhood. I wonder how many of the behaviors I automatically view as disruptions are really children exploring and building relationships with their peers?

I've started to wonder how much children pick up on that I think I'm hiding well...

This is interesting. Even if we're aware of our images of children and want to act differently towards them, it's hard to do so. I can imagine it would take a lot of focused intention, which would be difficult to practice in the midst of an active classroom environment. This also speaks to how important it is to hold a strong image of children!

I have loved seeing the families of my children so excited about their child's experiences. They are genuinely curious about all their children are doing and are eager to take on the partnership role.

I've seen this statement often and have always wondered what they mean by precedence - do children with special rights always get a spot in Reggio Emilia schools, or is the statement saying that they especially belong in their schools?

This tradition is reflected well in the infant-toddler centers and preschools

It's important to bring these issues/discussions to families - to gain their insight as well as be transparent about how and why we choose to teach as we do.

Maybe one of the reasons many adults feel dissatisfied later in life is because they never had the opportunity to develop this type of curiosity?

All of these standards of experience demonstrate a strong image of the child as one who is capable and has the right to be included in their education, rather than be 'delivered' information that other people feel is important. None of them are "the child should know/do __".

If the individuals creating these performance standards really believed in the guiding principles listed (especially "Children are individuals who develop at different rates") would/should recognize that the outcomes they desire and require on time schedule are doing children a disservice.