Interesting distinction

I like this. I think these logical and creative itineraries sometimes overlap and sometimes don't.

This is definitely what I feel when I enter the studio

curious about the ratio of teachers to children

This is such succinct and descriptive wording! I'll have to tuck it away because I think it could come in handy when trying to explain Reggio to people.

emptiness: the state of containing nothing; the quality of lacking meaning or sincerity; meaninglessness.

precariousness: the state of being uncertain or dependent on chance.

I like that description, I agree

Acknowledging that our interpretation of Reggio is playing out in a really different cultural context where we're not as comfortable with listening to diverse perspectives without it feeling confrontational or negative. How do we become more comfortable with letting that exploration and search happen when it conflicts with what we've found to be meaningful? With children and with adults?

This is something the am cohort talked extensively about today in Jen's class.

This is a helpful way for me to think of contributing to their learning other than just always calling it "intervening"

That's a good indicator to look for before intervening in a situation, is this student genuinely engaged and involved? Would they benefit from some suggestions?

what a sweet contribution

That's a tension I've been sitting in recently, especially as it relates to conflict between students

This is such good perspective, and not my default orientation with children at all

This year is the first time I had heard this language, I love it!

"an advocate or champion of a particular cause or idea"

All of these require so much humility and a true rethinking of the role of the teacher! I think these would have seemed wordy and foreign to me a month ago, but make so much sense now. I'm glad to have language like this.

It's kind of freeing to know that our role encompasses so many different responses

One of our students started the year with a cast on his leg. It's off now, and I was changing a diaper the other day and saw him on the couch. I was a little worried he wouldn't be able to get down on his own, I wasn't familiar with his capabilities without the cast on. Less than a minute later I turned back around and he was standing at the snack table, he moved quick!

This is interesting because everything I was told in high school and college about interviewing and important professional qualities revolved around ability to work with others and contribute in a group setting, but that's ultimately not how we're tested or evaluated. I'm not saying we should be, I think it would be difficult to a find an objective way to measure that, but I think it's noteworthy that we say we value it so much but never formally measure it.

The first time I really saw this represented was observing at my lab school in college. The teacher knew one student was capable of putting on his shoes and refused to put them on for him (or let me help) but slowly guided him through the process verbally, reminding him of steps to take and things they had practiced. It took much, much longer than it would have for her to cave and just do it herself, but he succeeded independently and felt empowered afterward.

I look forward to building a repertoire of information about the nuance of our students. I think about starting in August, a month and half ago, and am already amazed at the relationship I have with our children and the things I know about them, it's a privilege to be trusted with them and learn about them as people!

This is good, want to tuck it away for our toddler room and maybe brainstorm ways to cultivate sensitivity in myself

Even at 22 I remember being so frustrated when I would ask my mom the time or how long I would have to wait for something, and her respond with a rounded number, I always double checked to see if that was the exact time. Seems like this troubled/troubles other children too!

And I loved that they remembered the previous stipulation they made to their "right to touch" and amended it for special circumstances

I read this when I toured the school last year and haven't forgotten it! I think about the bird stipulation a lot :) I love looking at this list when I'm in the preschool hall

This is a really convicting idea! Sometimes I feel like it's my responsibility to show a child how to interact with/use/play with something to "get the most out of it." What might feel passive, sitting back and allowing the child to interact, is actually really empowering for them.

Such a simple phrase, something I want to tuck away and remember while I'm in the classroom! Also feels contradictory to traditional schooling and teaching.

Reminds me of another reading we did that discussed being in crisis and how quick we are to resist this, but ultimately this is where growth happens.

This is not something I would think true for children as well, especially young children. I'm glad this was pointed out.

I enjoyed taking the tour of the entire school and seeing how each class organized their own "mini-atelier." There were lots of common materials in diverse displays.

Is our version the studio teacher?

There's a cozy little space in the back corner of our Toddler classroom that facilitates relationship- they flock to the fuzzy rug and small sofa

Seems much more collectivistic than America, even in Europe who is in general, right behind us in terms of individualistic values.

Cool that there was such unity behind this initial vision for education

Experience: practical contact with and observation of facts or events

I like the distinction between "experience" and merely occupying a child. I think this word choice emphasizes the interactive, reciprocal roles of the child and teacher.

This makes me think of one child in our class who is very curious and persistent in understanding how things work. Acknowledging that different children will need to experience components from this list more than others is important too!

identical: similar in every detail; exactly alike

Again, contradictory to the idea of different rates of development

industry: economic activity concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacture of goods in factories.

service: the action of helping or doing work for someone.

Also feels kind of contradictory to the guiding principle, "Children are individuals who develop at different rates" listed above.