This again reminds me of documentation. With documentation all of these images described in this paragraph can come to life and be explored and re-visited.

This seems to me like a metaphor for being open-minded to other people and their ideas. My perspective is not the only one and there are many ways for a person to express themselves and their ideas.

I've only worked in Early Childhood Education for a little under two years, but I have seen why this is such an important aspect. Three years is a long time for a young child and they can really grow to trust and feel a part of a community in this amount of time.

It seems that no matter what the topic is, documentation seems to be at the heart of it. Without the documentation little progress seems to be able to be made.

I've learned through this course and reading about other early childhood experts that young children learn best through expressing themselves and experience. I wholeheartedly agree with this and I think it is so much more important for a child to do rather than to be told what to do.

It seems very much like a trail and error type of experimentation. I've experience this with different mediums with my children. It is difficult to predict what they will respond to.

Also an incredibly crucial activity for Early Childhood Education. Without any learning, training or professional development it would be difficult to have advancements in the field. I think the same can also be said for parents and their education of ECE.

This is so crucial in a classroom setting. It is paramount to have more than one teacher in the room at a time if any productivity is to be done.

I remember reading about this in one of our first modules. This seemed to be happening across the developed world as women became more empowered to be part of the work force after having been in it during WWII.

This reminds me of the importance of community in the Reggio Emilia philosophy.

I didn't know that atelier came from a French word, I always thought it was an Italian word. I find it interesting that Malaguzzi deliberately set out to hire teachers with an arts background so that this aspect of education would be more appreciated.

This is something I want to improve at my own school. Being able to involve the parents in more of the education process of their children. I don't think there are enough resources for parents.

I love the open-mindedness that Malaguzzi shows here. I find that most of the ideas I use in the classroom come from another teacher and is usually something that has already been tried. I try and apply my on adaptation to it.

I love the simplicity of this goal. I know this isn't the main theme of this reading, but it strikes me as so simple yet profound. This should always be a school's goal, in my opinion.

I always viewed documentation as an essential piece for the parents for them to get an idea of the how and why of our classroom. While I still believe this to be true, this article has shown me the importance of documentation for the children.

Taking action and creating concrete evidence that the children are being listened to.

This reminds me of conflict resolution and why it is so important to understand why a child did what they did. Emotion is often the immediate catalyst for a child's behavior which is why I stress emotional validation.

This does seem like a concept that would be more easily done at school, but I think this can be done at home too with the teacher's guidance. I've had many conversations with parents about how to better listen to their children and validate what they're feeling.

This is a very interesting idea. This seems to suggest it is an innate ability for children to be social. It is not learned, but instead it is already a part of their DNA and simply evolves over time.

I learned very quickly when I first started teaching that young children are ALWAYS listening even when we think they're not. They pick up on body language, gestures and social cues that I would have thought would be too complicated for them to understand.

While listening is very important and little can be done if listening isn't practiced in the beginning, I believe action and reflection to be the most important pieces. Without action and reflection I might as well not have listened in the first place. I need to do something with what I have listened to.

To me this is as simple as "let me be heard". Every child just wants the attention and validation of being heard. This is why they repeat themselves until someone acknowledges them and why they ask so many "why" questions.

I think this is the most difficult part of listening. It is human nature, in my opinion, to be immediately judgmental. However, it is the ability to not act upon those snap judgments that is most important.

To me this goes along with validating a child's emotional state. If I appear understanding of how they're feeling it can give greater meaning to what they're feeling.

This is crucial in early childhood education. I do my best to validate the emotions of my children and make sure they feel heard and understood when I listen to them.

This seems to be talking about spending some time in thought after you listen to someone. In order to understand what someone is trying to tell me I need time to think about it and make my own interpretation of it.

I could not agree with this more. This sentence is applicable to any person of any age or background, not just someone in early childhood education.

This is a very important aspect in understanding the ideas of others. There are many different ways to live live and make sense of it, my perspective isn't the only one. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the world from someone else's perspective, but work in early childhood education makes this very possible.

This seems obvious to me but it makes a lot of sense upon further thought. Why would I want an explanation for my own meaning of life that doesn't please me or that I'm not fully convinced of?

I couldn't agree more. I've been through periods in my personal life where my life seemed to have no meaning to it. It is an incredibly futile existence and I have found working with children helps me to lead a more purposeful and useful life.

I have found great meaning in my own life through working at a preschool with young children. They have such a fresh perspective on life that it is a great way for me to see the world in a completely unbiased way.

Children do have an uncanny ability to see the truth in matters. They constantly ask "why" because of their naturally curious state of mind.

It is crazy to me that it took something as devastating as 9/11 to finally get some people to realize that listening to children was important. Personally, I was 7 years old when this happened and I have no memory of that day whatsoever. I wish that I did given how influential a day it is.

They allowed the children to explore their own methods before intervening. I am surprised at the length of time that passed between the children trying their own methods and the teacher intervening to give their ideas. This is something I definitely would not have thought of.

I think this is an important distinction that is made by the reading. The teacher is not in a position to say that one perspective is more "right" than the other. But I love how the teacher encourages the art that was produced while still pointing out the perspective it could have had.

I like how the teacher first complimented the child's work then added possibilities for the child to try next. I wonder if she's offering too many possibilities to a 3 year old and it may be difficult for them to choose one.

I find the 3 year olds I teach getting into this argument constantly. Even though two toys may be the exact same, for some reason it matters which one they have.

This seems like a great way to stimulate their investigation. By adding to the ways they can use the tools, they may be able to create new things they would not have been able to before.

Would it be better for them to experience this for themselves or tell them to not make them too thin?

I see how the teacher stated this this was their opinion and just a suggestion. She has stimulated the learning by continuing their investigation of the bug by offering the idea of taking it outside to save it.

It is amazing how much can be taken from a simple interaction of finding a bug in your room. These are all questions that only a child could come up with.

What if the teacher had given the child more paper to use? Would this have been too much intervention, or could a different material have been used to empty from the drawer?

I realize that these are infants that this teacher is working with, but I think this could be an effective method of conflict resolution regardless of age. Instead of focusing on who gets the doll, the focus is turned to the doll in a collaborative manner.

I appreciate that they do not mention this is a personal attack on anyone's teaching methods. I think this could sometimes be seen this way by some teachers, including myself at times. I think when it is viewed as a way to better my methods as a teacher more progress can be made.

I think this is much easier said than done. As someone who is more inclined to observe and listen I find this to be a difficult concept to uphold. I get much more from listening to other's ideas.

I have found this very helpful in my own practice. I've participated in observations of groups of children, with permission, that I did not have any connection to. It was always fascinating to hear other perspectives from teachers as I realized my own is not always correct.

I could not agree more with this statement. I am not interested in discussions that involve talking just to talk. This is how ideas get stuck in just becoming theory and not action. I am a huge advocate for concrete ideas being put into action.

Collaboration seems to be a theme in this reading. Without it I don't think much of use would be accomplished. Especially without collaboration between co-teachers on a certain project.

I agree that this is the best way to go about it. Watch to see if they can figure it out on their own. Once a resolution is reached, it will be clearly evident if they need intervention or not.

This description is very helpful. Sometimes a child wants to do something all on their own, sometimes they want help with something. Their interpretation of needing help may be wrong in some situations as well.

It's possible what I suggest could be counterproductive to the task at hand. What I have to suggest might even be flat out wrong.

The perspective described here seems like a difficult one to keep. Odds are if the children are encountering a "knot" I may be encountering a "knot" as well as the teacher.

I am glad to see this acknowledged in the reading. In my opinion this is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching early childhood education. How do I keep them involved in something long enough for them to find meaning and joy from it?

This is something I currently struggle with. Asking the question, "what comes next?" It is not always an easy one to answer.

This is a very helpful concrete example of how to improve upon my own teaching. By giving concrete examples of my notes and what I have observed I would be able to get ample feedback from my peers.

Again, this is very different from the type of schooling that I grew up with. But, this is something that I try and follow in the classroom. Who am I to say what is right and wrong about a certain idea? It is ultimately up to the individual child to decide this.

I think video recording would be very helpful with this. It can be difficult to attempt to hand write what is being said by both the children and the teachers. But, I think this would give a better understanding to parents of how to speak with their children to stimulate discovery.

I never thought about the importance of review from a child's perspective like this. But as I think about it my children love to see photos of themselves during activities.

I have yet to put this method of documentation into practice. It seems like it could be extremely helpful, especially concerning communication with parents.

I know this is something that I can improve upon. Working at a school in Chicago does make this more difficult as we often have families with two working parents who aren't always able to be around.

I am reminded of a Malaguzzi reading that stated a plan is always necessary when bringing an idea to children. It is understood that improvising will have to take place, but there must be a place to begin.

This idea reminds me of something I was taught early in my teaching career that all behavior is simply a form of communication. It is up to us as the adult and teacher to decipher what is trying to be said. Get into the intention behind the action, which can be two completely different ideas.

This idea is very different from the type of school that I grew up in. It has taken me a while to get used to this aspect of teaching as I always feel a need to be in control because of my label as "the teacher". But as I'm reading and learning through this course, just because I'm the adult doesn't mean I know what is best at all times.

I can definitely see this as a major theme of Early Childhood Education. The children I teach are not expected to understand a certain rule or concept immediately. It is not developmentally possible, it needs to be repeated in order for it to become habit.

I understand the need for advocacy in the classroom and why it is important to share that with my children. But, I'm unsure if my political beliefs need to be shared with the children. I would rather have them grow up and decide these for themselves.

I think this is a very important idea concerning teaching. The children that I teach expect this of me and if I don't have this attitude it is something the children pick up on.

This reminds me of a reading we previously had that stated much of early childhood education gets lost when being transferred from theory to practice. I love that an emphasis is placed on practice.

This is a very helpful concrete example of how to define a teacher's role and identity in early childhood education. This places an emphasis on relationships and that these are necessary for a teacher to fulfill their duties.

It is up to us as adults to help facilitate what they are doing. We have the responsibility of helping shape their meaning of life around them.

This is an interesting distinction that I had never thought of. The reading makes a good point that most schools envision these same responsibilities, but do not carry them out in the same manner as a Reggio-inspired school would.

This is not an idea I knew was part of the Reggio philosophy. But if we want to be part of the greater community as a school, it is probably simpler if the greater community understands what we do and why and how we do it.

While I understand that all these aspects are important, educating the parents seems to be paramount. If the parents don't understand what we are teaching in the classroom, they'll be unable to continue our efforts at home. This can cause confusion for the child.

My favorite part of this sentence is "necessarily fluid", the times we live in now are different from 10 or 15 years ago. I love that part of the Reggio philosophy is to adopt different strategies and that there is no one "right" way to be teaching.

I think having this balance comes a lot from the tone of voice that is used. Again, it is a delicate balance of both. I want to be able to enforce boundaries and have them respected. But I don't want my children to act out of fear, instead of respect.

As a 2's and 3's teacher I still find myself stuck with this view of the child at certain times. It is a constant daily struggle to try and get them to empathize and see things from a different perspective. When they speak, they talk about things and how only they can relate to them sometimes.

This reading has helped prove that children think about and see the world in completely different ways from adults. Neither view is either right or wrong, they're simply different and both views offer their own strengths and shortcomings.

This was evident in the videos we were assigned to watch during this portion of the module. Especially at the Boulder Journey School, the children did an amazing job of learning form each other and explaining their thought processes.

I would tend to agree with this approach. As a 2's and 3's teacher they are always configuring their play into small groups of 4 or 5. They're very seldom playing on their own in isolation.

This is a very helpful example of specific topics being explored when children are in a relevant context.

I would have to say this is the same in adulthood. I don't like eating by myself, just like these kids suggested. It's a very similar concept to going out to eat with friends instead of cooking for myself alone at home.

I love the simplicity of this idea. It makes perfect sense that a child would be most interested in discussing a larger them while engaged in an activity involved with that theme.

I don't think this only applies to childhood but much of adulthood as well. In the moment of day to day monotony things can seem to drag on. But in reflection of my life, it has seemed to go very quickly.

This is so true. I spend much of my time thinking about what I have to do throughout the day or what I still haven't yet done.

Often times when I tell people that I'm a preschool teacher they tell me that I must be so patient. I usually say that I'm no more patient than the average person, if not more impatient. However, I have the understanding that children take longer to do things and it is crucial to their development to allow this increase in time spent doing things.

This makes a lot of sense to me. Children at a young age have no concept of time yet. It is up to us as adults and teachers to make sure they have adequate time to process through activities.

This is something that I constantly struggle with. It can be so much easier to do things for the children just for the sake of getting it done and moving on. But, am I really teaching the kids anything by doing this? Is it always in they're best interest to do things for them that they're perfectly capable of doing? Probably not.

This is also one of my favorite aspects of the Reggio philosophy. I think there is a stigma surrounding early childhood education that we just "play" all day and nothing substantial is being learned. But this couldn't be further from the truth, play is how young children learn best.

I would never have thought that in depth about this drawing. I would have taken it for face value that a child was able to draw what they saw.

You could increase this list infinitely. So often I'm trying to figure out "what" a child is making or "how" they're doing it. Instead this reading suggests it is more important to focus on the "why"behind their creations and ideas.

While this seems like a great thing to do in theory, I would think it'd be very difficult in practice. Unless you recorded a conversation between children and listened to it repeatedly to try and venture a guess on the true meaning behind their words.

This is an interesting perspective that I hadn't considered before. There have been many times in my teaching career that I have attempted to validate a child's emotions by telling them it's ok to feel however they're choosing to feel. But by switching the language to "you have a right to feel..." perhaps it would have a greater impact.

This is a very realistic example. Sometimes the intention of a lesson does not come off the way I would want and the kids take it a completely different direction.

A very fascinating point that I had never thought about. Certain milestones like their first step, first word, first smile, etc. get all of the notoriety. But these are simply the beginning according to what I read. There are constant milestones happening every day if we are aware and listening for them.

I couldn't agree with this more. Children crave the attention and validation of adults, not only teachers but parents as well. If we are listening to what children have to say they will feel needed and part of something greater.

This might be my favorite one. I constantly remind my kids that I am there to help them, but they have to come ask me for help. I feel that this is an important lesson as they get older.

This is something that comes up in our classroom every day. If a child comes to me complaining about someone, I tell them to go talk to that person. If talking to them doesn't work I tell them to walk away. Sometimes people, even as adults, aren't going to respect our boundaries and all we can do is leave it alone and walk away.

As a 2's and 3's teachers this is a constant struggle in our classroom. Children are often so excited to have the attention of an adult to talk that they do not realize someone else is already talking. I often have to outright tell them that I am talking with one friend right now and they will have to wait.

This is a tactic we often use in our classroom to help calm a child down. It is incredible how reading a book has the ability to calm down an emotionally upset child.

From what we read in previous models this seems to be very important. We read about the importance of relationships among young children. It is great that these children saw this as an integral part of rights.

This is an amazingly in depth statement from a young child. So often in politics or society we hear killing in war justified for whatever reason. A child of this age doesn't know or care about any of these political or societal reasons. They see killing as fundamentally wrong.

I love this concept. Each child truly does possess unique talents and abilities. I feel it is my job as the educator to try and bring these out and encourage them. To give the child the self-confidence to explore their talents to the best of their ability.

I love that this is such an emphasized concept of the Reggio philosophy. I can only teach my values during the time I have with each kid when they're in my class. But if I can teach these values to parents there is a better chance for success as they get older.

This is a helpful metaphor and it takes understanding throughout the year to learn what parents want for their children. It is a very individual process that is always changing.

I find this happens often when I am asked the question "why" 10 times in a row by a child. Eventually I give up and tell them that adults don't always know why. Or I will ask them why they think something is the way it is.

Children at the age I teach, 2 and 3, have absolutely no concept of time. It is irrelevant to them, my co-teachers and I are the only ones in a hurry or rush to do things. It is so difficult to wait patiently for them to do things at their pace when I want them done so quickly.

This will help me think twice about telling them to stop touching each other so much! They could be learning about each other by doing this. I had never thought about it that way before.

As a 2's and 3's teacher this is always a point of emphasis in our classroom. Children at this age are able to communicate verbally with their peers for the first time and can exchange in constant and cooperative play. Social and emotional skills are so vital not only at this age, but will set the stage for how they develop such skills throughout life.

I feel like this can take the whole school year to figure out. The aspects mentioned here are based on so many relationships and interactions that they can be constantly changing.

Their perspective on life in certain situations is so different from mine that I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. They look at things with such fresh and new eyes, where their lack of experience in life is truly an asset.

I believe this to be true of adults as well. For me personally I want people to know the work I put in to be a teacher. However, I never thought to relate this to how a child feels about their own work and processes.

I believe this is true of adults too. For me personally I want people to know the work that goes into what I do as a teacher. However, I never thought to compare this feeling to how a child feels.

I experience this frequently during gross motor activities. Children are always wanting to show off how they can run, jump, climb, etc. Reacting positively to these "shows" makes them feel happy. I can see it evidently on their faces.

I see this most evidently when dealing with an upset child. I always offer to help when they are ready, but I will not constantly try to calm a child when they're upset. Instead I try to offer them techniques to use on their own and if this does not work then I will help. I always try to let them know I am there for help, they just need to ask for it.

I notice this the most when it comes to cleaning the classroom. It is so difficult for me to let the children clean on their own because I want it done and I want it done quickly. I have worked on cleaning less to allow for more exploration and have allowed for more time during cleaning to let the children learn the value of it.

Without some type of plan there can be no real learning in my opinion. The project must have some general and structured idea to it. But this can change throughout the project depending on how the children see it.

I relate this to the Rinaldi reading when she talks about it is our job to encourage the children to find their own meaning of life. I believe life to be what we make of it based on the choices we make.

This is such a fine line when it comes to teaching the Reggio philosophy. It can be hard to discern how much I should let a child fail to learn and how much I should do for them so they don't become frustrated and give up.

I love this concept as well. There is no point in ignoring this aspect of life. Instead I find it more beneficial to embrace it, acknowledge it and find a way to deal with it.

This is one of my favorite aspects of the Reggio philosophy. The ability to change an activity to suit a certain child's needs is really interesting. It's very different from the type of school I grew up in.

This is a concept I never really considered from the child's perspective as they can't vocalize it as well as an adult may be able to. As a teacher I know my kids who are 2 and 3 don't care too much about the stresses in my life. They're worried about what is happening during the day.

This is something I feel I am constantly working on when talking with parents. So often I will resort to the standard "We had a good day". Sometimes this may suffice for certain types of parents, but as I'm learning about the Reggio philosophy that answer is simply not enough.

This is so true. I have had many conversations with parents about what their respective children have picked up from listening to adults talk with each other. It's amazing how much they absorb and listen to when we think they're not paying attention.

I feel that this is a very subconscious act and this is what makes it so difficult to change. I don't even realize when I treat certain children differently, or use different phrasing for different children. It is a very difficult to outwardly practice and change this internal image.

I personally believe this is the best mindset to have. In no way are they saying this is the"best" way to teach a child or that it will make them the most successful later in life. It seems to be focused on the experience the child has while in school and if a school is interested in this practice to try it and evolve along with it.

I saw this many times throughout the short video of the Diana School. The teacher would simply ask what the children wanted to do and the kids were allowed to pick and choose what they were interested in. The materials were provided and the children truly lead the projects.

This is a fascinating viewpoint to me as someone who grew up throughout school with art always being a separate subject and class. I love this view because to children there are so many different things that can be considered art.

Kids are always so proud to see a picture of themselves or of their work posted to a bulletin board or wall inside the classroom.

This is an area of my teaching I know I could improve upon. Often I find it hard to find the time to be able to do this, but it seems like it could add so much value to the classroom.

One of the first things I was taught was to ask open-ended questions to help stimulate a child's creativity and imagination.

It was really interesting to see the emphasis on professional development at the Diana School. Having daily check-ins with other teachers and weekly staff meetings to collaborate seem necessary for this style of teaching.

Not every kid is going to be interested in the same thing. It's important to have areas of the classroom broken up for certain activities depending on each child's interest.

This is one of my favorite concepts of the Reggio practice. As a teacher it's easier for me to see the "child's view" than for the parent. I've had to work on informing and suggesting things to parents so I don't come off as judgmental or critical of their parenting style. In the end we as teachers, as well as the parents, want what is best for each individual child.

School is one of the few places where all of these different relationships converge together. Other kids, teachers, the school environment, their family and community all are represented when they're at school. It's a very unique place for them to be.

This reminds of something I was taught when I first started teaching, which was to treat the children as "competent and capable". It's amazing what can be accomplished when children are given the lead.

This was evidenced by the two teachers from the Diana School who collaborated to better demonstrate how a flower grew. They seemed to be looking for new ways to teach and show the children how things work.

As a 2's and 3's teacher, cooperative play is a major part of our practice. It's the basis for many encouraging moments and many disagreements among our kids.

This is evidenced in the video about the Diana School. You can see the teacher asking the parents to help with some of the class projects.

I feel as though this is not the dominating opinion among Americans. They tend to see Early Childhood educators as glorified babysitters and that a child's experience in early childhood care means less than their primary school experience. It makes me happy to see that this stigma can be changed.

This reminds me of what we read about in the Indications reading. The education of young children has to be collaborated throughout the community as a whole, not just at a particular school.