It is a constructive feeling that must be reinforced so that the connected pleasure lasts even when reality may prove that learning, knowing and understanding can be difficult and require effort.
I never thought of attaching a feeling to learning. If a feeling of accomplishment, pride / confidence is noticed, labelled, explained and discussed it can be a joyful experience that a child can recall time and time again. This way the feeling can be revisited.
We should listen to the children so that their wordsgive us the courage for the future and help us to find a new way to dialogue with the children and with ourselves.
Since 9/11 world events horrific and amazing have happened and to be able to listen to children "so they can give us courage" and inspire us (as per the situation) shows adults and children that respect is there, that we can find comfort and hope in each other, we are participants/citizens of the world and our communities and all our thoughts and feelings matter.
teaching place," where the languages are enriched, multiplied, refined and generated but al o where they collide and hybridize with each other,
This "teaching place" is one where we can envision a dance of ideas and back and forth of thoughts not only by teachers/adults but by children. How inspiring for children to see adults learn respect and negotiation skills alongside the children. Role models for each other and respect without hierarchy.
There-fore, teachers seek to bring out, rather than suppress, conflicts of viewpoints between children.
Bringing out conflict, sharing viewpoints, is refreshing to hear instead of the problem solving that is more common to me. I see parents and teachers avoiding conflict as well as quickly solving issues for children instead of taking the time to foster the value found in mutual criticism and self-examination.
They see the work and devel-opment of teachers as a public activity
This is interesting to me because most educators I know are very private. Private in the sense that perhaps they worry about being judged. I wonder if because in my area beyond the gratefulness of parents I don't see ECE's as a valuable, central part of our communities. The idea that in some cultures relationships between families & the community is so integral and strong is enviable. We still grapple with the notion that ECE's are glorified babysitters. Why?
The pref-erence for such isolating assessment techniques may help explain why "tests of children show far fewer capabilities than children exhibit in the course of the day, in conversation"
This intrigues me. We test here in schools at various grades for provincial levels and I have always wondered why more competencies and capabilities are not captured and shared with parents on what the children can do together in small groups or as a class.
Like the poetic notion of a sink on the floor, this drawing conveys with artistic precision the sense of smallness that children often experience in the world of adults.
Their long for independence and situations that arise (mailing) that hinder competence could be because of adult size fixtures (mailbox).
These children were speaking about the dependence on adults that arises, not from lack of competence, but from their small stature in an adult-sized world.
This line reminds me about other resources we have read since beginning this program involving how the size of adults can interfere or impose upon a child potential invitation to play for example.
“Our goal is to build an amiable school, wherechildren, teachers and families feel at home. Such aschool requires careful thinking and planning con-cerning procedures, motivations and interests. Itmust embody ways of getting along together, ofintensifying relationships.
A space that feels like another home not only for the child but the educator, their families and the members of the community that may be partners, if built on strong relationships can be a haven. Who wouldn't like to be able to enter a child care, have a conversation that isn't rushed, feel joy that their child wants to be there, say hi to other staff, be involved on different levels and feel welcome?
Some parents think the balloon is going torise up and fly around during the day. Otherswould really prefer that the balloon remain on theground because that way they are sure their childrenare safe and protected. But the children want to goup and fly and travel everywhere in a hot airballoon, to see in this different way, to look at thingsfrom above.
Being able to get parents excited about their child's abilities and power is a gift. We get to do that. This gets me excited. I know of parents worried about cold weather, walks in neighborhoods, climbing tree trunks and when trust is built up between educator and family (which can take time) the amazement can happen.
connected ways
The word connect seems key for so many concepts. Also, seeing that art isn't a separate part of the day but almost interwoven into the day, alongside and with the play as the day unfolds. And the idea that art is found not only in materials but in how a child constructs a tower of blocks for example or sets a table for lunch. Noticing art is an art itself.
a city of 160,000 inhabitants
This is the same population as the town I live in (approx) and I can't help but compare the idea of "community". I have lived here 17 years and can't imagine the town coming together to construct a school like this. Although, the sense of community has shown in other areas (we recently had millions of dollars in damage happen to our nearby subdivision from a tornado) and people helped each other, same with a fire awhile back in a low income housing complex but when it comes to children I don't get that same sense of community. I find it fragmented. Public, Catholic, French Immersion, sports, extra curricular activities - lots of ways to separate and group together based on those interests but not for young children.