n this way we also rescued our teachers, who had been humiliated by the narrowness of their preparatory schools, by working with them on their professional development.
That's so powerful and shows how much the Reggio approach value, respect and see teachers truly as professionals.
Two teachers per classroom as co-teachers
Collaboration instead of hierarchy.
A pedagogical-coordination-support team of pedagogisti andpsychologists
That's important. A team with different professionals to be able to look at the children through different angles.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s women, working women especially, were very actively asking for more equitable social laws and for participation in decision making.
It's so interesting how Reggio Emilia schools were build and thought based on political and social demands, and that it's visible on the way they instigate children to be thinking citizens.
Rather than naming the space dedicated to creative exploration with children an "art room," Malaguzzi chose the French term "atelier, " which evoked the idea of a laboratory for many types of transformations, constructions, and visual expressions. Therefore the teacher working with children on visual expression was named atelierista, rather than "art teacher."
I liked that. It shows respect for the work of the atelierista and how much the visual arts are valued by the Reggio Emilia approach.
his concept of a context of multiple listening overturns the traditional teaching-learning relationship. The focus shifts to learning - children's self-learning, and the learning achieved by the group of children and adults together.
I understand that this path is longer and takes time, but it makes such a great impact on the society involved on that process. I wonder why there are so many schools still opting the short cut, knowing that no major changes are going to occur.
Listening, therefore, seems to be an innate predisposition, present from birth, which supports children's process of acculturation.
I believe that a child that is surrounded by adults that listen and are supportive, is going to grown into a more empathic and sensitive adult.
Sociability is not taught to children: they are social beings.
I wonder what happened to us adults? Why do we become so selfish and blind about everyone else around us?
It requires a deep awareness and a suspension of our judgementsand prejudices. It requires openness to change.
I think listening require us to be out of our comfortable zone, so truthful listening may feel uncomfortable at a times, but being uncomfortable makes us want to change.
facilitate” learning in the sense of “making smooth or easy” but rather to “stimulate”
wow! I use "facilitate" a lot, but now, reflecting about it, "stimulate" makes a lot more sense and made me think a lot on my goals for my students, am I trying to make things easier for my students or am I challenging them to move forward?
The teachers work in co-teaching pairs in each classroom. The co-teaching organization is considered difficult, because the two adults must co-adapt and accommodate constantly, but nevertheless, it is powerful because it requires each adult to become used to peer collaboration,
For some people it might be an adaptation, but I see as having someone to share responsibilities, ideas and having a partnership.
a teacher’s work should be grounded in politi-cal beliefs and advocacy.
“There's no such thing as neutral education. Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or freedom.” ― Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
“Listening” means being fully attentive to the children and, at the same time, taking responsibility for recording and documenting what is observed and then using it as a basis for decision making shared with children and parents.
It's funny how such an ordinary word, as "listening" suddenly turned into something totally different, so remarkable and with such a complex meaning.
The role of teacher as curriculum planner changes to the role of the teacher as a co-constructor of knowledge.• The role of the teacher as program planner emphasizes the role of creator of the environment as a third teacher.• The role of the teacher in facilitating play changes to the role of the teacher as an exchanger of understandings.• The role of providing guidance changes to the role of the teacher as a supporter of the competent child.• The role of the teacher as an observer is extended to documenter andresearcher.• The role of the teacher as parent educator changes to the role of the teacher as a partner with parents.• The role of communicator with outside audiences changes to the role of the teacher as listener, provocateur, and negotiator of meaning
It's interesting how a simple change of words can make a huge difference in the mindset of the teacher role. It takes the weight away from the teacher and sound more like it should be, a collaborative, constructive and judgement free role.
fluid
I liked the use of the word fluid to describe the role of the teacher. I think it's more accurate to how teachers are usually "flowing" around and occupying different spaces around the classroom/school.
"Children have a right to have their words heard by other people," and "Children have a right to be listened to."
Yes! Children are also individuals that should be trusted and treated with respect.
He had reasoned that the requirement that children eat to-gether at an adult-determined time was not respectful of the children's autono-my.
Small little things (for adults) that we don't even think about, and just keep imposing it on children. But it was nice to read that after having a choice, children still decided to eat together and be close to their friends.
Patience not only opens opportunities for children to exercise their competen-cies, it also demonstrates a respect for children's agendas.
We (adults) are so worried about our own agendas, timelines, schedules, that we end up not even taking children's time into consideration. We just make them fit into whatever we decide that's best and they have to do whatever they can to adapt. It's cruel!
well-intentioned inclination to carry children illustrated a lack of respect for the children's right to autonomy.
How many times we end up doing things for kids, thinking that we are helping and not even giving them the opportunity to at least try to do it by themselves?
adults' fear of losing control.
Why? Why do still reproduce this idea that adults need to have control over children?
"children up until about seven years of age communicate with each other more adequately by play than in speech, an argument can certainly be made that their childhood right to play is the same as our adult First Amendment right to free speech"
And most schools still disregard children's right of speech and expect them to be sited for 6 hours, listening to adults all day long.
this drawing conveys with artistic precision the sense of smallness that children often experience in the world of adults.
It's so interesting to see the way the child draw the pole. It looks soo long compared to the mailbox, because that's the way it should have felt/looked from the child's eye.
listening not just with our ears but with all our senses (sight, touch, smell, taste, orientation). Listening to the hundred, the thousand languages"
If children are not always able to use their voices and words to communicate, adults also should be able to "listen" everything else but our ears.
A children's rights movement must be as much about "adult ears" as it is about "children's voices"
Thinking about children as a minority usually neglected by society, we also should have children's place of speech" and the adult "place of listening".
young children have important insights into the issue of children's rights and how it pertains to their own lives.
I do believe kids have fully understanding of things that they want and think that are good for themselves, we just need to trust them and show them that we support their choices and decisions.
We need to make a big impression on parents, amazethem, convince them that what we are doing is some-thing extremely important for their children
I do believe in that! I think things work so much easier when parents trust us and understand that we are all working together.
Sometimes the teacher will findhimself without words, without anything to say; andat times this is fortunate for the child, because thenthe teacher will have to invent new words
I wonder if that's part of the "100 Languages of Teachers" where sometimes we have create new language and new words to better express ourselves.
We teachers must see ourselves as researchers, able tothink, and to produce a true curriculum, a curriculumproduced from all of the children
My previous comment, a few paragraphs above, was about teachers seeing themselves as "sole-owners of knowledge", and I think this paragraphs is just a complement, we need to step out of that "sole-owners of knowledge" position and start seeing ourselves more like learners and researchers in the classroom.
We have to let children be with children. Childrenlearn a lot from other children, and adults learnfrom children being with children
I totally agree! But I see that sometimes it's hard for us, teachers to leave that "sole-owner of knowledge" in the classroom.
It is also important for the teachers to enjoy beingwith the other teachers,
I think that having not only a good relation-ship, but a partnership with other teachers is crucial, not only as a "work environment" thing, but also having people helping with ideas, insights, giving feedback really make us feel supported and important at school.
School can never be alwayspredictable. We need to be open to what takes placeand able to change our plans and go with whatmight grow at that very moment both inside thechild and inside ourselves.
That's one of the things that I love the most about being a teacher! Although we have our routine and we have a plan, the days are never the same and usually things don't go as planned, so it's always a surprise!
We cannot separatethis child from a particular reality. She brings theseexperiences, feelings, and relationships into schoolwith her.
That's something I always try to think and be mindful about my students, that they have a huge "luggage" coming with them to school, and we, as teachers, need to be prepared to carry that luggage with them, even if we don't know what is inside.
he expec-tations that the children have of the adults and theadults have of the children are important.
That is such a strong statement. We spend so much time talking and discussing about the expectations we (adults) have for our students during our planning sessions, grade level meetings, workshops, professional developments, BUT we never think about the expectations that the students have of us and, going even further, the expectations that they have for themselves.
teachers and parents in eachschool, any school, anywhere, could in their own context reflect on these ideas,keeping in focus always the relationships and learning that are in process locally toexamine needs and strengths, thus finding possible ways to construct change
I see Reggio as an idea, a space for discussion and collaboration.
see learning not as a linear process but as a spiral progression and considerthemselves to be partners in this process of learning.
That's so important! Partnership, cooperation, collaboration...
They are notconsidered consumers but co-responsible partners.
I couldn't agree more! Education should never be a product! It should be a construction, it has to be a collaboration between all parts involved in the process!
special rights (rather than using the term specialneeds)
The expression "special rights" instead of "special needs" made me reflect about it...I think that this expression shows how the society should be held accountable by giving rights to people that are usually marginalized.
the tradition of cooperative work is firmly rooted in the Emilia Romagnaregion and is based on a sense of community and of solidarity. Through a strongsense of solidarity, people there are accustomed to construct and maintain theconnections with the community.
I really think that this feeling that the school/the city/public spaces belongs to you, that it's also your responsibility it's a turning point of an entire society.