A piece from Facebook message, November 20:
Thanks for your likes and comments. It is the reciprocity of friends that takes away the loneliness of travel. As much as I love these journeys, there is a loneliness but there is joy in this loneliness because it forces one to slow down and review ones individual life. I'm awake this early morning doing just that. This review led me to work this early morning to reflect on an interview that I was asked to give this Friday. Last month an editor of a Thai parent magazine, www.bambiweb.or
I will be adding my reflections to this piece and edit later because my blog is showing all Thai.
Google "Introduction to Reggio Emilia" to find Carlina's interview.
It is day three in Thailand, Tuesday morning, November 21st. I am sitting on the balcony in 81 degree temperature at 8:37 am. I have been reviewing our school website, www.springhollowschool.com and my own writings over my career, some that are on this blog to prepare for my interview in the morning for the parent magazine, Bambi. I decided to write some notes directly on the blog this time in the hope that this will encourage me to write more being aware that these are in the process and will continue to be revised and edited by my self and I hope others.
It is always an education in and of itself to review all these words and pull them together in my mind to make them clear to another.
The response from the editor interviewing me when asking her for questions via email was this:
The purpose of the series is to help our readers get an idea of what to expect if they send their children to a school following specific method. The article on Reggio Emilia approach will have the same structure as the others from the series. To outline the concept we'll use the information from my research, but to give our readers some first-hand information and deeper insight into the concept we'd like to talk to you and use some quotes from our interview for the article.
I haven't read much on Reggio Emilia approach yet, but my impression is that there is a lot of information on the philosophy, history and guiding principles, but is there a specific curriculum? Is the learning completely child-led and spontaneous or do the teachers structure learning in some way?
I plan to respond by saying:
Our approach is entitled "The Spring Hollow Approach" because as Howard Gardner expressed in the CNN report about Reggio Emilia in 1997: "We cannot transplant the Reggio Emilia Approach, we can only plant the seed in our own communities". So therefore, our inspirations from Reggio Emilia to create "The Spring Hollow Approach" are a validation of how I have always felt education should be, termed in other ways as an emergent or constructivist curriculum, based on many different educators in our past and ones I studied and was inspired by for my teaching degrees such as Dewey, Piaget and Vygotsky.
This way of teaching and learning has some times been seen by others as a "free for all" and my response to this comment is in agreement that it is a "free for all" for the mind but not for behavior, Children are given the right to be an equal and a co-researcher in the learning process, expressing their points of views, being listened to by others, and solving problems. In short, constructing their own knowledge. This is not done in isolation, it is done in collaboration with their peers and teacher as a facilitator.
As for the non "free for all" for behavior, I will share about Green Circle and my own research dissertation to show the increased kindness of children from its use.
The environment is seen as a third teacher. Are there any particular requirements for the RE environment?
Inviting
Choices for their symbolic representations
Beautiful
Artistic
Students, teachers and parents are seen as collaborators, but how far does parents' involvement go?
Committees
Board
Education
Parent volunteer facilitating in the classroom
We are also interested in your personal perspective.
Why were you attracted to the Reggio Emilia education?
From my first lecture I attended in St Louis in a speech by Carlina Rinaldi:
"It is all about relationships"
What in your opinion are the benefits for children?
Children have the best start to be the best human possible
How would you define teacher's role?
Teacher role: knowing when to hold and fold, the dance
balance of socratic and didactic teaching
it is in the solving of the problem not the solution when learning occurs
open ended questions, think starters not think stoppers
use some quotes from the goals tof Spring Hollow piece
Observing, listening, documenting, and giving specific encouragement
Understanding and validating the point of view of the child
Being aware of your own non conscious values that may keep you from accepting the true construction of learning from the child
I texted Lindsey, our director/teacher this morning about her opinion of the teacher role. Her response was this:
"I would say first and foremost understanding and respecting the child for their unique background, gifts, and passions. From there, supporting their development as a facilitator-encouraging when needed and stepping back whenever possible. Also, I think truly valuing each child and genuinely valuing them as a person rather than a subordinate is the key to having a strong image of the child".
Maybe you have an interesting story from your experience to share.
My journey with Reggio Emilia has become my own way of life. When we concentrate on our interactions with children as well as our relationships with our own peers, we increase our awareness and understanding of our own being, it is not just education, it is a way of life. As I grow in my life and being a better observer of children, I become a better observer of life. I find that their non inhibitions give us the true meaning of life.
Children give us the value to slow down and live in the moment. It is through children that we can find our own journey in life. It is through my own grandchild when she was a toddler, that I was led into my first Reggio inspired school in St. Louis when she was attending the Family Center for a parent play group.
The word "education" is derived from "educe" which means to pull out, not to pour in. Children take us back to our own childhood to touch on our natural abilities to learn, to wonder, to be kind, be grateful, and practice the RE message "Nothing Without Joy".
When one of our students commenced from Spring Hollow to a public kindergarten, his mother asked him: What is different from your present school and Spring Hollow. His answer:
At my school now, we can only go down the slide
At Spring Hollow, we can go up the slide too.
At my school now, we have to swing only on our bottoms.
At Spring Hollow, we can swing all different ways.
At my school now, we cannot hold hands.
At Spring Hollow we can hold hands.
It is now exactly one hour later, 9:37 and 85 degrees. I am taking a break and going swimming.
