While visiting the Diana School in Reggio Emilia in 1997, I saw a little triptych posted outside a classroom, on which there were hand-written notes and drawings describing the children’s day for parents to read. I suddenly realized that there was, in that triptych, tremendous potential for documenting children’s process and thinking in an immediate, yet still fairly deep, way. From that point forward, I kept a “daily log” of the group process in our classroom. I found these logs indispensable to the process of teacher research. Soon I realized that those moments of brilliance that were documented in the log were too good to keep to myself. I began to share them with parents, as attachments in email. Finding this method of dissemination problematic (only some of the parents could access the log), I tried every form of technology as it came available to me over the years: writing in Netscape, with Dreamweaver, with iWeb. When blogging became popular, the concept and infrastructure finally coincided, and what was once a private blog for only the parents and teachers at our school could then become public. I invite you into our world of one thousand moments…of the lessons we adults can learn from the voices of children. Thank you for reading!
Constructing An Image Of God Part II
Conversations with children about philosophy can be particularly rich. Big questions like "What is real?" or "What makes me me?" or "What happens after people die?", big questions without obvious answers, are like playgrounds for the intellect. Some of the deepest...
Constructing An Image Of God, Part I
As Autumn blows slowly through the wooded path along the James River in my neighborhood, I am reminded of the conversations held by a group of children I know to co-construct an image of God. How profound their thinking, and how beautiful their representations! This...
The Bensley School Pilot Part V: Time And Space For Reading Children’s Intent
This post is number five in a series, each based on a question or questions asked by the co-author of this pilot program, Jen Miller-Taylor. In the Fall of 2016, Jen was an experienced teacher but new to Kindergarten. She declared intent to bring the principles of the...
The Bensley Pilot Part IV: Setting Up The Environment
This post is number four in a series, each based on a question asked by the co-author of this pilot program, Jen Miller-Taylor. In the Fall of 2016, Jen was an experienced teacher but new to Kindergarten. She declared intent to bring the principles of the Reggio...
The Bensley School Pilot Part III: Academics vs Play
This post is number three in a series, each based on a question asked by the co-author of this pilot program, Jen Miller-Taylor. In the Fall of 2016, Jen was an experienced teacher but new to Kindergarten. She declared intent to bring the principles of the Reggio...
The Bensley School Pilot Part II: The Evolution Of A Mindset
This post is number two in a series, each based on a question asked by the co-author of this pilot program, Jen Miller-Taylor. In the Fall of 2016, Jen was an experienced teacher but new to Kindergarten. She declared intent to bring the principles of the Reggio Emilia...
Reggio-Inspired Beginnings In A Title One Traditional Public School
One of the great dilemmas facing teachers in public schools these days is how to reconcile the demands of the testing-oriented public school environment and the knowledge that learning in early childhood happens best through supported play. How do you create time and...
The Evolution Of Courage eBook, Second Edition
The second edition of The Evolution Of Courage: The Power Of Imagination And Intellect To Conquer Fear is now available in pdf form online here and will soon be available for purchase in print.
The 13th Child: Making A Case For Group Work
For the past several months I have been collaborating with a small school in North Carolina that has a long and cherished culture that honors the individual child above all else. Thoughtful and reflective, the teachers are aware that in other schools children engage...
Coming Up: Sabot Institute For Teaching And Learning Symposium
I am honored to be presenting, along with Lella Gandini, U.S. Liaison for the Dissemination of the Reggio Approach, Susan Mackay Director of Teaching and Learning at Opal School, Mary Driebe, and teachers from Sabot At Stony Point School at the 2017 Spring...