I recently came across a blog post from George Couros, Division Principal for Parkland School Division in Alberta. The post was called, Why Are We Waiting for Tomorrow? Essentially, sharing the idea that children are not simply with us to be molded into ‘effective leaders’ someday. In fact, children can impact the world right here, right now.
This led me to reflect on the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, and the core of the philosophy, which is the Image of the Child. The Reggio philosophy views children as curious, competent, and capable. When children learn in a Reggio inspired environment, they are respected and act as co-constructors of their learning. They have a genuine voice.
To quote Mr. Couros:
Words matter. Our expectations matter. If a kid makes a difference today, aren’t they more likely to do it tomorrow as well? There is no need to wait.
If you would like to read Mr. Couros’s blog post, please click here.
If you would like to learn more about the Reggio Emilia philosophy, please visit:
- http://www.learningmaterialswork.com/pdfs/ValuesAndPrinciples.pdf
- http://www.thinkers.sa.gov.au/rinaldiflipbook/files/inc/d99b4
- http://www.ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n1/hertzog.html