I've been reading a lot of Katie Ray lately, and her book Study Driven screams Reggio to me! (Matt Glover, an author/consultant and colleague of Katie's, organized my trip to Italy) Katie makes the case for a true "Study" in the writing workshop, where children are immersed in the kind of writing we're inviting them to do, digging deep into the craft, and structure of a particular form of writing. The teacher learns alongside the children, doesn't have all of the answers, and allows the children to make the discoveries. Of course, the teacher has an idea of where she wants to take them, and there is structure to it, but this inquiry focus is a different pathway from what many of us are comfortable with. This is opposed to the pre-planned Units of Study where every single mini-lesson is already outlined and sometimes scripted. I must admit, I'm a planner and I like to know what it is I'm teaching and when. This inquiry stance has turned my thinking upside down! Seeing it in Italy in a early childhood environment, has made me step back and reflect on how I have been handing curriculum to my children on a shiny platter. My first graders are still learning and loving school, however, could it be more meaningful for them if I stop being so explicit? There is definitely a time and place for being explicit, however are we being TOO explicit and not letting our children discover some things for themselves? Instead, I must be ultra-uber intentional, in how I invite the children to learn. It's all about setting up "Invitations" to learn.
I'll go deeper into "Invitations" in another post. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of my latest attempts to improve my choice time areas in the classroom.... a light table and new blocks! Space is still an issue....ugh.
