Why Choice Time?

My colleague, Renee Dinnerstein, recently wrote about the ways that the Common Core are being interpreted in Kindergarten classrooms.  Bottom line:  Don't mess with Choice Time.  When teachers start putting stipulations on how to make choices, what to imagine, what to think....it takes away the spirit of wonder and inquiry in children.

http://investigatingchoicetime.com/?p=614

Believe it or not, choice time in first grade is pretty unheard of.  My first grade classroom (along with a couple of my teammates) is not the norm.  I'm working on spreading the "choice time word."

I'm wondering...

Long time, no posts!  I've been immersed in life with my own budding bambini, and my 19 other precious souls in my care.  Spring is in the air, and I'm ready for some sunshine filled days!  We're expecting a stretch of beautiful weather here in Seattle for the next few days....woo hoo!
I'm facilitating a book study/Reggio Emilia workshop, starting this Thursday at a local elementary, and I'm pumped for it!  We'll be studying Matt Glover's book Projecting Possibilities for Writers: The How, What and Why of Designing Units of Study, K-5.  We'll also look closely at the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education, hopefully allowing teachers to see the connections between the workshop approach to teaching reading and writing, and Reggio.  I'm hoping to light an "inquiry fire" in the participants!

On another note, our local literacy council (IRA) hosted Stephanie Harvey for a Saturday workshop last weekend, and what an inspiration she was!  The entire first half of her talk was a call for bringing back WONDER and CURIOSITY to education.  She even showed photos of kids at "Reggio Inspired" schools....so affirming! 
More later on wonder and curiosity... ;)

Voices

Goosebumps.  I have them because of this speech.  Please read it, you will be inspired.  I agree with Diane Ravitch, where is the media attention for this superintendent, when people like Michelle Rhee get tons of air time?   We need more people like John Kuhn advocating for educators and kids.  His voice represents what so many of us believe and don't have the courage or the eloquence to say.  Thank you, Superintendent John Kuhn!

The Imagination Tree

Oh my goodness, I'm in love with this blog: The Imagination Tree  If you are looking for ways to invite your children to discover and play in oh-so-many ways, this woman (her name is Anna, ironic, huh?) has a knack for putting together the most incredible play settings.  My favorite idea (so far!) is her "Small World Play Scenes."  Check out this pirate scene!   Or another one of my favorites, the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Play Dough.  Are you kidding me?  I'm giddy right now!  Let the play dough making begin!  One is NEVER too old for play dough. :)

Reggio Inspired in 1st

As a first grade teacher, my mind has been spinning, wondering "How can I bring some Reggio elements into my classroom?"  Especially with the mandates and fast-paced atmosphere that many of us are experiencing.  I need to bring some natural wonder back into the classroom!  They're 6 years old, for heaven's sake!  Of course,  I can bring materials in, (and prune some current ones) but bringing in Reggio is much more than "stuff."  It's how you put that stuff to use.  It's about taking a step back and trusting my first graders.  We've been so hung up on learning targets, teaching points and demonstrating EVERYTHING, that we've lost sight of letting kids do what they do best, discover!  I've been making a conscience effort to be even MORE intentional with my questioning and how I present new concepts and ideas.

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. 

Reinvent

After returning from Reggio, I was barraged by colleagues, friends and family, dying to know all about my experience and what my impressions were.  Honestly, I had a hard time coming up with just the right words to describe what I experienced.  I not only saw environments that changed my vision for what is possible, I felt transformed, myself, as a teacher and a parent.   I was filled with energy to march home and exude Reggio from my fingertips.  Where would I begin?  I walked into my first grade classroom Monday morning and wilted.  I stared at my plan book and curriculum map and felt deflated. I then proceeded to open an email from a parent asking for more homework for his six year old daughter.  He writes:  "Is reading all you want her to do?  Don't you have packets of homework to send home?"    How can I infuse pieces of this beautiful philosophy that values and trusts children, into a system that is hurrying children along at lightning speed?  And then one rainy Seattle morning, as I'm reaching into my cupboard for a coffee mug, the mug I was about to grab spoke to me.

Reinvent.  Reinvent Reggio in my own soil.  That's it.  It's impossible to replicate all aspects of what is present in Reggio Schools, but we can surely bring pieces into our settings that make sense.  I responded to the father that asked for more homework, and here is what I wrote.
"No, reading is not the only homework.  Open your backyard door and let her run!  Tell stories, explore, build, sing, and invite her to be a kid.  This is more valuable than any homework packet I could ever provide."

Lost in translation...

I've been putting off this post because I don't know where to start.  I went to Reggio thinking I had a general idea of what I was going to see and experience, and I came away utterly dumbfounded.  How is it that we as a nation have not looked to our colleagues in Italy and learned a thing or two about how to implement such authentic, child-centered environments for our children?  I'm shocked that there are not more "Reggio Inspired" schools in our country.  I guess that is another post in itself. 

I think I'm going to slowly post my impressions, as they become clear in my mind.  Here are a couple that I've been chewing on lately.

• The educators in Reggio Emilia have a completely different philosophy about the purpose of education.  First and foremost, they believe education is the right of all children from birth.  They believe that education is the responsibility of the community in order to promote the potentials of all children...it's the "It Takes a Village" idea. They stressed that their job is to help "form the human" by constructing conditions that allow children to grow and develop into thoughtful, productive, citizens.  They have a word for this in Italian, which I can't remember exactly, I think it's "formazione."  They said that there isn't a true translation for it in English. It made me think about the state of our education system and how everything is about "Getting Ready" for the next level.  Kindergarten Readiness. Getting ready for the "next grade level"  Getting ready for middle school/high school.  And now the infamous "College and Career Ready."  I wonder if the Italians have a translation for this perseveration on "readiness."  I seriously doubt it.
• The Image of the Child is something that stood out to me.  Again, it's the idea that children have infinite potentials for learning.  When we stand back, and let children "be," they can astound us.  They have a natural affinity for exploration, discovery, and figuring things out.  How is the Image of the Child different in US school settings?  I've been thinking about this, and it seems that it comes down to trust.  The educators in Reggio have a level of trust in children (it's actually recipricol) that allows the children to take their learning to extraordinary levels.  The adults stand back (although they are very intentional, and I'll touch on that later) and allow children to author their own learning.  They don't have all the answers, they're not standing and spewing directives, teaching points, facts, etc.  They ask legitimate questions and they guide. They have patience.  There is no rush.  Remember, they're not trying to propel children to the next benchmark, Fountas/Pinnell level or grade level for that matter.  Instead, they trust in the innate capabilities of children to learn and construct knowledge.  I know I'm getting very deep here!  However, there is nothing shallow about Reggio Emilia! :) 

More later...my brain hurts.