Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/unpacking-my-questions-and-images-personal-reflections-on-reggio-emilia/5009667/
I thought I was taking a trip, but I was beginning a journey. I knew I would be impressed, but I was filled with delight and wonder. I returned home, but my mind keeps traveling. When I visited the schools for young children in Reggio Emilia, Italy, I expected to learn about an exemplary educational system, but I am beginning to glimpse a different way of living. These reflections guide my journey.I thought I left home with an open mind, a supply of film, and plenty of pencils. But I wasn't prepared. I have visited wonderful programs for young children across the United States, and I didn't want to forget that. As we began listening and visiting, people would ask, "Isn't this wonderful?" "Can you believe it?" "Do you get it?" I would respond with a verbal "Yes" and a mental "but. . . . "
I had carefully secured the doorstop in my mind, a secure (or so I thought) place from which to hold on to my reservations. I did not want to be blown out of my comfort zone. But as conversations and days passed, ...