Part of what I do as an early childhood education/child development consultant is help schools recast the Reggio Emilia Approach and transform their schools to become more “Reggio Inspired.” My program is a comprehensive and intensive experience where we focus on the teachers, the classroom environments and the overall school philosophy/environment/curriculum. I also provide workshops on the different aspects of the approach and how to incorporate them into your school. Below is the framework for my personalized program:
The Reggio Emilia Approach reflects the core of inquiry-based teaching and is based on the following guiding principles:
- The image of a child who has great potentials for development, has rights and who learns and grows in relation with others; children are considered protagonists, collaborators and communicators in the learning process
- Teachers as partners, nurturers, guides and researchers in the learning process
- The importance of the school environment as the “third teacher;” it supports learning through social interaction and exploration
- The collegial and cooperative work of the staff as the foundation for the educational system
- Parents are partners in their children’s education and take active roles in their children’s learning
- Documentation as communication
The specific fundamental principles based on the above guiding principles are connected and all influence and are influenced by each other. Each one is addressed in one of the following three components of Parent PhD’s program:
- The Teachers
- The Classroom Environments
- The Overall School Philosophy/Environment/Curriculum
Parent PhD’s program begins by working with the teachers and their role in the classroom. It then shifts to the classroom environments, and how they will be transformed to reflect the Reggio Emilia Approach. The overall school philosophy/environment/curriculum will be transformed as the work with the teachers and their classrooms occurs.
The key to this transformation is that the teachers will be completely involved in every aspect of becoming Reggio-Inspired. They will transform themselves as teachers, their classrooms and the overall school to reflect the Reggio Emilia Approach. The teachers and staff will have complete ownership over everything, which is a powerful and wonderful thing. Parent PhD’s program will also give them a chance to participate in action and teacher research and in-depth teacher reflection, which will only make them better and more highly-qualified teachers.
Interested? Email Dr. Jenn at [email protected] and we can talk about how to bring this program or parts of this program to your school or childcare center.
