1. Don't be afraid to ask parents for 'stuff.'
2. Everyone needs ECFE classes. Everyone.
3. The early childhood programs help parents of young children build community with one another, community that carries over to the K-12 years and throughout St. Louis Park.
4. Teachers don't have to have all the answers. Be appreciative of the value of children and parents learning from each other.
5. It's okay to work outside your comfort zone.
6. There is much to be learned from working with other teachers and in other classrooms. While field trips to other classrooms was a good idea, it was hard to implement by yourself. Next fall we (coordinators) will organize this across all programs.
7. It's okay to hit a wall--the learning is what do you do when you hit the wall. If an activity doesn't go the way you planned, there is still very valuable learning in the experience.
8. Pursuing the question sparks energy.
9. Trust the learners.
10. You are on a journey together in your classrooms (the Reggio co-construction of knowledge).
11. Stay open minded when working with parents. It takes time to build relationships with them.
We finished with this provocation:
How are you going to work out of your comfort zone next year?
This is something everyone should think about during the summer.
How are you going to work out of your comfort zone next year?
This is something everyone should think about during the summer.
3 comments:
It's difficult to work outside of our comfort zone! We all get in a routine to try to make our days run smoother, but we can see how stretching ourselves can provide a challenge and shake things up in the classroom. Our jobs provide many "out of comfort zone" experiences every day...and sometimes those are enough...but here are some o.o.c.z. experieces we would be willing to try: visiting more Reggio schools, providing more "messy" time consuming art experiences, and discovering new field trip places.
I work out of my comfort zone each time I meet a new class. This year having Mary K come and observe and then talk afterward we came up with some new strategies to help facilitate the classes. I have to meet, observe and listen to the parents and children and see where they want to go and then help to facilitate that path. I need to add some more visual tools to help the learning take place and add some more creative ways to help facilitate the parents leaving the chairs and go play with their children in the great room offering many fun things to do. Peggy
Our room will be undergoing a change of staff next fall with Sharon leaving. For me, this will take me outside of my comfort zone. Change is difficult for me. I plan to make it a positive change, however. I hope to take this opportunity to make our class more consistent and cohesive and establish some ground rules for all staff to follow.
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