Learning Center

I have been going to the Learning Center at Wayne State University to observe the Emilio Reggio approach they use with the children. These students are three and four years old and have a awesome opportunity to be learning there.

One thing that I observed that was interesting was how visual images helped the children stay focused. The first day I observed the teacher used words and pictures to describe what to do that day in class during the Morning Meeting. On a different day she only talked about what to do that day. I noticed that the first day, the children were more engaged with what she was trying to tell them. They sat quietly on the floor, trying to figure out what she would draw next. On the second day the children were load, talking over her and getting out of their seats.

Having multiple things to do around the room during free time allows the students to explore things that they are interested in at a higher level. Everyone is different with different abilities and talents. We need to let children discover what they enjoy and encourage them to learn more about it.

I liked the small group that I observed because it involved having children asking questions and processing thoughts about the questions. It got their attention, made them curious and at the end they get to discover the answers to their questions hands on. This encourages learning. The students will develop curious minds. Curious minds ask questions and then seek to find the answers.

Patience that I saw in the teachers at the Learning Center is another thing that I will need to use in my own classroom. They were calm throughout the all conflicts, asking questions to discover the problem, stating what should be done and what the consequences are if that action is not taken, and being persistent. Some children were easier than others to resolve conflicts with, but in the end justice prevailed.