“We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience.” ― John Dewey My philosophy of education has always been founded upon the scholarship of John Dewey. I draw on a number of theorists and philosophers in my stance towards teaching and learning, including Piaget, Erikson, Freire, Vygotsky among them, but I always turn to Dewey for inspiration and validation. My introduction to the Reggio-Emilia Approach was by chance, but my love and belief in the Approach was solidified by my admiration and connection to its foundation. Now, in my third year as principal of this wonderful school, I am drawn to reflect upon what has transpired and share through reflection, some of the history of the school. When the school began in 2000, it had a strong and creative Pedagogista who coached, nurtured, and helped to firmly establish understanding and implementation of the Reggio Approach at the Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center. His departure in the summer of 2010, left a void in the staff. The person hired to fill his position determined after a few months that the role was not suitable for her. She left unexpectedly in mid-November of that same year. Having only been hired as Principal in mid-August, I found myself at a professional cross-roads. I was not only new to the school, but was also a novice administrator. There were so many plates to juggle, and now, the person responsible for guiding the Reggio practice within the school, the Approach on which it was designed and constructed, was absent. While this presented a problem, it also created an opportunity. As I saw it, it was an opportunity for all of our teachers to grow and push their practice forward, and to determine, with the luxury of time, exactly what they wanted from a Pedagogista, and how this role, which had been designed and implemented by its creator, could become a true collaboration and partnership on more equal terms. In response to my prompting, the staff agreed to each act as pedagogistas, for and with each other -- in the spirit of a true team. I saw then, as I now see each day, the ability, strength, and creativity that each of my staff members possessed. I felt they only needed to be empowered to explore and discover it for themselves. I will be honest and admit that this idea did meet with resistance, however, everyone did agree to try. As I have always said of any hypothesis and subsequent research project,[and this was action research in its truest sense], that even if our hypothesis is proved wrong, the data we gather is still valuable. After a year and a half, the staff determined that our experiment had failed and that we needed someone in the role of pedagogista to help us be a truly Reggio-inspired school, and help us build our practice to more closely align with the priniciples upon which the Approach is based. This past August, we were able to do just that. We are proud to announce that one of our teachers, Sarah Cooper, accepted the position and has been serving in this role since then, to the delight and benefit of all students, staff and families. - emm

Our School Mascot

The images above are of our school cat Stripes. Stripes was a stray who literally walked in the school with a group of children after recess eleven years ago - and never left. Since that time he has taken residence in the school, with the Studio [our version of the Atelier] maintaining 'home base'. The staff take turns checking in on him during holiday breaks and throughout the summer. As you can see, he is well loved, and WELL FED!

Apologies for Absence....

Some grapes we found on our walks around our community - we are beginning to note and chart seasonal changes in our environment.

Families viewing project documentation boards at our annual Ice Cream Social

Dear Friends, Quite a bit has happened since I began this Blog. The good news is that the GRCDC is continuing to carry out our mission and vision of providing a quality Reggio-inspired and research-based public education, combining the talents and perspectives of our students, their families, and our tremendous educators. After two years without a Pedagogista, we are pleased to announce that one of our "own" has taken over this role. After a year of experimenting and redefining the role as an entire staff, thinking of the Pedagogista as a 'collaborative entity' instead of an individual, we determined that we did indeed need one person, dedicated to the provocation, dialogue and guidance a Pedagogista can initiate and provide. Sarah Cooper, has been at the school for 9 years, first as a para-educator, and most recently as a classroom teacher. Her appointment has been unanimously and enthusiastically supported by all the staff. One aspect of my work in this school is the constantly shifting demands of a stand-lone charter. Not only am I the Principal, but as a stand-alone, we are also our own district, and as a result, I am also legally the Superintendent. Since the departure of our Executive Director last March, I have also been appointed to that role to aid in fundraising. The most recent change to my duties and responsibilities has been the unexpected medical leave of a first and second grade teacher, part of a teaching team, responsible for the learning of 39 energetic and diverse learners. Our initial plan of preparing the certified para over the course of the semester to prepare the December transition for maternity leave hit us a bit too soon. In order to provide the greatest stability and consistency for the students, I made an 'executive decision'[which is rare in the consensus-model tradition and culture at our school]and determined the best option was to step back into the classroom and assume teaching duties. It has been an amazing and exhausting week, and the work continues. I have learned so much as a teacher, going back into the classroom after an eight year hiatus, and even more as an administrator. The insight and observation I have gained after only six days in this classroom has been invaluable and enlightening. Please check back to see how we are doing, and to learn more about our learning in 'Discovery C'. Until then.....peace, Erin I have added some images from our experiences last week...

Please view our school's website to learn more about the amazing work happening in Grand Rapids!