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gap between what “the child is about to see and what the adult already sees” should be
small, when “the child’s expectations and dispositions create an expectation and
readiness to make the jump” (p. 84).
Under the leadership of Loris Malaguzzi, the Reggio educators have established a
working environment that mirrors the theories embodied by these theorists. In addition,
Reggio educators create classrooms that allow children and teachers to create their own
theories. Malaguzzi worked interdependently with many people and was able to build a
strong core of teachers and educational leaders who learned from him and with whom he
could engage and argue. He worked with other progressive educators in Italy, traveled to
other countries to study, and brought new ideas back to Reggio. He challenged teachers
to try out these unfamiliar ideas to see what did and did not work. He promoted strong
dialogue among teachers about these ideas as he participated in their explorations
(Rankin, 2004).
Emphasis on professional development.
Professional development for Reggio educators takes place on the job. Teachers
come directly from preparatory secondary schools and in-service training becomes the
only choice. Malaguzzi (1998) felt that competence becomes stronger through direct
application. Reflection is stressed but in addition to individual effort, discussion with
colleagues, parents, and experts is encouraged. Teachers are given preparatory time for to
engage in reflection.
Teachers – like children and everyone else – feel the need to grow in their
competences; they want to transform experiences into thoughts, thoughts into
reflections, and reflections into new thoughts and new actions. They also feel a
need to make predications, to try things out, and then interpret them. The act of
interpretation is most important. Teachers must learn to interpret ongoing
processes rather than wait to evaluate results. (Malaguzzi, 1998, p. 72)