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(Rankin, 2004). In Reggio Emilia, the educators understand the importance of
constructing knowledge within a social context. The idea that there is a creative area
between the individual and social processes “where learning happens most easily” is a
view valued in Reggio Emilia (Rankin, 2004, p. 31). It is a view of the child as growing
within a group context (Rankin, 2004). It is also a view of the teacher growing within a
group context, developing as Belenky et al. (1986) suggest that “constructed knowledge”
is demonstrated with the integration of voices (p. 133).
To become a theory builder is to accept a view of the teacher as researcher. The
teacher reflects upon the documentation as data and begins to theorize. Theorizing is the
“cognitive process of discovering or manipulating abstract categories and relationships
amongst these categories” (LeCompte, Preissle, & Tesch, 1993, p. 239). The process calls
for an abstract conceptualization of the data. It is a challenging process. Merriam (1998)
describes theorizing as fraught with ambiguity as it involves speculation, risk, and
inference. Loris Malaguzzi claimed that the task of theory is to help teachers better
understand the nature of their problems.
As an early childhood educator grounded in the practical application of
curriculum, theory was not a substantial part of my practice. I have had an aversion to,
and fear of, the theoretical. I was afraid to embed theory into practice as it seemed too
abstract. At the same time, it was laden with the inherent risk of asking that I come
forward and assert my voice. Dissociating fear from theory has been a profound
transformative experience for me during this research journey. I will speculate that it can
be a powerful force of development for others as well who accept theory into their
practice.