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of custom, of the normal, of the non-surprise, of assumed security” (p. 6), will find the
possible. When the wall of old habits and customs is broken down the quest for the
possible can begin.
According to Malaguzzi (2001a), the obstacle to overcome is the accepted image
of the child. If education is seen as just a service offered to young children, it subjugates
the child within a message that their voice need not be heard. The aim of the exhibit for
Malaguzzi was to give “shape and vitality to research that vanquishes silence, that affords
both children and adults a way to explore, to construct theories and ideas . . . .” (p. 6).
The challenges of context.
Reframing images will transform and elevate the status of the early childhood
educator by positively impacting the teacher’s self-image. Every early childhood
educator who accepts the challenge to change and transform can ascend up the mountain.
Letting go of the image of babysitter to accept the elevated status of teacher as theorybuilder
will be transformational to the field. This empowering image can positively
influence every teacher’s very personal self-image and can transcend to impact the field
as a whole. As the field emerges from undervalued obscurity and evolves towards
professionalization, the underlying supposition is that the catalyst for this change can be
the inspirational philosophy and practice of the pre-primary schools of Reggio Emilia,
Italy.
With the constraints inherent in child care -- lack of support, wages that are not
reflective of the value of their providers, the limited access to preparation time, and the
possible adverse effects of working a longer day with children than their primary teacher
counterparts – early childhood educators could easily choose to ignore these new ideas