Myriad Ways

I think so much of working with children is about the teacher finding something that she has a passion for, something that she has fun with and finding a way to use this passion to energize the children. That means you have to look at yourself and what is exciting and interesting for you and see how that might help you with the children.
I have also found that I usually have a few natural teachers among my students. I will watch them and see what is inspiring them and then use that to drive us in a certain direction.
I work in a program that is so not Reggio inspired(child centered approach that sees children as capable drivers of their own learning) and I have no colleagues or supervisors who support my work the way I want to do it. I often have to work around the canned curriculum and data collection to infuse a little bit of inspiration into my work. And, sometimes I get some negative feedback and heavy handed interference from my supervisors. But, the way I look at it, either I can find another job or keep working to enlighten the people I work with. I do not see this approach as an all or nothing idea. Any amount of authentic inspiration the teacher can bring to a classroom makes it better. And, to me, there is no alternative to listening deeply to and having dialogue with my students. Now the documentation may not get done in the way I would like, and the classroom I share with a teacher and a supervisor that just don’t get it may not always look like a place where children are truly creating the environment. But, Reggio approach has to do with me and what makes me want to be in that classroom. It is an approach, not a stencil, a philosophy not a concrete model. If you have studied the approach and used it and made it a part of your make up as a teacher, then either you will get to a point where you can’t work in a situation, or your approach will grow through the cracks like beautiful weeds to inspire you and hopefully others.