28 STAFF TRAINING EXCHANGE MAY/JUNE 2010

Learning from

by Margie Carter

I’m living with some professional dis- and had a profound impact on each of the way an emphasis on relationships, ease these days and I wonder if that’s us. As one delegate, Debbie Lebo put it: rather than regulations, resulted in true for others. Last February, in search some remarkable standards for quality. of expanded thinking, I led a group of 20 “I learned what early childhood pro- And, as is true with the outstanding early childhood professionals on a study grams can look like when educators and schools of Reggio Emilia, it’s important tour to Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). administrators constantly commit to re- to understand the historical and political Our group included two Canadians and flecting on, articulating, and living their context that gave rise to the New Zea- two Aussies, with everyone else from values. Every speaker and every center land early childhood system and the Te the United States. While we knew we visit was a provocation for deep thinking Whāriki curriculum model that guides had much to learn from the overall sys- about my vision for children, families, their educators. New Zealand mobilized tem of early childhood education in NZ, early educators, and professional learn- the political will to not only apologize to I tried to keep our focus on three par- ing. . . . Now that I know that this way ticular aspects that seem to hold promise of working with young children exists for infusing new ideas into our teacher somewhere, I can’t pretend it doesn’t. education and professional development Because I’ve now seen the way it can be, Awhi Whana Awhi efforts in the United States: I’m already changed.”

n Upon our return to busy work lives at

Strengthening relationships to Photographs by strengthen culture and community home, I continued to gather reflections n Seeing the environment as a reflection from our delegates, hoping we could of values cull out insights for further examination n Understanding documentation as a to inform our work going forward. I’ll pedagogical tool no doubt write more about this in the future, as will others; but for now, here To be sure, the trip was intensely engag- are my ruminations. ing, both emotionally and intellectually, A high trust, social justice model Margie Carter lives in Seattle and travels widely to speak and consult with In the first presentation of our study early childhood programs. In their book, tour, Chris Bayes, an officer with the Learning Together with Young Children, Ministry of Education, offered us a Margie and co-author Deb Curtis feature phrase that left our American jaws more examples from the New Zealand early childhood system. To find out more about the March 2011 and dropping. “We operate as a high trust February 2012 study tours Margie will be leading to model.” It didn’t take long for our eyes New Zealand, visit www.ecetrainers.com. to brim with tears as we began to witness STAFF TRAINING 29 MAY/JUNE 2010 EXCHANGE

the indigenous Māori people, but to bodies and early childhood services, different colored dolls or multi-cultural create an educational agenda for bicul- between administrators and teachers, books in a center that strengthens cultur- tural development to redress the original families and educators, educators and al awareness, identity, and community. . children, what would have to change, in our minds, our standards, and our Beyond all the words in our teacher The bicultural nature of the Te Whāriki relationships? education and professional development national curriculum is a recognition of work, how do we foster positive cul- those Treaty obligations, not only for Strengthening relationships tural identities and strong cross-cultural Māori well-being, but for the honor of to strengthen culture relationships? What form of education Pākehā ( of non-Māori and community or training will help us really hear when ancestry). I encourage you to visit the we listen, propel us to embrace multiple Ministry’s web site (www.educate.ece. Diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand’s truths about ‘best practices,’ and live as govt.nz) to read the history and compo- population extends to an ever-growing engaged members in a local and world Te Puna Kōhungahunga Te nents of Te Whāriki. It is unlike any of the number of new immigrants, espe- community? curriculum models we have in the U.S. Te cially peoples from the Pacific Islands Whāriki has become a source of inspira- and countries all around them. Our Seeing the environment as Photographs by tion for the development of early learning study tour delegates were particularly a reflection of values frameworks and curricula across Canada impressed with how the Ministry of and Australia. I wonder if this document Education has extended the concept of In Aotearoa New Zealand we were became required reading in our teacher ‘developmentally appropriate practice’ privileged to visit seven different early educator programs, not to mention state- to a recognition of multiple ‘domains childhood centers, each with a unique convened stakeholder committees, would of appropriateness’ as we witnessed the environment that made it easy to see it spark a new trajectory for our approach wonderful community and organic cul- what they valued and how they viewed to defining early learning outcomes? tural extensions at a Pasifika center. We children as enormously competent and were reminded, once again, that it is the trustworthy. Their outdoor environments Further ruminations: If we adopted a way relationships and communications were clearly as important in their think- ‘high trust model’ between our regulatory are conducted rather than the number of ing as their indoor play and learning Build it Your Way, With PORTABLE SINKS by MONSAM! Hot and Cold running water at any location and you can select from more than forty standard models or request a custom design. No extra charge for custom work.

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areas. In many cases, weather permitting, them? Ever since reading their chapter those outlined in the Te Whāriki curricu- children could choose to spend the bulk in the second edition of The Hundred lum. I so want this kind of unpacking of the day outside (and many did) for Languages of Children, I’ve longed to see and re-conceptualizing work to become there was so much to engage their curi- some college classes and professional a larger part of our teacher education osity, active bodies, relationships with conferences take up the reconceptual- and advocacy work in the U.S. each other, and with the wonders of the izing work suggested by the words of natural world. And need I say we didn’t Carol Brunson Phillips and Sue Understanding documentation see obese children? Bredekamp (1998): as a pedagogical tool

The social-emotional environment also “Perhaps no other cultural trait is so A cornerstone of the professional reflected a clear set of values and image pervasive an influence in practice, development system launched by the of children. We found ourselves awe- professional development, and policy, Ministry of Education in Aotearoa New struck by the absent practice of herding as is the concept and use of time.” Zealand is promoting a view of teach- children through continuous transitions ers and directors as researchers, not in on a daily schedule. As a result, we saw I can imagine a significant transforma- an academic sense, but in fostering an little sign of stress, distress, aggression, tion in our U.S. educational settings if we empowering identity and daily practice. or exhaustion. What if our teacher educa- unpacked the way we view and spend Teachers are encouraged to see their tion work emphasized ways to organize time. The same would be true if we curiosities, dilemmas, and even weak- predictable routines for children while considered other possibilities for desired, nesses as something to be practically minimizing the number of transitions for measurable learning outcomes, such as studied as ‘action research,’ rather than

Photographs by Tots Corner as something to be quickly addressed with a new technique. We had a presen- tation by two owner/directors of child care centers who mentor other center leaders in actively researching unexam- ined values and practices compromising their desire to provide the best possible experiences for children. Until recent budget cuts, the Ministry was actually awarding grants to centers to undertake worthy research projects to advance their quality.

As part of her presentation, one univer- sity professor offered examples of teach- er education activities centered around studying their documentation, not only to write learning stories as assessment evidence, but to research possibilities for their pedagogical work with children. In our visits to centers we found teachers intellectually engaged, eager to discuss their documentation with us, and in search of new perspectives and insights. One of our delegates, Rosemarie Vardell, herself a professor, reflected:

“Probably most important for me was seeing a version of ‘the vision’ — what Te Puna Kōhungahunga Te it would look and feel like to have programs that are grounded in culture and excellent teaching practices. I’m Photographs by STAFF TRAINING 31 MAY/JUNE 2010 EXCHANGE also looking for ways to offer teacher research grants like the Ministry of- fered in New Zealand. This struck me HEALTH as one way to validate those teachers Environmental who are continually striving to offer the matters! best teaching/learning experiences for and SAFETY children.” Handbook Available Persistence in resistance Too!

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One of the phrases coming out of our www.GoGreenRatingScale.org reflections on what we learned in New Zealand was the importance of persis- 1-800-423-8309 tence in the struggle for what we know www.RedleafPress.org to be fair and just, along with resistance to settling for anything less. As delegate Debbie Lebo summed it up: “While higher standards carry the hope opportunities for ongoing reflection of improved qual- and dialogue.” ity in early childhood education, some U.S. I sense that our study tour to Aotearoa programs feel so much New Zealand has fueled the determi- pressure to meet the nation of each of our delegates to resist rising standards that any excuses to settle for the ‘dumbing- they are using more down’ policies and practices that are and more scripted, pre- besieging children and teachers in our packaged curriculum early childhood centers. Seeing again materials that claim what colleagues in other countries to be ‘teacher-proof.’ have accomplished with their clear Quality early childhood vision, critical thinking, and uncom- programs must instead promised persistence has filled me invest in teachers’ with gratitude and a new sense of abilities to be reflective, possibility. thoughtful decision- makers. And while Reference reflection can be looked at as a responsibility for Phillips, C., & Bredekamp, S. (1998). early childhood teach- Reconsidering early childhood educa- ers, it can also be looked tion in the United States: Reflections at as a right of early from our encounters with Reggio childhood teachers. Emilia. In Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G., The hundred languages of Teachers have the right children, Second Edition. Greenwich: to time, support, and Ablex Publishing.