Category of Work

Article

Publication Title

Innovations in Early Education

Abstract

In 1991, after attending a study week visiting the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, the child development director of Chicago Commons, Karen Haigh, shared information about her trip with program staff. After learning about the schools in Reggio Emilia through Karen, and after some teachers participated in a regional seminar about the Reggio approach, staff were inspired enough to ask if it was possible to explore this philosophy within the Commons programs. And so, it began, with just a handful of classrooms in a multisite agency. Karen created a structure of professional development for teachers to begin to explore this approach. Initially, one classroom from each of the seven sites was asked to volunteer to explore the approach. Teaching teams met weekly to study documentation and discuss the ideas, intentions, and work of children. Teams included teachers, family workers, site directors, and an education coordinator. At the time, Juana Reyes was a family worker transitioning into the role of a site director. To assist the education coordinator, she was asked to lead her team and the teaching team at another site. To support the growing program, Karen saw the importance of having additional education coordinators who worked similarly to the role of pedagogista. Furthermore, a studio coordinator position was created, envisioned as the Italian counterpart, atelierista. However, funds did not allow a studio coordinator at each site, so the role differed in that the studio coordinator worked more with teachers rather than children. In 2000, Gigi Yu joined the team as a studio art coordinator, and at that time Juana Reyes had transitioned to the role of manager of professional development and research to support the study tours of educators who came to see the programs. In July 2019, Juana and Gigi sat down with Karen at her summer home in Door County, Wisconsin, to reflect on her many years of studying the Reggio Emilia Approach in diverse contexts and her recent semi-retirement. This article reflects their conversation.

First Page

28

Last Page

35

Publication Date

Spring 2020

Comments

This article was originally published in Innovations in Early Education, published by the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA).

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