Reggio School Experience

The first thing that really stood out to me when we entered this building was how calm it was. It
felt as if the school was empty because it was so quiet. As I walked through the office and into
the main area, I realized there were students all around: the gym doors were open and there was a
classroom in there, and there was a class in line at the bathroom to the left. Still, there was no
noise, and I was astonished. At all the schools I worked at in high school, and my own schools
when I was younger, I remember teachers being red in the face because they were so
embarrassed at how loud their class was. It was always a struggle to get the students to be quiet
in the halls, but it seemed these students were well trained.
As we walked through the classrooms, it was apparent that a state of calm was in the air.
In every room, the students were sitting quietly and were patiently waiting for their teacher to
begin the lesson. They were not rolling around and talking, like the students did at my school,
but they were seated and relaxed, with their attention at the front of the room. I didn’t hear a
single raised voice from the teachers, they all spoke in calming and kind tones. I think the reason
the students are so calm is because the teachers act in that way. The students follow the teacher's
lead, and because the teacher is able to be patient, the students can too.
This sounds dramatic, but I felt the love of education floating around this school. I could
sense the passion in all the employees for their jobs, and all the kids seemed smiley and happy to
be there as well. This is what education and school is all about, so it made me really happy to
see.
My favorite thing that the speaker talked about was how this school works with students
and their strengths. Each student's passions and talents are taken into consideration, and the
student is allowed to succeed and work with those things that bring them comfort. Every now
and then, the teachers slowly work to bring each student out of their comfort zone to try
something new. I think this is a great way to build confidence in the young generation and will
help them explore and try new things as they grow up.