Adult Collaboration

Adult Collaboration

In conversations related to Reggio-inspired practice, much has been said about the importance of collaboration. In many instances there seems to be a presumption that collective efforts are by definition vastly superior to those of individuals.

The author believes that it is important to point out that this is not always the case.

It was not always the case in Reggio Emilia either. Vea Vecchi, in her wonderfully enlightening book Art and Creativity in Reggio Emilia (2010) recalled a time when a very territorial classroom teacher asserted the position that only she should be able to speak directly to parents, and that it was inappropriate for an atelierista to do so on her own. It is imperative for us to understand that not even the schools from which we draw inspiration came into being as perfectly and completely evolved.

It all takes time.

Not long ago, while visiting a well known and highly thought of Reggio-inspired preschool, this researcher asked a group of teachers and their director to share what they felt to be the most essential aspect related to good collaboration.                            The audience was told “You need to be willing to compromise!” Several members of their group echoed that same sentiment. While it’s true that compromise is necessary in every aspect of life, it is not in itself a significant, guiding principle. Such an overly simplified response was disappointing and caused this writer to wonder if any real collaboration was taking place within that environment. He began to suspect that far too often, the least dominant person in their groups found themselves routinely having to compromise what they believed to be best for children.  

Upon further reflection, he concluded that the leadership of school, and perhaps many of the teachers either did not  believe in the most essential principles of Reggio-inspired practice or did not fully understand them. In either case their words and implications of their actions revealed a basic distrust of the process of following inspiration, open hearted exploration, and the path of discovery.