The children’s school was quite different from what I was expecting. There was a distinct energy and pace that encased both the kids and the teachers. All around, kids were free to explore, create and socialize, while staying within the rules laid out by the teachers. There was a variety of sounds, feelings and challenges for the kids to explore both alone and with others.

Autonomy

When we went outside, a kid went straight for the trikes and spent most of the time I was out their riding around the track. He didn’t stop to say hi or comment on how fast he was going, he just pedaled around and around. Another kid was trying to put together a puzzle when another kid came to join. The kid didn’t say anything, but pushed most of the pieces towards his side and took control of finishing the puzzle.

Initiative

During the opening song section of one of the classes. A kid wanted to add a new section involving spinning in circles. He suggested it to the teacher who then let the class do it. Another group of kids took a lot of initiative when playing with the two babies. They had mocked up their own way of changing their diapers, waking them up and making it food. There were some things that they were doing that didn’t really make sense, especially with how they cooked food, but they had devolved their own strategy and routine.

Industry

I was talking to one kid who was very proud of the “human” that he had made. He had taken four building blocks, stacking them on top of each other to form a tower-esque shape. He then placed a stuffed hedgehog next to it. Another kid was very happy with the lego train he made, pushing it around the workshop past all of the other kids and the teacher.

Reflection

The trip was very interesting and gave a lot of insight into what engages and holds their attention. The most important thing I took away from it was the creativity and their ability to change anything into something they might see in their real life. I think to create something that will keep their interest, it must let them play out a scenario and let them see the story in the project.