Life serves us so many opportunities on a daily basis – obvious and hidden, big and small, the ones we miss and the ones we seize. In the end, it’s all about having the eyes to see them, the strength and courage to grab them and the heart to live them.
The opportunity to continue my professional development and personal growth in the city Reggio Emilia, side by side with experienced and inspiring educators from different parts of the world is one of those opportunities that is rare and valuable, and it is often life-changing.
The past days of this educational and spiritual journey have been intense, rich in content and experiences, and challenging in many ways. I feel all kinds of emotions – excitement, frustration, inspiration, curiosity, confusion, amusement and gratitude. My mind and heart are rushing and my thoughts are all over the place, but it all feels good and right – I call it euphoria.
Everything in Reggio Emilia feels like an opportunity – to stroll around the beautiful streets, to enjoy self made pasta and pizza in local restaurants, to hear the music of the city, to feel the spirit of optimism, to learn more about and experience the complex educational approach of Reggio Emilia and to debate and discuss with people who have common values and beliefs. It is a multi-sensory experience that enriches you on many different levels.
The days start early and finish late. The intensity of the lectures is sometimes overwhelming but mostly eye opening and valuable. The opportunity to visit schools that are in alliance with parents in the fight for better education and that value curiosity, creativity, research, and deep learning, is one that you don’t just grab, you seize it. Listening to lectures led by educators devoted their life to excellence in education and building meaningful relationships with children and families is another opportunity for personal and professional enrichment.
The Reggio Emilia Conference so far has been an outstanding journey, an opportunity to further shape my identity, and a chance for us to give back to our community by strengthening early childhood education. Here comes the most challenging and beautiful part of the journey – once going home it will be all about the opportunities we create for ourselves.
