Julia Ellis

Children and Place: Reggio Emilia's Environment as Third Teacher.

Abstract Education is often understood as the sole responsibility of parents and teachers. Reggio Emilia identifies a 3rd teacher between child, teacher, and parent: the environment. In its attention to how space can be thoughtfully arranged, Reggio Emilia has reconceptualized space as a key source of educational provocation and insight. In what ways does this idea support and challenge existing understandings within early childhood education? The article draws on educational literature on space(s) and early childhood education, including but not confined to Reggio Emilia, as well as classroom-based practice, to pursue the implications of the notion of environment as 3rd teacher to classrooms and teacher education and how both preservice and experienced teachers can use this knowledge to inform their practice.

Children and Place: Stories We Have, Stories We Need

Given existing curricula, instructional and assessment practices, teacher preparation programs, and multicultural education approaches, schools can be unhelpful places for students who are not at least middle class and politically white. Critical theory offers a range of conceptual frameworks for understanding and addressing these injustices but teachers find the ideas difficult to learn or to practice in classrooms. Increased attention to the use of stories is suggested to support individual and collective transformation and growth for teachers, students, and communities.

Narrative inquiry with children: a generative form of preservice teacher research

This paper examines a method for having preservice teachers engage in narrative inquiry with students in practicum schools. The inquiry entails: conducting a tape‐recorded interview with a student using a supplied, semistructured interview schedule; transcribing the interview; writing a narrative portrait of the student; and writing reflections. Theoretical rationales for the methods are presented as well as student teachers’ responses to the component parts of the assignment. What student teachers do and learn when they carry out this assignment was studied with reference to the work of 150 student teachers. The study clarified the ways in which the narrative inquiry supported a more self‐reflexive, connected, and friendly way of being with children or young people. In learning to relate to children, student teachers also learned how to teach. The assignment provided a contextualized and empowering way of taking up questions related to teaching and learning and of becoming critical inquirers about themes...