I have 20+ years of experience in educating kids of all ages and those with special needs. My role is that of a facilitator and that of a co-creator (with kids and parents) of an environment that promotes learning and growth through exploration, discovery, and interactions.

 

"Each child is unique, full of potential and capable of interacting with the world in many ways", from The 100 languages of Children, by Loris Malaguzzi. We just need to nourish them, respecting their differences, their individuality, and their preferred ways to communicate their presence and their needs.

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At Happy Garden we believe that promoting relationships, learning and autonomy is possible by creating spaces in which children feel at ease and free to express their own thoughts while interacting with peers. They learn how to be part of a group and they understand that their uniqueness is a strength. Standardization does not exist in our vocabulary!

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Our educational approach is expressed in the careful attention dedicated to the timing and learning method, in the design of the spaces that consider the children’s different needs, and in the care that supports autonomy and independence.

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At Happy Garden we prefer not to talk about daily programs because we believe that the value of a long-term project that aims at developing children’s skills and understanding lies in building educational activities directly with them. Of course, observation and documentation play an important role because of the importance of sharing and building on the child’s experience directly with parents. A personal diary is kept for each child for this purpose. 

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Our philosophy is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood learning. Currently recognized as one of the best pedagogical experiences in the world, the Reggio approach is child-centered and promotes a multi-perspective approach to learning based on a strong relationship between the child, the teacher, and the parents. At Happy Garden there are no fixed boundary separating the different roles. We love to consider ourselves educators and learners at the same time. We build on the experience and we love to do it not only through reflective practice but directly while the experience is unfolding.