“If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything. When a child presents himself to you with his smile, if you are truly there- thinking about the future or the past, or preoccupied with other problems- then the child is not truly there with you. The technique of being alive is to go back to yourself in order for the child to appear like a marvelous reality. Then you can see him smile and you can embrace him in your arms.”  -Thich Nhat Hanh

The Turning Sun School community values the time and space children need to explore and discover new meanings. We use listening as an act of love to be close with the child and to be present with what is happening at that very moment. On the surface, stopping and waiting does not look like action, but it is the primary place to begin when supporting in-depth work with children. Silence and patience tell children that we are open and respect their ideas, and this is the basis of the true dialogue of learning.
Teachers are considered researchers of the children- learning alongside the children- and use documentation as a tool to make the learning visible and to reflect upon the children’s learning and to plan the next steps of the learning with the community.
 

Turning Sun is a Reggio Emilia-inspired school and places its innovative approach to education in the context of our community.