Sarah Felstiner and Joel Metschke from Hilltop Children’s Centre in Seattle, Washington

What kinds of classroom systems and organizational structures can support our disposition to be reflective educators? How do we design environments, and shape our own role as educators, to promote a child-centered and responsive program? Faculty at Hilltop Children’s Center in Seattle have been wrestling with these questions for many years, and have pushed their program to evolve from a traditional neighborhood preschool to a Reggio-inspired school of inquiry. This conversation will offer opportunities to consider how our image of the child informs our image of the educator, and how we can build classroom and school-wide supports for intentional, reflective practices with children and families.