Global colleagues...

Rachel Waxman is an Early Years Teacher in New York - I have never met her personally, but have "interacted" with her for a few years online - exchanging ideas, and becoming richer and wiser as I do...
A few weeks ago she wrote a comment - "my colleague, Suzanne..." and even though we have never worked together, it made perfect sense... I had never thought of it really, well never taken the time to think about it, but she is absolutely right. We have talked together as colleagues, discussing education in early childhood together with others, we strive for creating an environment for play and learning, to see the child as competent, valued and to recognise the child, not as a person to be, but as an individual here and now in the middle of their processes of discovery about themselves and the world around them...

helping hands - global support and inspiration

Here is a little mention about some of "my colleagues" - the people and places that have given me inspiration and food for thought and help me in my process as an early years teacher developing and learning...

of course this is far from all of those that have inspired me - there are just so many amazing people around the world that inspire me and I am sure I am yet to discover more, so I will limit this just to twelve of them - and in no particular order....

Leigh Ann Yuen at Garden Gate Child Development Center - lots of inspiration from the preschool and also from discussions with Leigh Ann herself.

Kierna Corr at learning for Life - plenty of outdoor inspiration and encouragement to play outside no matter what the weather (which is pretty much how we do it here in Sweden but its great to see how this is happening elsewhere, and that rainy days does not mean having indoor break all the time...)

Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning - where I am just getting to know, online, Donna Ridley-Burns, but have been inspired for much longer than that from what is happening in Australia...

Play to Learn  - a place to discuss ideas... a new place and has inspired me to think even more about gender issues...

Linda Therese Linder, a Swedish blogger - Pedagogiska Kullerbyttan - lots of inspiration, and many dialogues that have got me thinking and rethinking

Vesna Birkedahl - head teacher at Förskolan Viljan - has been the source of much thought provoking dialogue - and is the person who suggested that I try for the position I have now at Filosofiska - which I am grateful for...

Jana Putos and Melanie Smith who are a part of a project we are doing together sending cuddly toys around the world so that the children we work with can learn more about Sweden, USA and Australia!

Naomi Yalkowsky Foster who has participated in many discussions together with Rachel, Leigh Ann and myself (and others) over the years in the Reggio Emilia Approach group on facebook. Many valued and enlightening discussions about children, play and the similarities and differences there are in ECE in our different places.

Greg Harvey at Males in Early Childhood Education - more thought provoking discussions and inspiration from gender equality to play to ... well just about everything with the ECE field...

Marc Armitage at Marc Armitage at Play - lots of food for thought about children's right to play, and how we as adults can support their play rather than control their play...

Jools Page at The School of Education, University of Sheffield - a mentor during my masters there, and who continues to be supportive and inspirational two years later...

and of course all my colleagues at Filosofiska

Looking forward to more sharing of inspiration globally...

oh, and the inspiration of this post came from Teacher Tom sharing his inspiration from Tom Bedard's Sand and Water Tables - we are all at it - sharing, becoming richer and wiser as we do...

A BIG thank you to all of you that contribute in my journey asa preschool teacher...