Using the Environment as the Third Teacher: Why the Reggio philosophy has it RIGHT!

I have had the privilege of visiting Reggio-Emilia, Italy, a handful of times now. Each experience has built on the last, helping me grasp a deeper understanding of the concept, "Third Teacher".
The concept refers to the learning environment itself.
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​The child's classroom is intentionally designed to be an aesthetically pleasing, organized, and stimulating space that provokes curiosity, wonder, and independent learning.

"Children need the freedom to appreciate the infinite  resources of their hands, their eyes, and their ears, the resources of forms, materials, sounds, and colours." Loris Malaguzzi

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So, who or what are the first and second teachers? 
The first teacher is typically the child's parent or guardian—the one with whom they live and the one who is their primary caregiver. The second one is us, their educator/teacher/caregiver at their childcare centre. 
The environment in which a child spends a great number of hours becomes the third teacher as it actively participates in the learning process, evolving with the children's needs and interests.

Loris Malaguzzi (see, I knew I would be bringing him up again), the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach, famously described the learning environment as an "Aquarium which reflects the ideas, ethics, attitudes and  culture of the people who live in it."

The childcare environments are designed to be beautiful, bright, well-organized, and stimulating, using natural light, mirrors, fabrics, branches, shells,  plants, and high-quality materials to create a calming and inspiring atmosphere.

The walls are a reflection of the children and caregivers within the four walls, often displaying family photos, self-portraits, special event details, and past works of art or excursions. Work from previous children who have moved on as they grew is still evident and often found in the beautiful ateliers, which are considered the heart of the schools. Leaving your mark, or "Mark making", is something we use to describe what happens when we move on, but are still remembered as part of the history. It's like a "thumbprint" that we put on our work that lives on and on for all to remember.
This reminds me of a wonderful moment I experienced while visiting "Diana," one of the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. We were on a group visit, and it was close to pick-up time for the children. I was sitting at a small table quietly watching the parents come and go, and the children's pride as they showed their parents a clay piece or a painting that they had done that week.
One dad noticed me observing, and although his English wasn't very good, he was able to communicate with me by showing me what he was trying to say.
After a gentle nod from the Italian educator who was watching the children, the dad disappeared into the Atelier for a moment, returning with a small clay figure in his hand. 
"This is me, I made it," he exclaimed with a giant smile on his face. He held a small, clay figure in the shape of a child, and his name was printed below with the date and his age. Alberto, age 4 years 3 months, 2001. He had attended this very preschool that his son now attends, and he knew where this small "memory maker" was kept safe on a shelf in the Atelier. I was moved to tears.

A well-thought-out and inspiring environment will change regularly depending on the children's interests and their continuing projects.

It is common for tables and furniture to be moved around to accommodate group collaborations or individual explorations, reflecting the curriculum as it emerges.
The layout of the environment is intentionally arranged to promote interaction and communication among peers. The educators create emerging opportunities for small and large group work, where children can negotiate, problem solve, and share ideas.

The Reggio-Emilia approach extends the concept of the third teacher beyond the classroom walls. You might often hear me say that the forest is a magical environment because here, the four walls of a classroom are removed, and the child has space to move and to think.

Outdoor spaces such as gardens and playgrounds are also considered vital learning environments that provide numerous opportunities for scientific inquiry, physical movement, and an ongoing appreciation for nature.

So, I have to ask again, 
"Why are we actively choosing to put our children in classrooms on rooftops, parking lots, and in public school grounds where there is barely a tree or grass or anything else natural around them?"

How do you create the "third teacher" as an educator in a childcare environment?
Educators act as researchers and collaborators who thoughtfully curate and modify the environment to support and enhance the children's learning. There are three basic and widely used steps to complete this process: research, reflect, and renew.

1. Research: The educators carefully and thoughtfully observe the children's interactions, curiosities, and which areas are being used in their classroom or ignored. Morning meetings are held where each child has an opportunity to speak and share their ideas.

2. Reflect: Based on their observations, the educators analyze and interpret the children's interests. They reflect and collaborate on how the environment can be changed or manipulated to foster deeper exploration.

3. Renew: The educators implement intentional changes to the environment, often switching out materials and objects to provoke new interest and dialogue amongst the children. New provocations are created, often with the children's help, that provide additional stimulation for creativity to grow.

"A child's mind is not a container to be filled, rather a fire to be ignited." Loris Malaguzzi

When I inquired to one of the educators in Reggio Emilia about HOW she decided on WHAT to put into her classrooms, she answered very simply,
"I want the children to walk into my room and think WOW! Look how beautiful my classroom is." If they don't think, wow, then I haven't done my job."

Every country strives to share its knowledge with its youngest humans, and the older we get the more we learn and reflect on our past teachings. It is important that our children, here in Canada and even more specifically, here on Vancouver Island, have an understanding of our land, culture, and history.
We continue to strive for our classroom environments to be a direct reflection of how we view NATURE while continuing to foster an everlasting love for our forests and for the land in which we live.
Thank you.

A love for a country is often intertwined with an appreciation for its natural beauty.

As always, thank you for reading my blog, and I always appreciate any thoughts or feedback you may have.
Shine on!
With gratitude,
Lexie




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Some extraordinary spaces I visited in different classrooms in Stockholm, Sweden.

All photos are from my personal collection and are not permitted to be used elsewhere or copied in any way. Please respect my research.