Our guiding principle: “Strive to look at the life of the child through the eyes of a child”.
„Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom” .
– Baha’u’llah
What has motivated us to develop the Treasure House of Gems kindergarten?
- The desire to care for children: We wish to create optimal conditions for a child’s development through the creation of a favorable natural environment, in which the child is seen as an individual with potential, resources and skills of his/her own that can be encouraged and brought out.
- A belief in the importance of mutual respect: We wish to provide an atmosphere based on mutual respect and tolerance, so that the child gains respect for him or her self and other people; respect for the diversity of other cultures, traditions and religions.
- A belief in the importance of mutual respect: We wish to provide an atmosphere based on mutual respect and tolerance, so that the child gains respect for him or her self and other people; respect for the diversity of other cultures, traditions and religions.
- The desire to explore alternative ways of being with a child: For example, cooperation between the child, his/her family, and the teacher will mean that a child is raised in an atmosphere of care and support that involves the whole family.
We were inspired by the following educators:
- Jesper Juul, a Danish family therapist and educator, and European authority on the education of children. He manages a network of therapeutic educational clinics (Family Lab International) in more than fifteen countries around the world. His goal is to help parents and children by promoting the idea of education based on mutual respect for all family members. Extensive therapeutic experience has enabled Juul to formulate a new paradigm in the field of education, which is described in the book „Your Competent Child”. It provides an alternative to both an authoritarian style of upbringing and so-called stress free education. It gives an opportunity to understand the behavior of children in the contemporary world and provides guidance for parents seeking healthy relationships with their children.
- Maria Montesorii – the forerunner of modern pedagogy. „For children play is work.” „We do not suggest any work to our child. That is what this method is all about. We have to find out what individuals desire in their innermost dreams, what they try to attain. Our job is to organize personality.”
- Karen Koncebowski – is a practicing educator from Germany inspired by the Baha’i approach to education. In her book „Revealing the Gems”, she presents an fresh understanding of human dignity, including the dignity of the child, a new culture of human relations and education.
- Rebeca Wild – a contemporary German teacher and educator who, thirty years ago, together with her husband Mauricio Wild, founded a school in which the children’s own inclinations were of the first importance. She calls her teaching „method” directionless accompaniment of the child. It is based on the need for close contact between the child and the adult so that an intense and authentic relationship based on partnership can develop; at the same time the adult never intervenes in the child’s activity, being rather a friendly companion along the path of exploration.
- Emmi Pikler – a Hungarian doctor in the early 1900’s. ”It is important that your child discovers many things by himself. If we help him in solving all tasks, we deprive him of what is exactly the most important for his development. A child who, through his independent experiments achieves something, has a completely different knowledge from the one who has been given a ready made solution.”
The above mentioned educators have inspired us to develop our kindergarten. There are also many other outstanding thinkers in the field of education and learning, and our aim is to be ever open to ideas that support the healthy development of children and enrich the understanding of parents and educators.
Our philosophy:
Children are like delicate plants; they need food and guidance to be able to grow and develop into beautiful and blooming individuals. We see ourselves as gardeners, who have the warmth and the patience to give support to these growing plants.
As gardeners, we know that we cannot do this work alone, we need the sunlight (parents), the rain (the educational environment) and good soil (the surrounding community). As gardeners, we also know that the seed we have planted is not an empty husk. It has the potential to grow into a mighty tree. Therefore, we believe that the three major protagonists in the kindergarten are: the teacher, the child, and the parents.
Another crucial element in our philosophy is our understanding of the importance of the development of the „whole” child. The reality of the child is in his or her mind and character, not only in physical and intellectual capabilities. If your child is strong (in terms of physical ability), creative and intelligent, but does not want to cooperate, share and work with others in harmony, of what use is his/her intelligence? This intelligence and creativity will only lead to isolation and the child’s unhappiness. Our objective is to develop creativity and intelligence, as well as social skills.
We have designed our program to facilitate the development of ethical values, and such capacities that will enable the children to make choices that are good for themselves as well as for the wellbeing of those around them. We believe that it is not only important for children to recognize their own abilities, but also to be able to actively use these for the benefit of others. It is important to develop skills, habits, attitudes, knowledge and spiritual values in order to become aware of their own potential. We will encourage the development of these abilities through the daily use of songs,games, art, memorizing of inspirational quotes, and interaction with others.
Objectives and methods:
„The brain is not an organ directed from the outside, and it can be subjected to pressure only with great reluctance. Children on the other hand will be happy to follow the people who they trust and consider as authorities whose encouragement and inspiration trigger internal motivation and initiate the process of effective learning.”
– Gerald Hüther
„The basis of our work is the understanding that children are not in any way less capable than plants, and that, in the same way, they bring with them their own development program that is fulfilled in the child’s own time and through interaction with a suitable environment.”
– Rebeca Wild
• Creating an appropriate environment – no division by age groups, opportunites for experimenting and a natural environment.
• “Help me do it myself” – The educator is a person accompanying the child.
• The moral aspects of development.
The appropriate environment necessary for a child’s subjective experience should include elements that stimulate his/her physical and mental development. That environment should not exceed the child’s own boundaries, which could cause disorientation. We have to take into account the integrity of the child and emphasize ”head, hands and heart“ allowing children to explore their thoughtsand feelings through action.
Man is a being who continues to learn and develop. Each child possesses a potential that can be developed. Each child has an intuitive understanding of what is appropriate for him/herself. Some things are obvious to a child, but every child must find their own way to express this perception. Each child is his/her own builder, and grows at his/her own individual pace. If the internal and external development plan for the child is balanced, the child learns willingly. If put under pressure, the child may react by becoming passive, withdrawn, or aggressive. Children are able spontaneously to take care of themselves, to play individually or with others. They have the ability to focus on what interests them.
Everyone in the kindergarten is equal. The children are to be treated with the same dignity as the adults. This is achieved by everyone treating each other with kindness. Adults show their respect when they take the child’s needs seriously and pay attention to what they say. The conversation between adults and children is not a verbal battle. The aim of conversation is mutual understanding. The conversation should be honest and genuine and this happens when the general atmosphere is respectful, where efforts are appreciated and where mistakes are seen as part of learning.
What we require from our educators:
„When a child is born, he is fully a human being, and therefore a social being, sensitive and empathetic. These features are not learned but innate. However, in order to become a whole person, a child must interact with adults who will shape his social behavior.”
– Jesper Juul
„The task of an educator is creating effects without intervention.”
– Karen Koncebowski
Our teachers should introduce children to what is the very best in culture. They should give the child the opportunity for independent exploration, discovery, creative thinking and using new strategies for problem solving. The teachers should give the children opportunites to make moral judgments, take independent decisions, and to act in accordance with ethical standards and values.
They should:
- teach by deeds not words
- have enthusiasm, be involved, kind and friendly
- have respect for different types of character and temperament
- be the child’s companion in his/her activities,
- be tolerant
- be firm and consistent in setting boundaries
- be a life long learner
The areas of activity and organization inside and outside the kindergarten:
Inside – an experimental room, a gym room, a quiet room, a play room, a kitchen where the children can develop their physical, mental, social, and moral potential.
Outside – a play area with water pump, sand pit, hill, natural obstacles. Herb, flower and vegetable gardens enabling the children to experience growing things for beauty’s sake and to eat and to develop their senses.
The use of the playground and outside areas:
The playground and outside areas will provide an environment in which the children can gain confidence in their own motor and balancing skills and will learn to trust their own judgement.
They will learn to judge between what is dangerous or safe – at their own pace without feeling pressured. The children will become accustomed to being physically active so that they become stronger and healthier. The development of the ability to work together with other children will be an integral part of the daily programme.
The outside areas will be used for:
- Experiencing and experimenting with smells, colours and textures, studying insects and other small animals, learning about the effects of the sun, wind, rain, changing seasons etc.
- Developing balance and motor skills.
- Growing things.
- Plucking and eating fruit that can also be used to prepare food.
- Team games.
- Water and sand for experimentation.
There will be opportunites for physical development, experimentation and for quiet observation. The children, their teachers and their parents will be able to work together to develop climbing and play apparatus in the outdoor areas. We will not present the children with a ready made playground as this will hinder their creative development.
Conclusion:
Mankind’s understanding of child education and upbringing has been slowly changing over the past 100 years. Through the dedicated work of many people throughout the world, some of whom have been mentioned in this document as our sources of inspiration, children are beginning to be understood very differently. They are no longer seen merely as empty vessels that parents and teachers have to fill up with knowledge and skills, but more as competent beings who are able to take control of their own learning without too much outside interference. The balance of adult input and the child’s own natural quest for knowledge is a very delicate one and we are all learning. In fact we believe that this learning is best done by adults and children together, feeling their way forward in a very exciting world that opens up possibilities for the development of both child and adult.
This is the kind of learning that our Kindergarten wishes to engage in and we wish to do this in cooperation with the children, their families and the surrounding community.