What does being an emergent educator mean anyway?

An emergent educator takes the interests, skills, and needs of the children obtained by observing the children plans and sets up the environment in a thoughtful way to meet these interests and further provoke learning and development.

In an emergent curriculum, learning experiences are designed in response to the children's interests, questions, and discoveries, allowing for a more flexible and responsive approach to education.

The key principles of emergent curriculum include:

1. Child-Centered Learning: The focus is on the child as an active participant in the learning process, with the curriculum emerging from their interests, experiences, and interactions.

2. Flexibility and Adaptability: The curriculum is flexible and can be adapted based on the changing interests and needs of the children over time.

3. Holistic Development: Emergent curriculum aims to support the holistic development of the child, including their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.

4. Authentic Learning Experiences: Learning experiences are based on real-life experiences and contexts that are meaningful and relevant to the children.

5. Collaborative and Inquiry-Based Learning: Children are encouraged to collaborate with their peers and engage in inquiry-based learning, asking questions, exploring ideas, and making discoveries.

6. Teacher as Facilitator: The role of the teacher is to observe, listen, and facilitate learning experiences, rather than to dictate or control the learning process.

Emergent curriculum is often associated with approaches such as the Reggio Emilia approach, which emphasizes the importance of child-led learning and the use of the environment as a source of inspiration and learning materials. By following the interests and curiosity of the children, an emergent curriculum aims to create engaging, meaningful, and relevant learning experiences that promote a love of learning and a deep understanding of the world.