Maria is the owner and educator of a school for young children, Young Einsteins, a Reggio Emilia Inspired School. She likes to think of this style of teaching as establishing a bridge of dialog that builds the child. The bridge connects play and language for the child and teacherchild, allowing the child’s ideas and thoughts to evolve to become a fundamental process. This process takes its own direction for both, supported through the pedagogical documentation, which reveals the child’s understanding. When the child’s style of language is understood opportunity to promote them to be innovators and researchers becomes active and they begin to learn at their fullest potential. Maria started working in child care in 1997 and instantly gained a passion in working with young children and a vision to one day own a school. At that time she felt a strong sense of how 3 and 4 year olds were challenged every day with social competence. In 2002, while working at Bright Horizons Family Solutions, in Charlotte, NC as Preschool Coordinator, Maria was introduced to The Reggio Emilia Approach. This changed her life in the eld of early childhood, as my perception on teaching shifted to have much more meaning, seeing children as competent and intelligent thinkers.
She believes in giving children an opportunity for discovery and serenity, to create an atmosphere where children, teachers and parents feel at ease and to create and sustain interaction, relationships and cooperation among all individuals involved with the school. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx