chronicles- september (English)

Please, feel free to ask for the translation of Pau Casal's amazing words about children and how to treat them; and also the story of The girl with a butterfly.
                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I start this month of September very enthusiastic about SUMMERHILL, as I explain in the “Welcome” page. With my visit to Italy I thought I could meet Tonucci and other Italian authors but no, I felt in love again with Neill.

When I first read Summerhill it was two years ago just at the beginning of my carreer when every name sounded interesting and I used to run to the library for information about it. By then, I already found it amazing but I had no idea this experimental school was still on!

I made a summary of the book in 4 pages but it is still in Catalan. If you wish to read it please ask me so I will hurry for the translation (gcolelsa7@alumnes.ub.edu). But for now it is sure you are lucky because the film is only available in English! View it here (vimeo).

                                                                                                                                     

I would like to do a kind of a tribute to the newspaper ARA because it is rather new but it must have became the reference of everybody who is into the educational world. Carles Capdevila, the Director, often mentions the teachers and their important job.                                                                                                                                                                   
This is about a visit to a class of 5 years old children. The observation is written in Catalan; if you wish to know more about it you can write to me and I will translated it for you (gcolelsa7@alumnes.ub.edu).
But for now, the abstract is this: This class of 5 years old children is very especial. How the class is set and the environtment is designed, it lets the children to be free, experiment and grow in all sense. They live there like a family and the teacher knows each single child very well. The way she understands them is very right (in my point of view). The moment they talk in circle is especially magic.
                                                                                                                                
There is another school, rather especial this one, that I visited two years ago. It was in an Open Morning, though, so I could not see it functioning with children. It was very interesting see how they aply the ambients methodology, something translated  like environtments, where children play freely. 
The paper is written in Catalan but do not hesitate to contact me for more information (gcolelsa7@alumnes.ub.edu)