ECC Directors Blog

We all hold fast to the idea that we have all been created in the Divine image. As such, we all have unique qualities inspired by God that are manifest in all that we do.

This notion, as many of our core beliefs, seems like a difficult idea to instill in very young children.

And yet, we have found over the last three years that we are able to convey this message through our Journey Binders.

Each child in our Early Childhood Center has a binder in their classroom. Every month or two the teacher records an observation of the student’s development. The teacher highlights the awe and wonder that we notice about each child in the classroom.

This year, the third year of having Journey Binders in our school, will be the first year that children finish our program with a binder that truly tells the story of their life at Agudath Israel.

As our use of the Journey Binders has evolved the last few years, we have seen its role in the classroom evolve as well.

In the First Year, teachers reflected with children on their own growth and development. Students enjoyed looking at the binders and commenting on the photos. Very young children began to have the capacity to think about their own unique qualities.

During the Second Year, we began to invite parents to reflect with the children on the journey binders. Through the Journey Binders, parents were able to be a part of understanding the special gifts we saw in their children.

This year, we have seen a new level of involvement with the binders. Children are now thinking about the reflections the teachers have made and celebrating their own hard work by sharing it with others.

They feel proud and confident when others notice their good ideas. It elevates their ideas about their work and creates a community that respects the thoughts, process and product of another. It often gives children new ideas and a desire to do something of their own, in their own way.

In doing so, they are actually noticing their own Divine Selves.

Slowly and intentionally our school has become a place where the whole community, students, teachers and parents, unite in an appreciation of the Godliness inside all of us