My experience at the Ørestad Montessori Vuggeste in Copenhagen began on May 21st. During my first two weeks, I had the pleasure to meet all the staff of the Nest, the director Annastacia and the educators, Lisa, Mina, Amy, Vichy, Tabita and Renzo who were very friendly with me and made me feel at home.
The work team is really professional and close-knit and my managers Lisa and Mina have taught me all the important things I needed to know to start my work. I was introduced to the 14 children who are 8 months old and 3 years old. They told me everything about each of them and gave me the cards about their habits and needs. I could also see the registers that we fill in at the beginning and end of the day. I immediately set up a very good and trustworthy relationship with all the children in the nursery. They call me “Cristina”, my name, and recognize me as an assistant educator. I enjoy working with them every day because it is stimulating. They involve me in all their games, they teach me a few Danish words, they smile at me and they are spontaneous.
I speak English with them and sometimes I speak Italian, too. I teach them some Italian words that they can use in their games and daily activities. A typical day at the nursery is very busy and is marked by precise moments such as welcoming and greeting children, that is one of the most important parts of the day, the sound games, the Montessori games, the morning and afternoon outings to the nearest park, the lunch, the nap, the snack and the free and imaginative games during which children can express and discover their potentials and abilities.
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The most beautiful part of the day is the arrival at the nursery, where the children meet me and greet me and bring me to their favourite room that is also my room, the Blue Room, the game room, the room of activities, of songs and dreams, the room where you forget everything, the room where you go back to childhood, you start dreaming with your eyes wide open as a child.
I am really impressed about the independence of children, from the youngest to the eldest one. They can do everything by themselves: eating, playing, communicating, and helping each other out, always under the watchful gaze of educators. The educators are not intrusive, they let children do and make mistakes so that they can be increasingly more confident . As a matter of fact they call the educators and teachers by their first names because in this way they feel safe, protected as if they were at home with their families.
Although I am still at the beginning of this beautiful journey I can say that this is a beautiful experience. Who knows what will happen in the coming days, weeks and months; I’m ready to find out and you?
My first weeks at Ørestad Montessori Vuggeste – Cristina Bruno
