My RIE® journey
I am the newest addition to the Alliance of RIE® Associates. I was recently approved to join the Alliance by the RIE® board members.
RIE® is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering parents and caregiving professionals to provide the secure and respectful beginnings children need for a healthy life.
It took me 12 years to finish the RIE® education path. I started my formal training in 2008, but I had attended Parent-Infant Guidance classes since 2001.
In 2008, I was invited by Deborah Salomon to join RIE® and start the RIE® path. So, my journey began.
I started by taking my first RIE® Foundations™ Theory and Observation Course with RIE® mentors Deborah Salomon and Melani Ladygo. Upon completion, I was recommended to continue to the Practicum® portion of the training.
From November 2009 through July 2010, I was working at the RIE® Center as a Practicum™ student, assisting Janet Lansbury. I completed my Practicum™ successfully and then proceeded to the RIE® Internship: Supervised Teaching and Evaluation.
In September 2010, I started working on the RIE® Internship™ under my mentors Carol Pinto and Melany Ladygo. During this portion of the curriculum, students assist in preparing and teaching a minimum of three RIE® Foundations™ Theory and Observation Courses.
Then in order to care for my then-teenage daughter, I took a five year gap from my training.
In September 2016, I returned and was able to assist during the Fall RIE® Foundations™; however, this course was considered an "audit" in order to reinstate myself as a RIE® Intern™. Upon successful completion of this auditing, I assisted three more RIE® Foundation™ Courses.
During March 2017, I assisted the Spring RIE® Foundations™ Theory and Observation under my mentor Elizabeth Memel. I completed it successfully and was recommended to teach my second iteration of RIE® Internship™.
Unfortunately, due to the scheduling of other Interns and the unavailability of some RIE® Foundation's mentors, I couldn't schedule my following Internship™ until 2019.
Thankfully during 2019, I was able to tackle my last two: the Summer RIE® Foundations™ Theory and Observations in July under my mentor Ruth Anne Hammond and the Fall RIE® Foundations™ Theory and Observation in September under my mentor Jill Getto Lee. I was able to finish successfully in December 2019.
Summer RIE® Foundations™ Theory and Observations with mentor Ruth Anne
On March 1, 2020, I was given the good news that I would join the small, dedicated group of people who have devoted time, energy, and resources to understanding and sharing the work of Magda Gerber as RIE® Associates. There are only 63 RIE® Associates around the world.
Although it feels like a very long time for anyone to accomplish an endeavor, I know the timing has been just right for me, and I am grateful for the ride now that I’ve finished. I've been a caregiver for twenty years, and it’s probably taken me all this time to internalize the RIE® principles and for them to become second nature—the practice of gentleness, kindness, and patience while engaging not only the children but also the adults. Now, I understand what Magda Gerber meant when she said, "The messenger should embody the message. Mere cognitive learning of the curriculum is inadequate to convey the essence of respect essential to the practice of RIE®. Authenticity in our relationships is crucial, as is patience with both others and ourselves."
If you are reading this and are on your way to becoming a RIE® Associate, take courage and be patient. I purposely included the extra time it took for me to complete my rather long journey, but I don't necessarily mean that it's supposed to be that way for everyone. I am merely sharing that it worked perfectly for me because I never stopped working with young infants or applying Magda Gerber's RIE® principles even during my 5-year training gap. I was always practicing. I am excited about what's next for me. I will continue to teach, train, and support the wonderful community of parents and caregivers who are willing to see babies with new eyes.
Lastly, I'd like to thank the RIE® organization for carrying on Magda Gerber's legacy. I also want to acknowledge all my RIE® mentors: Deborah Salomon, Melani Ladygo, Carol Pinto, Elizabeth Memel, Ruth Anne Hammond, and Jill Getto Lee. May God bless them all. Thank you.