Mario, may I congratulate you on a variety of things in this paper. Firstly, that you trusted your intuition enough to take a chance, strengthened by the support of your critical friends, to extend to your pupils this chance to be so creative. Second, that you are so honest about both your values, and the way you have criticised yourself when you felt that was helpful. Third, that you have had the courage to offer this paper for public scrutiny. Fourth, that you have been so specific in your methods here, so another teacher could see how you have done your action research, and perhaps seek to replicate the work in their own context.

A couple of suggestions, besides the ones in the paper: perhaps delete one or two of the videos – I found myself taking a LONG time to view these, and it made the paper quite long. Don’t remove more than one or two of the links though. It is the inclusion of the video links that helps the reader to see the congruity between your claims, and your practice, which of course is fundamental in living educational theory, and the purpose of this journal. Also, have you thought of taking this work to a local, national or international conference? I do believe that your innovative practice deserves a wider audience than may be reached just by EJOLTS. All the best with any subsequent work that you wish to do on this paper, and for your future educational growth. Croatia is lucky to have you – especially in the early stages, where in my country (New Zealand) we really struggle to attract male teachers in the early years of schooling.

I wish to express at the onset how much I enjoyed reviewing this paper. I spent several enjoyable hours immersed in your world of creation and fun in the class room and standing by the side of an innovative and compassionate teacher.

The paper needs some work on before it is ready for publication. It needs to be published as it tells a great story from many perspectives. I hope that my comments will help you strengthen your account and if I can help you further in any way do not hesitate to contact me. I attach your original document with comments.

Here are my major observations.

1. Please check out the journal submission format and re arrange your paper to meet the criterion on the journal.  Foot notes and the referencing format need to be corrected.

2.  Some small English and typing errors need to be corrected.

3.  Identify in the text your thinking and use a font that shows it is reflection.

4.  Indent quotations and texts over 40 words long, in italics.

5.  Engage with the comments of your critical readers/friends.

6.  Be positive you are doing great work, own your story.

7.  I am worried by your expectations of a projected outcome and would like to see that you allowed yourself to enjoy the flow of the creative learning in keeping with your critical friends comments.

8.  I think there are too many strands to this paper. What you have achieved with the publication of the journal is marvellous.  Perhaps you could focus on that a little deeper?

9.  References to the literate are limited and could use much more exploration and inclusion of the wide body of literature that exist in child development and artistic creative development, living action research.

10. Videos need some explanations in the text from you as to what we are seeing.

Please have confidence on a job well done, and I hope to engage with you and help you further. My deepest respects.

Je Kan

This is a lovely and very interesting piece of work! I encourage you to continue with the process of opening up to other colleagues and friends about your professional work! I know it can be very challenging but I have see both in myself and in my colleagues, that it can be very rewarding because it helps you to grow more and develop your own potential further; it also helps your colleagues to do the same, and you can learn a lot from what each other is doing! So it is a further stimulus to everyone’s creativity!

You have mentioned some of the material changes that took place in the children, the classroom, the school, etc. It seems that you have also developed the value of fostering collaboration in learning. I am wondering if you may find that the values you hold and expressed at the start of the article (democracy, freedom and creatvity, respect for the childrens’ personality, etc.), may have also developed somewhat in the children themselves and in other people in your school through your efforts to live them personally?!

just a few small suggestions!

Perhaps change the word “report” for “article” when you refer to this piece of writing.

You could unify the way of referring to your action research diary. Sometimes you write Action research diary, other times you write Action Research diary/Action Research Diary/research diary, etc. I would tend to refer to it as action research diary when you mention it in the text, although the main thing is to always use the same form of reference .

I cannot find the details of the reference to Pressley et al whose work you mention towards the end of the paper, in the reference section of the paper! I would be interested in reading it if it exists in English!