How To Handle Holiday Stress and Your Classroom

We are fast approaching the busiest time in our lives as adults.

The holidays come with unrealistic expectations put on us by others and by ourselves.  We plan our ideal holiday season and experience in our mind and judge our season by how we met those ideals.
Children live in the now. They anticipate what is coming but rejoice in what is all around them.  Their excitement and anticipation weighs on our expectations and preconceived notions of what they need to experience the season.
Then we loose control and spiral into frustration, stress and anger because we feel overwhelmed and as if we are accomplishing nothing with too much on our plate.
Too much we need not have dished up.

Let’s look at the wonder of childhood.

Everything is in the now. Sights and sounds are distracting and intriguing, but they beckon “come explore me”.  Any decorations you put up are going to entice touch, handling, exploring and carrying.  All of these things are developmentally appropriate for children.  The smells of the season add to another area of excitement and overstimulation.  Anticipation of cookies warm from the oven, favorite foods and the arrival of special guests.

There is so much to be excited about and to do that little bodies can’t handle the rise of emotions and it comes tumbling out.  It erupts in squeals of joy, outbursts of tears, angry fits and tired yawns.  If you get worn out at your age and you have had how many years to practicing how to handle holiday stress, why are you surprised a child gets caught up in it as fast or faster than you.  They are not being bad, rude or naughty they are being an overwhelmed child.

So let’s take time to evaluate our lives and feelings about the holidays so we can make their holidays meaningful.
How much do you really need to decorate?
Does it all need to go up at once?
Do you need to decorate every cranny of your classroom, your house, your wardrobe?

What is the most important to you?
Start there add slowly, like a Christmas count down add a little each day.

What part of the holidays do you love the most?
How can you add it into your day, your work environment, your lesson plan? Be sure to add it into your home.

Do you like Christmas music, play it when you can, choose what is appropriate for your work environment, totally not allowed Christmas music, pick classical music that reminds you of Christmas, The Nutcracker Suite, Mannheim Steamroller, etc...
Do you like to bake? Cook with your students, stone soup, cookies, bread, popcorn to string, be creative and remember allergies your students might have.

Keep their schedule on track.  As a teacher keep a routine, but pull back where you can.  Provide more exercise and outdoor time.  Add lots of sensory activities that are calming, like clay, play dough, slime. Teach them how to take deep relaxing breaths and do not loose your calm. They are going to take their cues from you and build off your stress.  Most of all find ways to enjoy the moments of the holidays with them.

Morning Reflections on the Past Few Months and What is to Come

I can not believe how we blew through summer and now have rushed through fall.  The leaves have changed color and in the last week been completely blown off the trees.  Halloween is behind us and Thanksgiving is 21 days away as I write this.

Lots of transitions and changes took place in the lives of my students from August 27, 2018 to October 31, 2018:
We welcomed new children in our class as they move up from the toddler room, enroll in the center or return from the summer off.  This is a monumental moment in their lives.  It is a blending of old and new friends, adjustments to transistions and even confusing, especially when they realize some of their friends are no longer in their class. This is a very important developmental milestone as socially they are prepared for school.

I never was in a class with my best friends, they were always in other classrooms and I had to make close friends with classmates I knew, but was not close too. This is an important time for each of us as educators and parents to help our children feel secure in who they are and the fact that change happens. My mom did a good job of helping me learn how to make friends, step out of my comfort zone and realize I could do things with out my closest friends there for support.  Later my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Hayes, helped me in school.  She saw potential in me, and like my mom, made me work in areas I was good at helping others, but where I had to stretch myself socially.

This leads me to today’s thoughts:
We must learn to meet children and families where they are.  We must go outside the prescribed guide created to “help children learn” and teach them as individuals.

We must be the rebel’s in our profession.

You see, I don’t have a class of 20.  I teach 20 kids in my class.  What works for one is not going to work for all, it may not even work for anyone else.  To force a child into a mold that does not fit them only frustrates you both and can harm the child emotionally, socially, cognitively, and creatively.  Making them become something they are not, or do something that is not an interest makes us no better than jailers. Harsh words, yet take the time to reflect how you feel when someone else is telling you what you like, will do, or need to do.
We must not forget, we are working with young minds, that have not been in the world very long.  We are working with individuals that deserve the same respect many of us feel we are owed, yet are you earning it?

 You see respect is earned by proving you are consistent, fair and able to be flexible when necessary.  It is a give and take because you must also give respect if you are expecting it.

No one respects someone who walks into a room and demands it.

We do this by meeting each child and each family as individuals, with value and experiences that enable us to be affective teachers for their children.  This takes work.  It adds to the hours of prep, paper work and regular teaching we do daily.  It means truly observing your class and each child.  It means tailoring your teaching style to meet them where they are at and walk with them beyond that point to their potential.

It means taking a lot of time and energy on our part.  I get that, but I truly feel to be the best I can be for my students I need to consider them over me.  I need to break away from my standard way of teaching and embrace their wonder.  I must put aside my expectations for the class and tailor them to each individual in my class.  I must love and appreciate them and their families for who they are and where they are coming from.  I sometimes must stand up against those who would tell me how to do my job, to protect the rights of those I am teaching.

The next few months will fly by but as we go through them we may feel we are trudging up hill through the holidays, and parties, expectations in our personal as well as professional lives.  Take time each day to see each child for who they are, what they are interested in and where they are growing.

Take care of yourself. Schedule one or two evenings a week at home doing what you like to do.

 Relax, put away the phone, turn off the expectations set by you and others and just be for a few moments.  Rest so you can enjoy the privilege you have in teaching young children.

Be a rebel in their lives and in your own!

The Wonder in Ordinary Items

We want the best for our kids, yet so often we miss the mark.
Look at our classrooms full of bright colored, plastic toys, with predetermined uses.  Bright, obnoxious lighting, that over stimulates children and staff.

Even our ideas of art, often craft in nature, does not equal the best for children. Children really want to explore and impact their world, they want to know WHY and WHAT IF.

Recently I had a parent offer to spend the day at school with us.  He arrived with long sections of PVC pipes and joins used to connect the pipes.  He even brought and gifted us with a PVC pipe cutter, safer than a haxsaw.

The morning was full of sharing pipes, helping the dad carry, cut and stack the pipes.  Then he posed a question and the room exploded, “Do you have marbles?”

Spontaneous combustion, as the room became an anthill full of

movement.  Workers building tubing structures, others holding the structures, some dropping marbles in and others chasing after errant marbles on the loose.

One child caught a marble in a metal bowl from house keeping.
The marble exploded into the bowl with a tinkling of sound and then took off in a swirl of noise as centrifical force was discovered, move over Isaac Newton.
So while we plan hours and dollars on the best gifts for holidays and birthdays and items we think our classroom needs don’t forget, so much more takes place from the simple.
Fill your room with:

• PVC pipes
• blow joints
• Rocks (all sizes)
• Wood Cookies
• Beads
• Pine cones
• Napkin rings
• Scarves
• Fabric
• Yarn
• Boxes
• What ever your heart can dream up

Want more ideas check out other posts From Fingerprints To Masterpieces.

See my Facebook Page From Fingerprints To Masterpieces 

Visit Fairy Dust Teaching https://fairydustteaching.com/

Visit Love To Grow On https://lovetogrowon.com/

You Know You are Doing Something Right When...

I have seen lots of posts lately about how hard our job is as Early Childhood Educators.
How low our pay is.
How meager our benefits are, compared to other jobs.
It is a frustrating, but social media rants and listing pay is unprofessional. I fear some do not realize it is also grounds for firing in many centers.
It makes our whole profession look ungrateful, and takes the focus off the important job we do.

As professionals we have the duty to educate others, that we are not “baby-sitters”, we are Early Childhood Professionals.  We need to share the education it takes to become a good teacher, learn what we know about children, child developemnt and how we prepare the children to be successful later in life.
We don’t do this by whining and ranting, it does not work for the students in my class. So why would it should it work for an adult who is supposed to be a professional?

We can make a difference by loving our students, doing our job the best we can, being partners with parents, lobbing politicians to educate them and to share our knowledge.

I knew that the pay and benefits would never be what I was worth, when I made Early Childhood my career.
But the joy in my job, the trust families give me, and the excitement my students greet me with can NEVER be taken from me by taxes, politicians or others.
So I know I must be doing something right.

Yesterday was perfect proof of this:

I was greeted by every student in my class with loud cheers of, “Ms.Helen is here!!!!!” Followed by many hugs, lots of conversation about things that happened the night before and hand holding.

A new student and his family gave me and my coteacher plants for making his transition easy and helping him feel welcome.

I received a note in my mailbox that said: “Ms. Helen, Thank you for being “SO NICE”(M’s words).
He really enjoys school! The M.. Clan”

Another mom came to me, she gave me a big hug and said, “Tomorrow is L’s last day.  I wanted to be sure I got to say goodbye and tell you, Thank you for loving my son.  You made it possible for me to go to work everyday knowing he was safe and cared for.  You care deeply for him and I am grateful for the peace that gives me.”

So no I do not make what a school teacher makes.
No I will never make what a doctor or a lawyer makes, but I create the path for many children to become great doctors, lawyers, plumbers, janitors, astronauts, teachers, etc....
You can choose to look at what you don’t have, and don’t make OR you can be very proud of the difference you make and carry yourself like the most important, and influential, individual in your circle of influence.  This creates respect.
When you are respected you can make a WORLD of DIFFERENCE all around you.

Do You Like Kids?

Recently I was gone for a few days on vacation.
I returned to cheers of: “Miss. Helen! You’re back!”
I had been gone 4 days over 2 weeks.  I was greated with cheers, multiple hugs, snuggles and lots of hand holding. My lap was full every minute of the day. It was nice to know I was missed, but more importantly they were showing me I was loved.

“I like it better when you are here,” one little guy said as he snuggled up.
“You do? I like it when you’re here too,” I told him.
“Yes, Miss.Helen, I do,  I know you like kids. You love us too.”
We shared a hug, “You know, I miss you guys when I am on

vacation.”
“Yes, that is what I like about this school.  All the teachers like kids, and come back to see us again.”

Wow, powerful words.
So, I ask you do you like kids?
In spite of the frustration, bureaucracy and day to day issues, do you like kids?
How do you show kids, you like them?
Do you let them know they are loved, all of them, not just the easy ones?

Another child joined us.
“I am glad you are back too.”
“Me to, do you know I miss you guys when I am not here?’
“Yes, we are special, little kids.  Everyone misses us when we are gone.”

Are you imparting to your students, these feelings?
Do they feel like special, little kids?

As the summer, begins to wrap up and the new school year looms closer ask yourself these questions?
Why do I do this job?
Do I like kids?
Do my kids, know I like them?
Be honest and real with yourself. If you can’t be honest with yourself, your children already know the answers, and probably you are both not very happy with where you are at in life, school, work, etc...

Do you like kids?  If your answer is NO or I DON’T KNOW what are you going to do about it?

A Fight For Our Families and Children

Perhaps, my maternal grandmother knew more than anyone gave her credit for.
My mom has told me stories about how, my name sake, did NOT want the television brought into her house.  What others saw as the wave of the future and modern technology, she referred to as “the one-eyed, foul-mouthed, stranger”.  He was not welcome in her house.  She only saw him adding strife to the family and introducing the family to things they did not welcome in their house when others came to visit.

Fast forward to today.  We all have multiple one-eyed, foul-mouthed strangers in our house.  Some of us let them in every room of our house.  Most I dare say allow them to sleep in our bedroom, with us. But it is not just these strangers, we’ve allowed them to bring family members, close-knit and extended, freely into our home.  They clutter up our life, rob us and our family, of our time, and bring lots of garbage into the house, we would never let others bring into our home.

Our house is full of, computers, tablets, phones, Alexa, gaming devices and the list goes on an on.  We sit inside our homes and isolate ourselves.  We allow this one-eyed stranger to control our time (free time and the time we should be devoting to other things), he robs our family of our attention, he tracks our move and broadcasts it so others know what we are doing and where we are. He brings crude humor, graphic violence, and hate language into our home and is allowed to stay.

I dare say stranger or friend walking through your door and acting out of control would be asked to leave and if he did not then he would be removed by a call to the police.  Yet because he is one-eyed and captivating we allow him to have places of honor in our homes, families and lives.  Yes, I think my Grandma was way wiser than any of us, who would consider her back woods, uneducated and poor. While we laugh at her misgivings, think of the peace she would have had today none of us have.

Fire in the Hole!

Crash, Snap. Pop was heard as I wandered through the playground.  Then a plastic play doh cup landed at my feet.  I looked at the top of the climber expecting to see the guilty party smiling down at me.  The climber was oddly empty.

Two more steps, then a clunk and a shower of woodechips landed on my head. A bit stunned I looked up to see a Dixie cup floating to the ground.

I rounded the climber and came face to face with a group of children standing around several logs. Stacked on top of the logs, were patio bricks.  Across the bricks, were wooden planks, from an old flowerpot.  On one end of each plank was a container full of wood chips.
View this video to see what I saw.

A child stepped up to one of these contractions and flung a wood cookie as hard as he could onto the opposite end of the wooden plank.  Up went the container of wood chips.  It flipped nicely in the air showering wood chips onto the ground below; the cup continued up, hit a tre branch and then began to come back down.  It ricocheted off the climber, bounced off the slide and landed to the ground. Cheers erupted from the group.  The next child stepped

up, flung an object as hard as he could at the next contraption and a Dixie cup full of debris took off skyward.  It hit the wall and landed not to far from where it was launched.  “Awe man,’ was said by many watching, along with audible groans.  I was tempted to walk up and control the scene.

Something stopped me and I just watched as the above scene was repeated over and over again.  Slowly and quietly I joined the group.  No one really noticed me.  I watched as they figured out they could aim the objects, by moving where the plank of wood pointed.  They catapulted objects of different sizes and shapes into the air and sorted them into piles of “high” and ‘not high”.  They worked as teams and individuals.  They shared materials freely and if someone wanted something they solved any disputes.  Such rich learning.  Physics had come to life.  Math and geometry were beginning to develop.

I wanted to play too.  I just sat back quietly and made mental notes and took video and photographs.  I am so glad the adult in me did not take over.  I would have ruined such rich learning and cooperation.  Crucial skills where being learned and enjoyed while woodchips were sent flying in the air.  Hypothesis were made about how to get them to go higher and faster and then those ideas were tested out.  Crude measuring skills were but into place as the climber levels and tree became the standards for success and failure.

Grownups Are So Funny, They Choose Colors Wrong.

As we sat in circle time the other day I noticed one of my students closely observing her friends.  She’d look at her arm and then look at a child near her.  This moved to closely putting her arm next to  a friend nearby.  “Miss. Helen, we are all brown!”
“I’m not,” replied one of the other students. He sat there looking around the circle. “Well, I am not your brown, but I am a brown.  You are right we are all brown!”
“Why do some people say they are white? “ Asked the first child.
“Yeah, none of us look like paper.” Responded another child in the group.
Now all the students were looking at their skin, and then

comparing it to someone near them. “Yeah, A. G. is right, we are all brown.  We are all the same, but not the same brown.”  Was spoken by several children.
“No one is white”
“Or black.”
“None of us are green, blue or red either.”
“Grownups are funny, they choose colors wrong.

 We are all brown.”
This mini group of individuals, saw through the heart of so many issues in one moment and summed it up perfectly, “Grownup are so funny, they choose colors wrong.”

I wanted to capitalize on this discussion, but not take it into “funny, grownup control.”  I quickly pulled up Sesame Street’s The Color of Me song https://youtu.be/4sqN2J9_axY .  This song is so good to use with children.  They were immediately drawn into the song and wanted it played over and over again.

“How do you paint my brown?” Asked A.G.
“How do you make the right brown?” J. L.
We ran to the art closet and looked at the paints.
“We need the brown paint” A.T.
“And white because it will make brown light.” B.Z.
“We will need black, to make a deep, deep brown like in the song.” J.S.
“We need yellow too, some brown is a little yellow.”
“I want green” W.L.
“No W.L., your green is your shirt, we are making our skin.  None

of us are the rainbow colors.” Replied another child,.
“Right my shirt is green not my skin.  I am not a frog, funny me.”  Responded W.L.
They then chose to sit and look in a mirror and mix “my color” as they named what they were doing.
They worked together, compared colors and helped each other find the right mix of colors.
As they finished and began to move onto other areas, they conversation continued to be, “we are all brown.  Not the same brown, but we are all brown.”
A.G. sat with a few friends.  “Blood is red. We all are the same red inside.”

“And we all have hearts!” W. L.
“We hall have blood in us!” Z.B.
“We all breath the same, we need air.” L.M.
“We are all the same, how cool!” J.S.

Now that was an amazing day to just be a teacher and stay out of the children’s way.


We All Bleed the Same https://youtu.be/UEzCQBwQkdA .

Books to add to your discussions:
The Crayon Box That Talked
The Color of Us
It’s Okay To Be Different

How Do You Use Your Playground Fence?

Warm weather leads to a new world of possibilities in Minnesota.

Gone are the below zero wind chills, knee deeepsnow and frosted windows.
Summer is here.  Sunshine, breezes, and new birth.
My kids love water, mud, rocks, sand, leaves and any combination of these wonderful treasures. I am always captured by their excitement and drawn in by their play.  It makes me a better teacher, as I look for ways to add to their play.

Thus the creation of our water wall.
I stood looking at a bare stretch of unused fencing in an area of the playground that often gets ignored.  It is not near the sandbox, playground apparatus and does not allow for much movement in running or game playing.  I was then drawn to the splashing in a puddle and pouring of water.  The seeds were planted and the water wall was born.

Thanks to the generous donations of parents I was able to begin the construction on this unused piece of fencing. We used flexible tubing, funnels, pvc piping, pool noodles, duct tape, zipties, and mesh netting.

The netting was taped over the funnels to limit the rocks and wood chips that get into the funnels. In the PVC piping we poked 3 sporatic holes and capped the end of the tubing. This alows water pressure to build up, inside the pipe and then, it is forced out of the holes, and squirts in streams of water that rise and fall. A fun way to explore physics.

Flexible tubing and water noodles, weave in and out of the fence and around each other creating an interesting pattern of movement and allows for problem-solving as they try to predict where the water will emerge from. Some tubes are open on the end. Other tubes end with sprinklers or buchets at their end to collect or spray water.

Once attached provide pleanty of water from buckets and hoses. Be sure they have items to tote and collect water in. Be prepared they will get wet and messy. Just relax and enjoy the fun.

How Do YOU Make a Difference?

I shared this video clip on From Fingerprints To Masterpieces Facebook page, https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2123388167676641&id=100000164364105
where a mother takes her child to a playground.
The rejection they face and harassment they receive from children, as well as the lack of adults who even offer aid is appalling to me.

So I posted it asking: How do you teach those you impact, that this is not right and demonstrate the appropriate way to handle the situation?

Far too many posted that it was awful, disgraceful and sad.
A few commented on the mother's resilience to protect her child, model positive behaviors and provide him fun at the playground.

I was very disappointed by the responses, I had hoped instead of pointing out the obvious, (oppression and racism are horrendous), that people would share the hard work. How to impact those around us. It is the hard work that makes a difference.

First of all racism and oppression are NOT going to go away with out the hard work. Stand and shout all you want about the world's injustices, but other than rallying others to be loud and vocal you are not going to change the world you live in.
Put in the hard work, you will see progress. Slow and steady but much more than shouting out the obvious.
You must TEACH and MODEL the ways you want the world to be. You must live the way you feel others to live.
YOU must make the impact, do the hard work and face the anger of those who are angered when you point out where they are wrong.
You must do it from a kind heart, a positive perspective and a right motive.

Yelling, debating on social media and protesting draw attention to the situation. They DO NOT show others how to make a difference. So again I ask:

How do you teach those you impact that this is not right, and demonstrate the appropriate way to handle the situation?

For me the response would be, I step in and say something to the person or people involved. Usually kids, but I have confronted adults also.

I have walked up to kids on a playground while out on my daily walk, and said, "That is not ok. Your words or actions are hurtful. If you have a problem walk away."

With kids in my class I have turned it into an indepth learning journey and I have included parents in this learning. We look at all the areas we are the same and all the areas we are different, often not focused on race or culture until we have examined the general. (Colors we like or dislike, foods we like or dislike, things our families do, places we live, abilities we have like standing on one foot, hopping and skipping and those who can not do those things).

Then as we realize we have many varieties of things we share and how many we are diverse in, then I move to the ones that are harder like race, cultures and gender neutrality.

I truly believe these are more difficult because adults that each child respects, have strong oppions and feelings about these things and children get confused by whom they should please and what they may be told about these issues.

My parents taught me I don't have to like everyone or everything, but I must be respectful and kind.

Our world has forgotten that respect is earned, not demanded and kindness can even be offered to an enemy.

Evil is all around us. You can promote it by fighting it with hate and anger under the lie to yourself you are making a difference or you can stop it by being the quiet difference. Showing others the way.

PLEASE, do the hard work for those whose lives you impact.

Another School Year is Ending, BUT Summer is Just Beginning

The book bags are being dropped by the door.
The good clothes, from the beginning of the year are now showing their wear. Revealing a child's growth, and a little lacklustre in style.
The smiles and giggles have left the school, hallways are silent and stoic. Sumer has arrived!

I love summers at Love To Grow On. (www.lovetogrowon.com).
Our center is filled with the sounds and creativity of our School Age students. They embrace life head on.   They bring joy, maturity and creativity to our center.
I love watching our School Age teachers, direct and guide the students energy, inspire the learning from the school year to continue and teach life skills to each child at their own pace.

Mr. John is an amazing, male role model.
He plays and provides boundaries, freely with his class. He values the uniqueness of each child. He discovers who each child is and helps them, and their parents see their potential.  I never get tired of watching him and his class.
I love watching my students in awe of the School Age class.  They want to be just like them. They develp their play, and learning as they observe the School Age kids. These older students become their role models and help my class develop their dreams for the future.
So school may be out, but so much learning is just beginning. Don't use the summer to relax and do very little. Embrace the potential and possibilities right in front of you. Keep a spark of learning always simmering, Find ways to build what the students have already learned and mastered, but do it in fun and creative ways.
Mr. John keeps, Ms. Renee's tradition of Nature City alive.

Students build homes and businesses,  develop their own currency,  elect government officials and instill a law enforcement agency. So many life skills and communication skills develop during this summer adventure that started over 10 years, ago by a single class who saw so much more than trees beside the school.
Their legacy lives on in each class that follows.
Language, writing, math, science, and social studies come alive. They are learned through play, not textbooks and sitting, listening to a teacher. They are experienced and put into practice.
I wonder what these children will grow up to be. 
How will they impact our government and education system? What ways will they change the world?

Check out these photos of Nature City from Years Past
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?
story_fbid=10206650667934826&id=1516762084

http://www.presspubs.com/quad/news/article_4bda6306-09be-11e3-b9c0-0019bb2963f4.html

https://www.facebook.com/Love-To-Grow-On-108031595901282/

Marvelous Mud and Puddle Play

To live in the moment.  

To be a child is to be free.
To explore life to the fullest. It is the chance to learn what your body can and can not do, to mix concoctions from dirt, leaves, rock, soil and anything else you can discover.
We are robbing our children of this glorious experience as we push them to excel when they are not developmentally ready.

We imprison them inside for fear of what they may encounter outside; injuries, strangers or worse.  But we also destroy their growth, discovery and learning in our goal to help and protect them.


What are your fondest memories from childhood?
Where did you play?
Who did you play with?
What don’t your parents know about your freedom in play?

Here are some articles and news stories that explain why such play is so important.
http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2016/the-benefits-of-mud-play

KARE 11 also did a nice article on the need for children to spend play in nature last night.
https://www.kare11.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/kare-11-extras/vitamin-nature-kids-their-health-depends-on-it/89-553212975

Look at the joy in these faces as they relish the feel of mud squishing between their toes and fingers. There is no concern of getting dirty. Just carefree play, exploration and discovery.  This is what childhood should be.

I challenge you this summer to let your kids be kids, help them to thrive and grow.

I dare you to take it one step further, JOIN THEM! Get as muddy and as dirty as they do. Go for it make a lasting memory.

Climbing To New Heights

I saw this wonderful video on Facebook a few weeks ago. Someone had strung up a pulley system in their area and provided a step ladder. Then they had hung buckets up on the pulleys and left blocks out.  It was magical watching the video and all of the learning taking place. (I have not been able to find the inspiring video if I can locate it I will put a link to it in this blog post.)  It inspired me to try and replicate the opportunity in my class.

I am very blessed that the Center I work at, Love To Grow On, and our administration support risky play as a part of our center's philosophy.  I am also blessed that our parents embrace the activities we provide their children and trust us to provide them in a safe and nurturing environment.  So when I entered the classroom with rope, buckets and a ladder no one batted an eye and the kids knew we were going to do something exciting.
I left the items near the circle time area and listened to the conversations.  After breakfast we met for our morning meeting and discussed the items brought in.
"That is a ladder, my dad has one."

"We have one too!"
"You climb a ladder to reach things, or do things up high."
"You need to climb careful or you can fall.  My dad was not careful and he fell.  He was ok, but mom was mad."
Because the ladder was the main topic of conversation I put the buckets and rope aside and let them climb the ladder.  We discussed how both sides could be climbed and we decided that 4 could be on the ladder at a time.  That morning they all took turns scaling the ladder and exploring the room from new heights.
"I can see the ground outside when I climb the ladder and look outside!"
"I am as tall as Ms. Helen!"
"If I stand here I am taller than Ms. Helen."
"The ladder is shakey as you go higher."
"Come here and look down on the room, the legos look smaller up here."

This lead to constructing a simple pulley system where they could raise and lower buckets by the way they placed items into the buckets. The ladder was used to reach the higher bucket and to redistribute the items in the buckets to allow them to move up and down. The team work and problem-solving skills used were fascinating to watch in this project. It has been going on for almost three weeks now as they test out a variety of items in the buckets.
"The one with stuff in it goes down. It must be heavy."
"The empty one is lighter because it goes up."
"Four big blocks is the same as 6 bean bags."
"What do you mean?"
"Neither bucket goes up when you have 6 bean bags and 4 of these blocks."

An extension to this activity was to add art to it. We have been creating a large group mural on the wall using the ladder to reach the upper part of our canvas.
This has been a good way to add a new perspective to using paint and chalk. They are doing art standing on a ladder, keeping their balance, drawing on a vertical surface, and viewing the room from a different perspective.

I encourage you to give this a try, even if you only add a low steps tool to your environment.

Learning Through Play

Please click on this link to see play based learning in action.

Love To Grow On Engineers 
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EoGTfsppUVq3eou92

Play is a crucial part of childhood and learning, yet it often gets looked at as unimportant and an useless, waste of time. Many adults think learning takes place in the confines of sitting in a group setting, criss-crossed legs, listening quietly to the teacher prattle on about some subject or idea; and not necessarily anything the children are remotely interested in.  It can be followed up with worksheets, busy work and project art all deemed curriculum. This learning style is actually an academic  style more appropriate for older elementary school students. Kindergarten and First grade students should still be experiencing learning through play and Second grade through  Sixth grades should still be getting more physical movement and play in their day, than is currently allotted.

Play-based learning is defined as young learners constructing

knowledge as they explore, experiment , discover and solve problems in a playful and unique ways. Development is linked to play and viewed as a pattern of continuous,  interrelated changes that begins at birth and continue through life span whilst learning is a change in behaviour. In the early years it is through experience in play that learning occurs. (1)

I am blessed to teach at a center where play-based learning and the Reggio Emilia Approach are embraced.   At Love To Grow On children are viewed as capable learners and play is an key part of learning. Here is a peek at two of our recent play-based learning experiences my class had the chance to explore.

A real life experience with Chutes and Ladders.

So much is going on here.
Physical- balance, spatial awareness,  self-confidence,  body awareness & muscle memory are being created.
Social- turn taking, self-regulation,  Problem-solving & conflict resolution.
Language & Literacy- Describing what is or will happen, looking At things from a different perspective,  communication skills & sharing ideas.
Math & Science- making hypotheses, trial and error, comparing velocity and distance.
So much more is learned in this play than would ever be learned While sitting at a table doing a work sheet and much more will be remembered, learning through play.

Pulleys

Exploring pulleys opens the door to engineering. From this exploration children learn about gravity, weight, measurement, and cause and effect. They experience physics at work. They discover the impact they can have on their environment. They propose ideas and explore their hypotheses.
Learning through play is far more impactful, and last life long. Worksheets and rote learning leads to frustration, especially in young ages  (2 years to 8 years) and does not carry the same long-lasting foundation for more learning. 

It was fun presenting a provocation none of these children had encountered before.  Their excitement on the first day was fun as they cheered each friend on as they picked a bucket to add marbles too. Their chant for which bucket they were routing for was replaced with pleading, debate, and discussion as they realized one bucket was slowly raising towards the ceiling. The roar of success was fun when one bucket soared up and the other bucket plummeted towards the ground.

Today I presented bigger buckets and different items to place in the buckets. I set the ladder to the side but allowed the buckets to hang low enough the ladder was not necessary. We discussed what we had learned the day before.
"The heavy bucket goes down."
"The empty bucket goes up."
"Why does the empty bucket go up?" I asked.
"Because it is not as heavy, it is lighter."
With both buckets in easy reach blocks were added to each bucket equally. The buckets did not move.
"What is happening?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"Why?"
"Because one is not heavy."
"So how can you fix that?"
A flurry of discussion and then the solution to move blocks from one bucket to the other. As the one bucket moved out of reach the ladder was dragged over to make it easier to pluck out a block and move it to the other bucket.
It was fun to watch the cooperation and conversations taking place. They continued on with this activity all day long.

(1)(Taken from  Play-based learning Ebbeck, Marjory, Yim, Hoi Yin Bonnie and Lee, Lai Wan Maria 2013, Play-based learning. In Pendergast, Donna and Garvis, Susanne (ed), Teaching early years : curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, N. S. W., pp.185-200.   http://dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:30052049 )

Leprechaun Laughter

What do you do to enjoy children's laughter and embrace their excitement?

St. Patrick's Day always fills my class's mind with Leprechauns and the mischief they cause.  Usually it is one day of chaos and fun that builds all day long. 

The room is constantly but back into place only to turn around or come back to the room to find some disruption has happened again.  Some times it is a path of glitter, other times it is toys dumped or put in wrong spots.  I have as much fun trying not to be caught as they do discovering the next bit of mischief.

This year I had an idea to make small, paper, Leprechauns and hide them around the room.  I started this 2 weeks ago.  The joy it has brought to our day is fun.  The hiding places have gotten harder and the Leprechauns have moved from the classroom to around the building.  We place them in a glass jar, but those little Leprechauns get out when we are not looking and need to be rounded up again.

This carried over to the homes.  One family made their own Leprechauns to hide at
home, several others came in and asked me where I got them from.  I gave them a copy of the ones I had drawn.  Then I sent home a template that so anyone who wanted to carry the excitement on at home.  I quietly passed it to parents so they were not pressured from their children to participate.

We have had to set some guidelines as the play goes on.


All leprechauns go into the cage.

The first person who finds the Leprechaun is the one who gets it to put in the cage, unless they are finding lots then they get to pick a friend who gets to put the Leprechaun in its cage.

I am the teacher, I must behave like the adult.  If it is getting to chaotic, I slow down the hiding and let the room calm down again.  I do NOT reprimand them for being excited at a game I started. Nor do I take they game away.  Use it as a learning tool to teach self-control, turn taking, cooperative play and empathy.

Have fun with your kids.
Build memories and relationships that will last.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.

I Am More than Just a Preschool Teacher

I am more than a preschool teacher! I am an early childhood educator.

I definitely am not a babysitter. I have never sat on a kid, (well I have in fun) and I strive to not to sit on their desires to learn, explore, grow and impact the world around them.

I am not a daycare provider. God provides the days, I pray I use them wisely to impact the young minds and lives entrusted to my care.

But I want to tell you what I am.

I am a confidant.  I am told special secrets, hurts and joys.  I am given the gift of trust that I am interested in everything they have to say.

I am a nurse.  I fix small and big cuts. Attend to children who are ill and can heal just about anything with ice an ice pack.

I am a counselor. I listen to fears, walk beside a child or parent having an anxiety attack. I give tools for developing communication skills and I prescribe hugs.

I am a psychologist. I examine behaviors and actions and try to understand them.  I then put my knowledge and experience to work creating solutions and new situations to help the child grow.

I am a veterinarian. I care for classroom pets, medicate ill pets and sometimes when the pet does not survive (like our goldfish, Heartbeat, whom died during our NAEYC visit) I am an undertaker and Pastor.

I am a plumber. I unclog sinks and toilets.  I take apart traps and clean them out.  I stop leaks and repair faucets.

I am a waitperson. I serve meals, clean up after meals and smile even when my customers are messy, fussy and forget the tip.  My tips all come in hugs, kisses and handmade pictures.  You can't put them in the bank, but no money could replace their value.

I am a janitor. I clean up messes, wash out toilets and sinks, sweep and mop floors, wash toys, and do laundry.

I am an entrepreneur. I develop ways to create funds to aid my class.

I am a magician. I create things out of very little or nothing when the budget is tight or nonexistent.

I am an artist.  I teach all types of media and teach children to recognize beauty around them and use their art as their voice.

I am a musician. I sing song, perform for the audience, teach music theory and conduct the choir.

I am a scientist, mathematician, home economics teacher and language specialist.

But most of all I am BLESSED.  I get to spend the most important years of a child's life teaching them, watching them grow and leaving a little piece of me in their hearts. 

I AM PROUD TO BE AN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR!