Early Childhood and the Pandemic. A Year in Reflection

Here we sit a year into the COVID-19 Pandemic. While many of us are familiar with how it has affected our lives and lives of our family, do we know what it has really done to children and those who teach them?

Early Childhood Educators were asked in Minnesota and other areas to remain open, to help the workforce with child care. The stability we provided children in these unstable times was more important than allowing a parent to go to work.

We provided a safe environment for children to be children, and parents to feel confident their child was in good care. We provided the necessary routine and consistency needed for emotional health and development and we provided places of joy. 

 

I wanted to look at what I was seeing in children and I asked a few others in the field of Early Childhood to share their thoughts. I was graciously given interviews by:

Heather Andrew PreK teacher in Oklahoma Public Schools

Nicole Brank, Center Manager, Love To Grow On Child Development Center 

Tom Hobson, Teacher Tom

Rae Pica, Early Childhood Consultant & Author

 

One question I asked was:

What is the biggest difference you have noticed in the children you work with from the beginning of the pandemic to where we are in February 2021?

At the beginning of the pandemic, the young children in my life missed their friends. I believe they still miss their friends, but they have adapted, as children so easily do, to a world with fewer face-to-face interactions. Parents are telling, however, that their children are more irritable than prior to the pandemic. Many tell me their kids have become "addicted" to screens. – Tom Hobson 

Children seem to be needing intentional time and touch. However, I’ve noticed their way of communicating is funneled through their physicality. -Heather Andrew

The biggest difference I have noticed is that the older  kids are really excited to see other children.  I also notice the infants have a harder time when other teachers step into the room because of facemasks and having more stranger danger. -Nicole Brank

My second question was:

What do you miss about pre-pandemic education, “normal”.

I imagine in most cases there was a great deal less screen time!! – Rae Pica

 

So many things. Navigating their need for large movements with little space due to desks being put in the room for social distancing. 

Masks make it hard for my children to read my face when they so desperately need all forms of communication. Communicating that I love them deeply when we feel so emotionally distant.I also feel like the rules take away from them being fully independent in the classroom. I’ve had to be extremely creative in creating a space of independence. - Heather Andrew

 

Teacher Tom responded with, I recently wrote a blog post about this: 

I miss the feeling of little fingers exploring my knee cap through the holes in my jeans as I read from a story book.

 

I miss the blast of overheated breath against my cheek as they excitedly whisper their news in my ear.

 

I miss the warmth of tears spreading through the fabric of my shirt and onto my shoulder as I hold them after a fall.

 

I miss the dampness that soaks through the seat of my pants when I sit on wet ground in order to be eye-to-eye with them.

 

I miss being genuinely eye-to-eye……

 

I miss being in the presence of so much love.

 

I miss spending my days learning from free people who grieve quickly, then come to accept their world as it is today, right now, engaging it without wasting a moment on what is missing. 

See full post here http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/what-i-miss.html

 

To wrap up all their thoughts and mine, we realize the slowdown and changes brought on by the pandemic also brought good things for our children I would like to close with these thoughts.

Spending more time with mom and dad has been by far the biggest benefit for many kids. For children who struggled with school (too hectic, pressured, busy) this time has been a boon. I'm thinking specifically of children with autism and sensory challenges. -Tom Hobson 

They still have a natural desire to wonder, and discover their world. I’m surprised by this but it just affirms why I do what I do. -Heather Andrews

 

Unless children are in situations where they’re forced to be in “Zoom school” from 7:30 am to 2 pm (just one of the horrible stories I’ve heard), most children have had more time to play and be children. It is my great hope that parents will witness the joy of that and feel less pressure to give them a head start in academics. That children will get to be children! Rae Pica

 

I think the positive is that children got to have more family time with parents and siblings (if they had any) - Nicole Brank

 

The pandemic brought Early Childhood Educators into a more visible position, than that of child care. Our ability to keep children safe and happy so parents could work without fear of their child’s well-being stood out. So has the importance of play in childhood, begun to become more visible. It is my hope that we as a country will realize children learn best when allowed a childhood of freedom in play and less emphasis on sedentary education practices that do not benefit the ability to learn. Adults are experiencing Zoom Fatigue, but we have been putting children through School Fatigue for decades.

 

Links you might like to check out:

 

For Rae Pica

Website: www.raepica.com

Free e-library for early childhood professionals, currently with 17 e-books: https://www.raepica.com/free-resource-elibrary/.

 

For Teacher Tom:

Blog: teachertomsblog.blogspot.com

Website: Teachertomsworld.com

Books: https://www.teachertomsworld.com/books

E-courses: https://www.teachertomsworld.com/e-courses

 

For Nicole Brank

Love To Grow On Child Development Center www.lovetogrowon.com

 

 

Respecting the Child’s,Wonder and Joy in Learning

Children who are invested in their learning are also more interested in what s being taught. That is why play is such a strong force in learning.  If you are having fun, feel what you are doing is valued and learning through cause and affect the lessons become internalized and more impactful.  Sitting at a desk or table doing a worksheet is busy work but it is not true education. 

Producing a product is not as powerful as the process of creating the finished piece.

Let me give you two scenarios:

Scenario 1:
Tommy (33 months) and Tilda (4 yrs), are playing in the combined family room and kitchen. Mom takes out the mixer, opens the cupboard and pulls out a box cake mix. The noise of the mixer being set up catches the children’s attention. They both leave their toys and walk over to see what mom is doing? Tilda pulls out a stool and climbs up to perch on it. Tommy gives it a try, he moves the stool away from the counter and starts to climb it. He does not make it the first time. Mom watches out of the corner of her eye but keeps gathering items needed to make a cake.
Tommy tries again and gets his balance on the rung of a the stool. Tilda reaches out her hand to Tommy, he grasps it and uses it to balance as he settles himself on the stool. Once seated Tommy grabs for the beaters. He gets one and holds it in his clenched fist, his fingers play with he curved beater. “Tilda, can you hand me the beater on the counter?” Mom asks.
Tilda hands her the beater sitting on the counter using the end that attaches to the mixer. Tommy watches. “Tommy, can you give me the other beater.” He looks at his beater and passes it over, a smile on his face. Mom walks to the sink and says, “I will wash this up, so it is clean to mix our cake with.” Once done she inserts it into the mixer.
Turning the box over she points to the directions. “What do you see?”
Tilda responds, “Eggs and cups. Oh and a 3, 5 and 0!”
Tommy, “Eggs!” Clapping and smiling.
The cake box is set in front of Tommy. “Can you open the box and give the package inside to Tilda?”
Tommy rips the box open, pulls out the mix and hands it to Tilda. Mom hands her a scissors. Tilda please cut open the cake mix and dump it into this mixing bowl. 

Tilda cuts the bag open and quickly dumps the mix into the bowl. Some spills on the counter. “Tilda can you grab the dish rag and clean up that spill before we mix the cake, we want to keep counters clean when we cook so we keep all of our foods clean.”
Mom moves the eggs close to the kids. Let’s count. We need 1, 2, 3 eggs.  She takes one out. “Can you each get one? Her hand hovers over the bowl, “Do I just put it in?” She wonders out loud.
“No!” Giggles Tommy.
Mom takes a bowl and cracks her egg into the bowl while talking through the steps; “Gently tap the egg on the side, open it up with your thumbs at the crack and pour into this bowl. Now look to see if any shells fell in. Now we can put it in the mixing bowl, she says adding the egg to the mix. She passes the small bowl to Tilda. A hard tap is followed by Tilda separating the egg shell and pouring her egg in. She notices a piece of shell and mom fishes it out then Tilda adds her egg to the mix. Tommy, getting impatient for his turn squeezes his egg cracking it. Mom reaches over, helps him add his egg to the bowl and fishes out small pieces of shell, while sending both kids to wash their hands really good with soap. When Tommy returns she lets him dump his egg in with the others.
Mom now reads the other ingredients and helps each child pour out the right amounts and add it to the cake mix. She turns on the mixer and sends Tommy to get a spatula and Tilda to get a cake pan.
The batter is put in the pan and the oven set at 350 degrees with mom explaining that is the 3, 5, 0 that Tilda pointed out. As the oven warms mom has the children clean up the counter, help rinse the utensils and put them in the dishwasher.

Scenario 2:
The classroom of 20 preschoolers is in full swing, everyone engaged and happy. 

Suddenly the teacher announces clean up time. There are grunts, some block towers knocked over and many children not responding. 

“I said CLEAN UP Time.” Repeats the teacher rather firmly and a bit louder. Some children respond, others disrupt friends, thinking they are helping the teacher and others continue to do what they were doing before they were interrupted by an even louder order to clean up.

Once the room is cleaned 20 students are sent to wash their hands before gathering around the teacher. Items are laid on the table with cute, picture recipe cards for the children to read the directions. The teacher then opens the box and pours the cake mix in a bowl. She has the kids tell her the next step and ingredient to add then measures it out and pours it in the bowl. She mixes the batter while the students count the number of stirs. She then passes the bowl to her assistant teacher to take to the kitchen and bake. 

The students go to their seats and color a set of picture recipe cards like the one at the table. Then tell the teacher how to make the cake. The lesson finishes with a cute story about a dog baking a cake.

Both of these have potential for learning, but which makes the strongest impact?

Which one empowers the children?

Which one values the child?

Which one will probably be remembered years later?

This year as you do your holiday baking, wrap gifts, read stories or just have empty boxes available, be sure to watch the learning taking place. It is there in the wonder and discovery that happens naturally in the season.

Kid friendly recipes 

https://tasty.co/article/melissaharrison/cooking-with-kids

Grateful in 2020? Why Not?

Let’s face it when we rang 2020 in on December 31, 2019 none of us expected what we got.

No one cheers in a year knowing a pandemic is around the corner. 

That natural disasters will destroy towns, cities and countries; or that social unrest will lead to the violence and riots we have seen.

Who would have predicted that masks would become the height of fashion and necessary wear in public. I am pretty sure none of us would have stayed up late and partied in a new year we thought would be what we have experienced.

One Thing I Am Sure of is We Each have Something or Someone to be Grateful For.

Sometimes you have to really look at a situation and dig for the good. 

I had no idea in April, when we went downstairs to do the laundry, that stepping into a foot and a half of raw sewage would actually become a blessing. 

Nor the week before having my hours cut would be an amazing gift, allowing me time to clean the mess we had just discovered.

All I knew is I felt dirty, defeated and paralyzed. 

Two days later the out of state landlord who had not seen his property in over 20 years would announce he was not fixing, what was becoming an annual, and increasingly worse problem, but that he was selling and we needed to relocate. 

Try taking that all in on a tight budget, in a pandemic and in a house that smelled worse than an outhouse.

But now 7 months later, we have less stuff, to clutter our hearts and lives. We live on a tighter budget, in a very small space. But we have all we need, a clean safe home, a place to do laundry, a tub we can safely take a bath in and each other and all three of our cats.

Yes, that disaster in the basement was a blessing in disguise.

2020 is it  Blessing in Disguise?

A friend just told me, 

“2020 is not the year to get everything we want, but it is the year to be grateful for everything we have.”

So while you may have to dig deep.....what are you grateful for this year?

What does make you smile?

Where is the goodness you saw in 2020?

Take time to think on these things.

Links I Think Have Value 

https://fromfingerprintstomasterpieces.blogspot.com/2017/11/are-you-displaying-attitude-of-gratitude.html

https://escapeadulthood.com/blog/

https://hazon.org/gratitude-video/

https://www.facebook.com/escapeadulthood/videos/778120933024095/

https://www.ted.com/talks/jason_kotecki_escape_adulthood?

utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

https://youtu.be/Lm9BG712jdY

Teaching Preschool in a Pandemic is Not for The Faint of Heart

 I was not taught how to handle a pandemic while attending classes for Early Childhood Development. In fact, I bet no one even considered such a thing would be necessary. 

I have attended classes and meetings on Zoom, taken classes on trauma and how it affects children. I have studied how isolation is not healthy for a child’s development. I have had countless hours of training on infectious diseases and blood borne pathogens. Never did I think I would have to glean from them all I could to be an affective teacher in 2020.

So many countries, states, counties and school districts have rules regulating how best to protect others and still provide the essential care needed, that Early Childhood Educators provide. Yet once again, so little funding and support is being given to the Early Child Work Force. These COVID regulations do not promote best practices, nor are they developmentally appropriate.

We are essential, we help you have a safe, healthy place to feel secure in leaving your child while you head off to work, either in the comfort and safety of your home or out into the world full of an unseen virus and a myriad of response to how people behave based on what they believe to be true about this novel disease. I understand the concern Healthcare Workers, Grocery Store Employees and Fire and Police feel, over concern for their families. I have the same for my family, but a very tight budget to ensure I will make it financially if something were to affect my health, my husband’s health or cost me my place of employment. 

No one has increased my pay, offered me healthy insurance, paid for my life insurance or even given my center more money to cover the necessary expenses to keep our infection rates low and sterilize our environment. Rarely is the mental health of me or my colleagues discussed on the news, or in education circles. We worry about the school teachers and their students, but our little ones are being impacted very deeply.

Children need to socialize and play with other children. This can not be achieved in this solution of isolated play spaces, with individual sets of toys and limited physical contact. This method, some centers are using to stay open, seem harsher than the conditions in the penal system and our children have committed no crime. 

If this is our answer, is community child care safe? Should I be allowing myself and my children to be in an environment that leads to this type of reality? 

My students are tired, stressed and anxious. They feel the stress their families are feeling. They know their lives have changed. Their emotional, social and physical needs are greater than they should be at this young age. But if those of us who educate these young minds, and mold these future adults are not cared for what will happen to our youth?

I am the cream of the crop. Many educators I know are the cream of the crop. Yet it will be those of us who go above and beyond out of respect for the young child and their worth that will die in the trenches. If COVID doesn’t get us, than exhaustion, depression or poverty will eliminate us. What will be left behind will not be devoted to the education of young children. 

It’s time we realize we are not just essential so others can do their job. We are INDISPENSABLE, VITAL, and CRUCIAL to the overall well-being of our children. 

https://fromfingerprintstomasterpieces.blogspot.com/2018/03/i-am-more-than-just-preschool-teacher.html

Let’s Revisit Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress

 Below is a post I wrote in 2018 because I was concerned then, about the holidays and my students’ stress levels. 

Today stress and children are still a concern of mine. This year we are not only expecting the normal holiday stress, but we are in the middle of a World Wide Pandemic. 

Our children, and us have had 7 or more months of stress and there is no end insight. Reflect on my words from a few years ago. Put self-care for you and your family at the front of all plans the next few months.

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.

New Beginnings

I am sorry, I have been silent the last 6 months. The life of a teacher, as many of you know is busy and full of unexpected surprises, both good and not so good. Frankly, I have been running nonstop and there was no time to blog. I hope that is all changing now.

First, I have officially completed my CDA. That took time, money and energy, but makes me an even better teacher for my students and coworkers.  Then I became a member of The Wonder Tribe, an amazing group of educators world wide. Sally Fowler Haughey started the group. She is also the creator of Fairydust Teaching. If you are looking to enrich your life, your skills and grow this is a group of people to join.  Third, the center I work for and have been with since 2000 is building. We have rented space for the first part of our journey. Now we are building a space to house both our sites in one center. It is designed to help up teach from our Reggio Inspired philosophy. I am over the moon excited. 

We will be moving in June 2019. With that said, blogging about art and experiential learning has had to take a backseat, because my students always come first. Please join me as I get back in the saddle again and begin to share with you.

Here is are a few photos of our home to be. 

We will be located in Lino Lakes, Minnesota.

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.