I'm So Glad I'm Here

This post was originally published on Substack. This is also just the beginning of something more- not sure what, but something! Thought I might share it here as well:

 I'm so glad I'm here

So glad I'm here

So glad I'm here, here today!

So glad I'm here,

So glad I'm here,

So glad I'm here, here today

This is the song that calls us as we gather on the carpet each day in my kindergarten class. It's a joyous time, one of song, conversation, dance, and (I hope what my students feel), love. The ukulele comes out, the rhythm sticks tap out the timing of a song. We’re learning about patterns, though we don't realize it. We are expanding our phonological skills, though we can barely pronounce that word, let alone know what it means. This is the joy of learning that should infuse all of our lessons, but especially the lessons of play in kindergarten.

Because many parents and new teachers were raised under “No Child Left Behind”, our culture has forgotten the value in play. Play has become a devalued word in our “rush and do” culture. But, at its purest sense, play is the ultimate goal for learning. Consider the fox pups as they wrestle each other, or the kittens as they roll around, the birds as they learn their unique song. The animal world is steeped in play as they learn to survive in a wild creation. We humans are no different. Play is how we have learned not only to survive, but thrive. Play is how we got to outer space, and how we came back from the moon. Play is how we learned to speed across the earth faster and faster. Curiosity followed by play- that's the sum of the evolution of the world.

There are concepts we must directly teach- mathematical procedures, letter sounds, letter and number formation, and the like. Of course there is information that must be directly passed on. But I theorize that in order for us to fully understand these concepts, we need to be immersed in them through play, stories, and song first.  We sing the ABC song before we ever talk about what a letter is. We read rhyming books to our students and children before we ever define what rhyme is. We play counting games before we attempt to teach addition and subtraction. Play immerses us in the world, and it's only when we’ve been immersed in the concepts that we learn and comprehend them.

How are you playing in your classroom? Is your room a place of joy? Are you emphasizing co-learning over direct teaching? Do you feel that there is more you could be doing but you aren't sure what? Reach out! Let me help you! I am convinced that the more we play, the deeper we learn. Let's figure it out together.

Professional Development: By You, For You

 This post was originally posted on Substack. I thought I would share it here:

Imagine this. You are ready for a new school year, you’re excited to meet your students, it is going to be awesome! But then you get to school and your orientation days are filled with professional development that is cookie cutter bland. It doesn’t challenge you, nor does it meet the needs of your students. What is a teacher to do? Whatever you need to!

Everything I’ve ever needed to know about teaching came from a lifetime of curiosity. I love to learn. I am interested in others and in their perspectives. I care about nature and I want to pass on what I love to the next generation. I also know that I don’t know it all, that I can’t possibly know it all, but living in the 21st Century provides me with the opportunity to find out!

There are so many opportunities to look into learning on our own, if we have the time and the inclination. I am a huge proponent of continuing education. We cannot take what we’ve learned through our schooling and use it year after year. If we aren’t growing as educators, we are going to struggle to pass on meaningful learning to our students.

What, then, can we do? Look into organizations that interest you, and see if they provide any free learning or information. Use the internet and social media for professional development. Places like #kinderchat where we share our knowledge with each other, National Geographic has free, online learning. I just finished a wonderful Free to Play Summit with FairyDust Teaching! There are Facebook groups, and Instagram accounts, all dedicated to learning.

The main thing it will cost is time. And, it doesn’t have to take up all of your time, but it may take some effort. But, be forewarned! You may come away inspired, energized, and ready to rearrange your classroom! (I am speaking from personal experience here, btw).

So, as we finish off one calendar year, and look forward to the next, let me encourage you to look into some personal professional learning. And let me encourage you to pass that learning on to your colleagues and other professionals! You will not be disappointed!

Harold and the Purple Crayon

 

I have been in the field of early childhood education/kindergarten for over 30 years. I have seen things come, and I have seen things go. I used to teach in ways I don't teach anymore. And sometimes I have gone back to teaching the way I used to teach. If you are a good teacher, you are always questioning your practice, you are always trying to do what is best for your students. Some years you may need to be more direct in your teaching, and other years you may be able to loosen up. This is why we call teaching an Art- because it's a process.

I was sitting with a colleague today while the children were out at recess. She was so excited about a book she had, one that talks about using proper colours for our illustrations. I thought to myself, "I really don't care about that anymore. I used to, but I don't care anymore." It was a full circle moment for me. Because a long time ago, I wouldn't have cared what colour one of my students used to draw a tree. A few years later, because began to teach kindergarten, I fell into the trap of caring about "proper" illustrations. Now, I am back to not caring. I call this my Harold and the Purple Crayon moment.

Do you know this book? It's about a boy who is going to sleep, and he draws a picture of his dreams with a purple crayon. That's the only colour he uses. And, guess what? We know exactly what he's doing. Does it matter that the moon is purple? Nope. All that matters is that Harold knows it's a moon. That's what we need to be focusing on. Not what we want, but what they, the artist and author wants.

Like most things, I think the notion of "proper colours and drawings" is more of an experiential/developmental thing. If we, as educators, provide proper modeling, and leave it at that, I believe most children will ultimately figure it all out on their own. And if they don't? Does it really matter? I'm not so sure anymore. What I am sure of is, we tell children how to do things way too much and don't allow them to express themselves nearly enough. 

So, let them make a purple tree. Let them colour their whole face blue. Let's let them be who they are. There's an old poem, I'm not even sure who wrote it, but I remember it being at the beginning of a textbook I had in university. The course was The Role of Play and them poem said, 

    Many the times we teach

    Many the times we are taught

    But only once, a child.

We have taken away too much of our children's lives. Let's give some things back to them.

Word of the Year: 2023 edition

January 1 is a time for reflection for many. Yes, I know time is a construct, that nothing is really different today than yesterday, but there are certain moments in time that lead one to become more introspective and reflective. As a teacher, I usually have three times in the year where I spend time contemplating:

June because it's the end of a school year and I begin to think about what worked, what didn't, what to keep for the next year, and what to put on a shelf for another time.

August/September because it is the start of the upcoming school year. I dust off all of my thoughts from June, compare them to the class I've been given, and I update and reassess. Until I no longer teach, September will be its own special "New Years". 

And January 1. This one is more personal. This one is more about me, as a human, than me, as a teacher. And, while, I am not a fan of resolutions, per se, I am a HUGE believer in choosing a Word of the Year.

I know many people practice this as well. Some spend time thinking about a Word. I understand this method, because, at my heart, I am a bit controlling. But, I have learned to allow the Word to come to me, instead of trying to make the Word fit into my life. And a Word always finds me. And, once that Word finds me, I don't spend all of the next year thinking about it. Many times I forget what it even was, but when I review my Word, I realize how important it actually became.

For 2022, my word was Focus. I know I struggled with focusing. I would flit from one idea to the next, only partially pay attention to conversations (confession: the word didn't help with this 😂. Menopause brain is REAL people!). What I learned this past year- find one thing and build on that. 

A friend and I tell each other, "You can do it all, you just can't do it all at once." Focus certainly helped me with this. Professionally, I made some huge shifts in my teaching practice, away from what others were telling me, and towards what I knew in my heart was right. But I also realized, I can't do every single shift all at once. I needed to Focus on one thing. And that was Story Workshop. Not only did Story Workshop help me focus my writing instruction, I found the process helped my students focus, as well. 

I also learned to focus on my own health and fitness. I learned to fine tune what I was doing, and I learned to seek out the opinions and ideas of people who knew what they were talking about. 

For 2022 Focus proved to be the perfect Word.

My Word for 2023 found me in December (as my Words do). I was listening to Janis Joplin, and the phrase, "Freedom's just another word for, nothing left to lose" struck me. Freedom. I can't tell you why because I don't know yet, but Freedom is what it is.

 

Bonus Content: Songs About Freedom