Mar12

‘at the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security.’ -jodi rell

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(a treasured baby blanket – owned since birth)

CUBBIES

as an early childhood educator of many years

i’ve seen many children come to school with all kinds of things

sometimes they wear layers of clothing all buttoned up

shedding layers as the year continues

some bring heavy bags with their entire dinosaur collection

which gets smaller and smaller as time goes by

some bring a whole box of cars

some wear costumes

some bring a picture of someone they love

some carry heavy rocks in their pockets or boots

some bring special tiny things to leave in their personal cubby

all these treasures sit waiting patiently for the children

to come and pick them up

or touch them or share them or cuddle them

as needed

they all have one thing in common

these items are very special to them

 they represent

a connection between home and school

helping them to feel safe and secure

they always get smaller, appear less often, or fade away with time

as the child grows confident and claims the classroom as their own

a place they are welcome, are truly a part of, and where they belong.

as the year continues

they love to bring things from school back to their home

artwork, inventions, words, and things found outside in nature

all that have stories to go with them

so excited to share a part of their school day with the ones they love

the connection goes both ways

(favorite cars and strong robot monster)

(very fancy sparkly shoes and water bottle)

(little pencils used to learn how to write with tiny hands and fresh moss from outside)

(a beloved cuddly red panda)

my favorite treasure ever 

(that little thing that comes in a carryout pizza box

that looks like a miniature table)

 

—

‘safety is a basic human need.

people with a sense of security and belonging are stabilized for learning, creating, innovating.

a group of wonderfully cared for, confident individuals will generate great ideas.’

*john sweeney

*John Sweeney is a British investigative journalist and writer who worked for The Observer newspaper, and the BBC’s Panorama and Newsnight series.

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67 responses »

  1. Thank you. I teach middle school and I see similar things as the year progresses. In place of cubbies we have lockers and massive binders stuffed with papers or neatly organized depending on the child. They all grow throughout the year and it is fun to see them get more confident. Thank you for shifting my paradigm this morning. It’s gonna be a great day. Peace.

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  8. I love this post, Beth. Treasures are not to be analysed, just to be accepted for what they are and properly loved. I do worry about the child who carried rocks in his boots, though ;-)

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  9. I so love this story. Reminds of Linus’ security blanket in the Peanuts story and I can so relate. With the stuffies that go to school to bring a sense of familiarity to the classroom. Must’ve been one of the joyful parts of teaching!

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    • yes, exactly the role that linus’ blanket played in his life. when you step back and look at it, we, even as adults, have things around us that make us feel comfortable and safe. yes, it was a really joyful part of teaching for sure

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  14. I had no idea kids brought all these items to school to place in their cubbies. I found this quite interesting. Both the objects and the psychology behind all of this. Great story, Beth. You have lots to share as a teacher and as a wonderfully compassionate human being.

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  15. Can I say this is my new favorite post – EVER? Thank you for these joy-filled images, Beth. Holding on to the special things and people that convey safety is so important…without judgment from others. Even a tiny
    table from a pizza box. Hugs to you! 🥰

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  16. oh that ever child should have a cubby to bring treasures to, things that connect to a home which is safe, and things to bring home to someone who will treasure them. that would be a world i would like to live in and in the meantime, we do what can to create that world. and you have certainly done that and continue to.

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  19. I remember one of my Junior Kindergarten students brought a piece of his mom’s nightie. When he was stressed he’d put it in his hands and rub it. Then put it back in his backpack. 😊

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  23. What an utterly delightful post! I’m envious, remembering that my school didn’t have cubbies. :( But I did have my blankie. Yellow wool. That I slept with every night in Oklahoma in pre-air conditioning summertime. I think my mom finally got rid of it by cutting little bits of it off over time.

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  26. Beuatifully put, Beth. A school cubby is a very personal storage space for children. I may have already mentioned this to you in the past (there’s that darn memory thing again), but I used to send home my suitcase with the Star Student of the Week. The child would bring it back with all of their treasures from home that they wanted to share. It was the secret sauce for shy kids who found safety and bravery this way.

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