what did i find at the farmer’s market?
lots and lots of berries, zucchini, tomatoes, farmers, pies, flowers, herbs, honey, bread,
and one tiny dragon.
—
“one does not need the size of a dragon to have the soul of a dragon. “
– robin hobb
Sep2
Tag Archives: children
Jul28
secret forts.
grandie j heads out
mohawk helmet on
backpack filled
with pokemon cards, water, hope
off on his bike to meet friends
at their ‘secret fort’
in the neighborhood.
after he makes his grand exit
grandie b, left behind, shares –
“we all have the same secret fort, but no one knows it.”
—
“well i know the secret places. and the nests in hedge and tree;
at what doors are friendly faces, in what hearts are thoughts of me.”
-henry wadsworth longfellow
Jul22
bolder.
a tiny toad crossed paths with grandie f
i wonder which one was more excited to meet the other.
—
“the smaller the creature, the bolder its spirit.”
-suzy kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun
May28
keep the heart touchable.
doing virtual early childhood parent-teacher conferences online
did not feel natural
but i give parents so much credit
some went to elaborate lengths
to find a space and time
where their child wouldn’t find them
so we could openly talk
and share stories
about how their child
touched our hearts this year
we talked to parents
in a closet, in a basement, up in an attic room,
and those who sent their child off on an errand
some waited until their child was asleep at night
but one thing was the same
this was a wonderful group of supportive, think-on-their-feet parents
who kept our connection with their children going
even from a distance
as we all navigated our way through this uncharted territory
and we were so lucky to have them as our teaching and learning partners this year.
—
“in a world where the great technologies enable us to record, replay, cut and paste, zoom in, and delete –
listening is the crucial commitment to keep the heart touchable.”
-mark nepo
—
photo credit: bored panda
Apr13
awaiting.
the playground sits
quietly
awaiting the return
of the children.
—
“it is very strange that the years teach us patience —
that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.”
-e. taylor, A Wreath of Roses
Apr10
thirty minutes.
each of our faculty members
were allowed to go into their room alone for 30 minutes
during that time we could take
whatever we imagined we might need
to teach school — for the rest of the year.
walking into my building, it was silent
i saw the ‘welcome back to the sun’ and ‘happy spring’ artwork
my class had created for the hall
expecting to be back soon after our spring break
walking into my classroom
it was sad
left as it was back in mid-march
memories, things undone, things i wish i could still do with my class
cards, and art, and notes, and pictures, and colors, and books
30 minutes to decide what to take
i filled my bags with toys and books and art and puppets
anything i thought might make my kinder feel a sense of comfort
as i teach them from afar and show them familiar things
it was hard to close the door on the year
knowing i will stay connected to each of them
but also knowing
something will be lost
in not spending my school days
sharing a room with them.
—
“time flies over us,
but leaves its shadow behind. “
-nathaniel hawthorne
Mar14
distance teaching/learning.
“learning must travel the distance from head to heart.”
-gloria steinem
LANSING, Mich. – Michigan is escalating its response to the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Thursday night Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the closure of all Michigan K-12 schools, including public, private and boarding, in response to the confirmed cases.
The closures start Monday and will end on April 5, according to officials. Schools are scheduled to reopen on Monday, April 6.
here’s to the educators, support staff, administrators, and families. all working so hard to continue our connection and to share in our partnership of caring for, and teaching their children. in a very short time, i have seen amazing work being done on all sides to support this initiative.
Mar6
believe.
spring conferences
a time for
sharing stories
of children and family.
“behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.”
-matthew jacobson
—
image credit: animalchannel.com
Mar5
pictures of our thoughts.
an important kinder note.
i’ll be writing back.
—
“words are but pictures of our thoughts.”
-john dryden
Mar3
attitude.
using
cocktail umbrellas
chop sticks
mini pumpkins
and
pancake mix playdough
kinder create something new.
—
“a child’s attitude toward everything is an artist’s attitude.”
-willa cather
I didn't have my glasses on.... 