—
i’m ready for you, kinder!
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art credit: gary larson, the far side
Feb28
teaching the young on a monday.
—
i’m ready for you, kinder!
—
art credit: gary larson, the far side
Tag Archives: teacher
Oct24
simple gifts.
carried from home to school
clutched in chubby hand
tiny simple gift
brings precious beauty
to a teacher’s heart.
—
“sometimes, said pooh, the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
-a.a. milne – winnie the pooh
Feb10
*happy lmtwgrblkufgdw.
so happy to be celebrating
*Love Makes the World Go Round;
But, Laughter Keeps Us From Getting Dizzy Week: 8-14
i feel lucky to have a job that keeps me laughing.
who else gets to say/respond to such great things at work?
–
“you need to have pants on.”
“try not to touch every person in the room”
“i know you washed your hands this morning, but it is afternoon now.”
“fish don’t really like to be hugged.”
“try to bend your legs to sit on the sled, that is called making them stiff and that is different, try to bend…..”
“did you call me grandpa?”
“it’s important to have both shoes.”
“before we start we all have to promise not to cry if we don’t get to the candy castle first.”
“behind you is that way.”
“why did she call you beth?”
“if you put that in your nose, it might not come out.”
“your snowpants are backwards, let’s see if i can help you fix that.”
“you want to be called something new?”
“i’m pretty sure these are your boots because your parents put them in your bag and they have your name on them.”
“your mom is having a baby but you’re not supposed to tell anyone yet?”
“i’m not sure that ranch dressing is good to drink.”
—
each day is the best day ever.
never a day goes by without a laugh or ten.
—
image credit: puffin puff pastry, google images
Jan26
the genius of each.
as i worked on report cards over the last week
putting together my notes
gathering my thoughts
sharing my stories
telling their stories
i was reminded
that each child
has
their own gifts
their own challenges
yet each shares
without fail
a curiosity
a sense of wonder about the world
a desire to learn
and does so
in their own way.
—
“Do not train children to learn by force and harshness,
but direct them to it by what amuses their minds,
so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy
the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”
-Plato
—
image credit: Radhusets Julkalender 2012 – Arte del libro, Arte dell’illusrazione
Sep17
most unusual day.
today is the first day back at school
i imagine the kinder calmly gliding into nature with me
all possibilities are on the table
could be more like the picture below
most likely will fall somewhere in between.
“today is a most unusual day, because we have never lived it before; we will never live it again; it is the only day we have.”
-william arthur ward
—
photo credits: vintage pinterest, gamma-keystone london
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
Dec7
the teacher is the learner.
what an honor and a pleasure
it was
to have spent two days
with intelligent caring educators from many places
coming together
to
share, discuss, question, wonder, listen,
learn from each other
about leading
respectful, compassionate, joyful, creative, curious, playful, democratic classrooms
for young children
where they begin
to discover and grow a love of learning
about the world near and far
every experience
preparing them for what is beyond
this comforting place
they call school.
—
“the limit of your present understanding
is not the limit of your possibilities.”
-guy finley
Aug29
a special kind.
a little girl
who was once my student
and still a friend of mine
opened up a treasure chest
to show me
one piece of clothing after another
that she created all on her own
after teaching herself to sew
and I couldn’t be more proud.
Jun22
uniform.
central casting must have had a hand
in a scene on our neighborhood street today.
while waiting at the corner for the light to change
a mail carrier in his blues came by riding a bike
a doctor in scrubs walked across the street on her way home from the hospital
a construction worker in a bright neon vest held the sign for ‘stop’ and ‘slow’
all crossing paths
all in uniform
I have to admit that I felt a bit left out and underdressed
in sandals and comfy clothes
although I suppose I was in a uniform too
that of a teacher on summer break.
—
“I always had a sense that clothes, be it uniform or vintage,
could help to create a character.”
-collier schoor
—
book credits: naomi kleinberg, author – joseph mathieu, illustrator, google books, sesame street
Dec20
louse.
one of my favorite teacher gifts.
ever.
I didn't have my glasses on.... 