after many years
yesterday
was my very last experience
sitting at a table
sharing stories with families
listening to their stories
connecting over something unique and wonderful
their child
at parent teacher conferences
in priceless conversations.
—
“conversations are the most direct way to connect with people.”
-padgett powell, american novelist
beginning our parent teacher conferences
ready to share stories, laugh, chat with families,
at some point
voices grew crackly,
coffee and lots of water became important
leaving at the end, very quietly walking to our cars.
happy families and most of our voices left behind.
how exciting for the class (and for me)
to receive a beautiful poster and message
from our penpal friends
led by a blogging friend/teacher i admire, jennie fitzkee
all the way from the aqua room in massachusetts
connections can be made in so many wonderful ways.
jennie with the letter we sent back to our friends in massachusetts
https://jenniefitzkee.com/2023/05/03/thank-you-letters/
—
“with a little paper and ink –
and some help from the postal service –
friendship can span many years and many miles.”
-caroline rose kraft
RIP to *Sir Ken Robinson, an eloquent and indefatigable defender of the role of the arts and creativity in education. His TED talks made him world-famous—his presentation called “Do schools kill creativity?” remains the most popular TED talk of all time, and he wrote widely, including major books on creativity in 2001 and 2015. Robinson was knighted in 2003 for his distinguished career in service to the arts. He was a staunch critic of standardized tests and compliance-based classrooms, and an unapologetic champion of every kind of creative endeavor—from theater, to music, film, painting, dance, and everything in between. He died peacefully yesterday at the age of 70, after a brief battle with cancer, surrounded by his family. His voice will be greatly missed. – Edutopia
“the answer is not to standardize education,
but to personalize and customize it to the needs of each child and community.
there is no alternative. there never was.”
-Sir Ken Robinson, (one of my heroes in the field of education)
*Sir Ken Robinson was an author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts to government, non-profits, education and arts bodies.
—
credits: edutopia, pbs.org
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
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
what a lovely afternoon spent
with a family whose three daughters
each of us have taught and loved in our turn over the years
as they gave thanks to all of their teachers
by cooking and serving us an amazing brunch
at a beautiful table
complete with many homemade delights
main courses, sweets, desserts, coffee, and fruit prosecos
dad and daughters prepare our meal
while mom finalizes the drinks and details in the dining room
—
such an amazing and generous gesture
as their last daughter leaves the familiar comfort
of our elementary school
and moves on to her next chapter
in the middle school division
along with her lovely family
who we will miss
and who have taught their daughters
the wisdom of gratitude and kindness.
—
“what wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”
-jean-jacques rousseau
what an elementary teacher
after-school book meeting looks like
all full of colors, sparkling water, and clever words.
—
“books are uniquely portable magic.”
– stephen king
spring conferences begin today-
here’s to all the teachers and parents out there.
—
credits: mark parisi, offthemark.com
“the quiet house” on the 3-6 year old children’s playground
—
on a trip to visit schools in north carolina
i loved meeting the young children
and
i loved meeting the educators who
understood the importance
of using
play, compassion, kindness, projects, community
and
hands-on learning
when teaching young children.
i met many people who were so passionate
about
education and children and life in general.
what a lot i learned from them.
—
the whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.
– sydney j. harris
I didn't have my glasses on.... 