Sew Easy: Lessons in Perseverance

May 22, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 2 Comments

There are three rites of passage in the Wonder Studio: using the hot glue gun, working a hack saw, and learning to sew. The joyful expressions on students’ faces as they learn these skills are salve for my weary teacher’s soul. These small accomplishments remind me of my original purpose when designing the Wonder Studio. Student agency was key. I want to provide a safe place in which to make mistakes and grow confidence. Sometimes, I get lulled into the belief that it’s just a messy place where kids spill paint, smear glue, and don’t adequately clean up. And then there are those moments when Susie uses the hacksaw for the first time and loudly proclaims, “I just use the hack saw! It was fun!” Beaming from ear to ear, she lifts up two pieces of wood to show everyone her handiwork.

Sometimes, success takes a while, sometimes we need to overcome our fears first. This was the case for Liv, who needed to hot glue small pieces for an intricate wooden spinning fidget that she was constructing. She was afraid of using the hot glue gun, so I offered to glue the pieces. Liv was not satisfied with the job I had done: too much glue and not quite in the exact perfect spot. My big hands couldn’t execute the results she had desired. Over the course of the next week, Liv got up the courage to use the hot glue gun herself. She put together her fidget just as she had imagined.

Then she quietly came up to me and said, “I am so proud of myself.”

“Yes, it is beautiful,” I said.

“Not for making it, Mrs. Emery. I’m proud that I overcame my fear of the glue gun.”

I chuckled and slapped her a high five, “Hooray for you!” I said.

The once hesitant, shy Liv is now master of the glue gun. This experience of playing and experimenting with materials is essential for building confidence and character.

This week, Allie sat down next to me and expressed her desire to learn to sew. I agreed to show her. Allie wanted to make a small drawstring pouch in which to collect pom-poms. Doesn’t everyone? I first traced a circle on a piece of colorful fabric. Then Allie cut out the circle. I outlined in pencil the track in which Lynne should sew. I threaded a needle and asked her to watch me. Allie became agitated. She started to recount all the reasons why she couldn’t learn how to sew. Tears formed in her eyes, and she abruptly stood up ready to flee. I motioned for her to sit back down.

“I can’t do it! You have to show me,” she said.

“Allie, listen. Take a deep breath. That’s what I’ve been doing,” I said calmly.

“You have to show me!” she demanded.

“Yes, but you have to look at me. Look at my hands. Watch what I’m doing,”

She began to relax and concentrate on my hands.

I began to verbalize my actions, “Up, pull through, down, pull though,” over and over again.

Then I handed the needle to Allie. She began one stitch, two stitches, then over the edge of the fabric. Oh, no – a mistake. Allie froze, she stood up, and tears well in her eyes again, “I can’t do it!” she yelled.

I reached out my hand, “It’s okay. It’s okay. That’s a very common mistake. I made that mistake a hundred times when I was learning to sew.”

She looked at me skeptically.

“You think that I never make mistakes?” I asked.

“Yes, you are perfect,” she declared seriously.

I laughed,” I make mistakes all the time. It may look like things are easy for me because I’m old. But I couldn’t learn anything if I didn’t make mistakes. Mistakes are opportunities to learn.”

I pulled out the floss, threaded the needle again, and handed it back to Allie. She sat down and began again. She sewed all the way around the circle. I clapped and smiled. She grinned from ear to ear. I pulled the drawstring and the circle magically became a pouch. Allie put in her selected pom-poms.

“Allie, I’m going to help Liv. Make sure that you don’t cut the ends of the floss,” I said and left her for a few minutes.”

When I returned the floss ends were cut short. I looked at Allie astonished, “Why did you cut the floss ends?”

“Because I didn’t want the long strings hanging,” she explained, adding that another girl told her to cut them. The other girl loudly denied it.

“I told you not to cut them, Allie. I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t know why you said that. I didn’t know what would happened,” she replied looking scared.

“It’s okay,” I said, pulling out the thread and hold up the fabric circle, “Now you have the needle track to guide you. It will be easier this time.”

Allie dried her eyes and took the circle from me. She began again and made no mistakes. When she was done, we refilled it with colorful pompoms. I showed Allie how to carefully put the drawstrings and tie them in a bow so she could easily open and close her precious pouch.

Allie did learn to sew last Thursday, but she leaned so much more. She learned to never give up, to always try again, and to persevere even when things got hard, especially when things got hard. And most of all, always push past your mistakes and push through your fear.

Later that day, I was walking down the hallway past Allie’s class. And there she was, colorful pom-pom pouch in hand showing it off to her admiring classmates like sewing was easy, like she had known how to sew all along. And this is why I continue to love teaching. These moments, these times with students, these small important lessons help them grow and make me proud that I continue to be a teacher.

Inside the Wonder Studio: A Space for Mistakes

April 2, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 4 Comments

All things are literally better, lovelier, and more beloved

for the imperfections which have been divinely appointed…

– John Ruskin

When I conceived of the Wonder Studio eight years ago, I thought of a space where students could go to create and play with craft and building materials. I wanted the kids to have freedom to think up an idea and create it. Their projects were not made by following directions. They were made by experimenting and tinkering; trying out an idea and changing it.

For the first six years, the space was called Wonder Lab, and it was housed in a large former art room where kids could build large projects with cardboard, wood, duct tape, hammers, nails, and paint. Then, two years ago, the Wonder Lab space was needed for a new Computer Science & Engineering (CS&E) Lab, so I quietly moved to the lobby area between the CS&E and my office. It was cozy with a fireplace and access to a circular porch. I dubbed it the Wonder Studio and continued to invite children to come and imagine, and they have. Their projects are smaller now, but their ideas continue to be big.

Sometimes, I think the children are not paying attention, that they don’t fully understand the importance of the Wonder Studio. And of course, I’ve been proven wrong. This week, a group of 5^th graders were working on building a replica of their classrooms to present as a gift to their teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day. They have been working diligently to complete it for the past six weeks. As they began to decorate the structure, they wrapped muslin onto the walls of the classroom. They used Elmer’s glue and as a result the fabric bubbled and buckled. I wish they had consulted me beforehand, but they are an independent and tenacious lot. When they came to me for advice, we talked about their options. First, I thought of removing the fabric, but it was glued down so well, it would have destroyed the walls. Next, we tried smoothing it with our hands and some tongue depressors. Then, I tried pulling the fabric tighter and trimming off the excess. The girls were dismayed and dissatisfied. I told them that when the fabric dried, it might look better, and that when they attached the miniature bulletin boards and whiteboards, they would hide much of the buckling fabric.

The leader of the group was clearly disappointed. She said, “Oh it’s ugly now. Let’s give it to Mrs. Emery.”

I smiled, “Well, thank you very much. You are going to give me it because you think it’s ugly?”

Another girl piped up quickly,” No, Mrs. Emery, we’d give it to you because you are a creator, and you understand when thing don’t turn out perfectly. You love them anyway.”

I laughed and touched my heart, “That is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time. Thank you.”

Then we returned to work together to make the fabric smoother. They decided that they would indeed give the model to their teachers. I can’t wait to see how it finally turns out.

Never underestimate children! They truly appreciate this space in which to make mistakes. And I’m so glad I created it for them. I beam with pride knowing that they see me as being someone who accepts mistakes; someone who embraces ugly. I have always been that way. I don’t know why. Naturally shy with people, I am bold when crafting. I love challenging myself and trying new things. I’m okay if something turns out wobbly and uneven. That gives the object more character, more charm, more substance.

My favorite movie as a child was The Music Man. First of all, it was a musical, and as a kid I wished life was a musical, so we could all burst into song at any moment of the day, in good times and bad. Indeed, the world would be a better place if this were the case. The ending of The Music Man has remained in my memory, and its message took hold deep in my heart and mind. Professor Harold Hill was clearly a huckster, but he was also a dreamer. So when his music students (who could not read a note of music) come out to march in the town parade, they are seen by Professor Hill and the townspeople as being a brilliant, accomplished band. That scene formed my philosophy of education, which has sustained me for over 40 years: Give kids space and encouragement to create. Applaud both their accomplishments and their mistakes. With time, they will surely grow and do great things.

Inside the Wonder Studio: Life in Miniature

March 14, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 8 Comments

A brave and brilliant 5th grade Wonder Studio crafter wearing kaleidoscope glasses.

When I was in the 5^th grade, I loved making miniature replicas of things that I was learning about in school: prairie houses, covered wagons, log cabins, and so much more. When I read about ancient history, I would make models of castles, pyramids, and I even made a sugar cube Roman Colosseum. I loved designing and building in miniature. I loved the challenge of finding materials that could be used in my creations. My good friend, Roxane, was an expert at sewing tiny families of mice clothed in wonderful Victorian costumes. I didn’t know how she crafted them so meticulously. My creations definitely looked child-made. I was so proud of them. Taking the time to create them deepened my understanding not only of the crafting process, but also of the time period I was endeavoring to replicate.

This month in the Wonder Studio, the 5^th graders have been working on a small scale. No one mandated that they do so. They all just started making tiny projects. It might be due to the fact that they are starting a unit in math in which they are required to make tiny houses for clients. The clients are comprised of willing teachers and school staff. No matter what the reason, this focus on small is age appropriate and well-suited to their developmental level. Their fingers are now skillful enough to manufacture tiny things, and they are intellectually curious about how various things work. By making miniature models, they are able to gain a fuller understanding of how the real things work.

This is the 5^th graders’ second round in Wonder Studio this year. They no longer need an introduction to where materials are stored or how to operate simple machines the hot glue gun, saddle stapler, saw, drill, cardboard scissors, iron, etc.) As soon as we enter the studio, they rush to work. They all have ideas and are ready to put them into action.

A group of three students, then four, now six are constructing a model of their classroom to present to their teachers on Teacher Appreciate Day in April. Four students are creating the classroom with foam core, cardboard, and wood scraps. Two others have labeled themselves “the carpenters,” and are making a series of tiny wooden desks and chairs for the classroom. I sit back and marvel at their ingenuity. I jump in when I’m asked for materials or crating assistance. But the ideas? The ideas are all theirs. In these short set of weeks, I’ve seen their confidence and ideas grow. They are more willing to take risks. They problem-solve, collaborate, and call on each other’s best skills. When I witness this natural buzz of creative process, I become so excited because to me this is the essence of learning. They are in the zone. They are in what Csikzentmihalyi called the state of flow.

Students make miniature bulletin boards for their tiny classroom model.

Another pair of students have decided to create bakery products. They are concocting donuts, coffee cakes, and cupcakes with found objects from the Wonder Studio. One student found a way to make roasted marshmallows. They find things that I didn’t even know we had! They cut, paint, glue with happy abandon.

Donuts, coffee cake, pie, cake pops, cupcakes and roasted marshmallows!

Anna has brought a small plastic bag with her to the Wonder Studio. She takes out a miniature pinball machine that she started at home. It is incredibly tiny, and she is determined to make it work. I am in awe of her precision. I keep wondering how we can transfer this kind of agency and enthusiasm to regular classroom experiences. The students always tell me that Wonder Studio should be a “real subject” like math and English. They want that challenge of coming up with an idea, their own idea, and seeing it grow into a reality. They need time to do this.

Ida, who is unafraid to try something new, excels in Wonder Studio. I call her “our engineer.” She loves making tiny replicas of machines that really work (a humane trap, a windmill, a rolling cart – to name a few). This week, she saw a “That was Easy” button I had on a counter and decided to make one out of cardboard soup container lids. Ida’s button says, “OOF!” on the top, and when you press it, it makes a soft whooshing sound. I am amazed and ask her how she constructed it. Ida looks at me like I have just asked the dumbest question on the face of the planet, shrugs her shoulders, and says confidently, “Compressed air.” I am constantly surprised by Ida’s ingenious designs.

These small creations, this work in miniature, garner big results. The students now own the Wonder Studio. It is their space. They know how to use it. They are no longer hesitant but dive head-long into projects – trying ideas, sometimes abandoning them, but mostly following through and sharing their creations proudly.

Object Connections: Janet Wong’s Poetry

March 6, 2023March 5, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

Last week, I had an opportunity to attend a poetry workshop presented by Janet Wong and sponsored by Rutgers University Center for Literacy Development, which is directed by Dr. Lesley Morrow. Janet won the NCTE excellence in children’s Poetry Award in 2021. It is a lifetime achievement award, and one of the highest honors a children’s poet can receive. Before becoming a poet, Janet was a lawyer. Currently, she serves on the Yale Law School executive committee. However, decades ago she decided to change the direction of her life to become a children’s book author. She has published over forty books for children and teens on diverse subjects. This workshop was special to me because, as a member of the advisory board of RUCLD, I had been asked to help Janet throughout the day. I have always admired Janet, and now I got to spend the day with her.

Janet brought two large suitcase of props: flip-flops, popcorn, marshmallows, nori seaweed snacks, gummy worms, a rubber duck, a bunch of bananas, a bag of just-ripe avocados, a can of peas, an apple, an orange, an onion, a clove of garlic, and much more. As she read poems and told the stories behind the poems, Janet would give away objects as gifts to the audience members. This is where my job began. I put on my best “Vanna White” imitation – holding objects up in the air, smiling, and then racing around the conference space delivering the precious objects to participants.

One poem that Janet acted out for us and had participants act out in turn was “Noodle Soup.” It is a short, happy rhyming poem. From the repetition, alliteration, and whimsical rhyme, one would think it was just a funny kid poem. However, Janet told us the story behind this poem. When she was a child, she invited her best friend over for breakfast. Her mother made a steaming pot of wonton soup, Janet’s favorite. When her friend arrived late, she looked at the soup and said, “Don’t you eat ‘normal’ food for breakfast?” This hurt Janet immensely, but she never told her friend.

Another of Janet’s poems, “Waiting at the Railroad Café,” recounts a tense scene when Janet and her family were on vacation and went to restaurant to eat. When the family entered, it was like they were invisible. They weren’t greeted or taken to a seat. They weren’t given menus. They were completely ignored because they were Asian. That experience made a profound impact on Janet.

These two poems come from Good Luck Gold, which was the first book Janet published in 1994. Good Luck Gold & More was published in 2021 and took Janet’s original forty-two poem collection and added fifty more pages of prose explaining the backstory of each poem. I loved that Janet took everyday objects and connected them to times in her life. Out of that connection a poem was born. Many times we read poems but do not know the backstory. The backstory creates context and gives us a deeper understanding of the poem.

After her large group presentation, participants were able to attend a small group session with Janet. That session was designed to give participants a chance to write. Janet and I stacked copies of her various poems and spread a majority of the contents of her two large suitcases onto four long tables. As a warm-up, Janet asked us to match her poems with the objects that were displayed around the room. Then, Janet asked us to choose an object and write a poem about it. As we shared our poems, Janet gave away more objects to the poet-participants. It was clear that Janet has a generous spirit: she gave her time and knowledge freely. She enjoyed gifting people with the objects she had lugged from Seattle, Washington to Piscataway, New Jersey.

Below is the poem I wrote for my object – a small yellow rubber duck. The poem came to me as I remembered my friend, Arman, telling me how his son, Caram, did not like water and bath time at all. He would cry and cry. So I re-imagined how Caram could become in love with bath time.

As we packed up what was left of her belongings into now one suitcase, Janet encouraged me to keep writing and to join her summer initiative, Think Poetry, which will provide opportunities for teachers and librarians to publish their poems. As we departed, Janet stacked cookies, popcorn, and Nori seaweed snacks in my arms.

“Put them in your faculty room,” she said with a smile. “I couldn’t have had a more helpful partner today. We are a good team.”

I smiled, thanked her, and walked to my car juggling my teacher treats. Janet not only connected people to objects and experiences, she connected people to each other, and that is the true power of poetry.

Some Books by Janet Wong

Picture Books

Poetry Books

Anthologies Created with Sylvia Vardell

A Gift for Story

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

John Schu has a gift for story, and he wants to share it with EVERYONE he meets. This past week, I attended one of John’s professional development workshops sponsored by Rutgers University Center for Literacy Development directed by Dr. Lesley Morrow, my former professor and mentor at the Graduate School of Education. Throughout the hour, John drew us in and told us his story through the books he’s read. His mission is to connect readers to stories that will affect and change their lives.

John believes that stories save lives, and he proved it by telling us his life story, weaving events in his childhood to the books that helped him heal and grow. He was a shy boy, a boy who loved musical theater, a boy who loved to play school complete with his own grade and roll book, chalk, and red pens. With his imaginary class he could exert control and have some power over his world.

As he recounted his story, he gave vivid book talks about both current books and old favorites. His generosity is amazing, and he graciously gifted many books to his audience. John has developed what he coins as “the smell test,” because he loves the smell of books. He rates books using “the smell test,” and makes us laugh. Books that get high ratings on “the smell test,” have the capacity to touch one’s heart. Tiger Rising was that kind of book for John, and it led to a strong friendship with its author, Kate DiCamillo. John describes Kate as someone with a “capacious” heart, a term Kate used in her novel, Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventure to describe a person who is open-hearted, a person who can connect, empathize and heal. Periodically throughout the workshop, John had us chant Kate’s name. What a wonderful homage to a devoted friend. Good friends like good books are invaluable.

As we got to know John, he opened up more and more about why he became a teacher, a school librarian, then a school library ambassador, and then an author. He was funny and energetic and made us laugh; he was poignant and vulnerable and made us cry. What John conveyed in his workshop is what a book does every time a reader opens the cover and turns a page. Story is indeed important.

John had two teachers who served as reading role models. One was Dr. Mary Margaret Reed, who was his 5^th grade teacher. She was exuberant and eccentric and a reader. She knew how to entice children to read, especially a shy boy who needed some friends and some healing. John writes about Dr. Reed in The Creativity Project, which was edited by Colby Sharp. In the book, John wrote a letter to Dr. Reed expressing his admiration and confessing that he stole her copy of Matilda by Roald Dahl because he so greatly needed that book. He still has that copy of Matilda. Another reading role model came to John when he was in college. Her name was Dr. Penny Britton Kolloff. John was eager to become a teacher, and he worked so hard to do his best – maybe too hard. Dr. Kolloff recognized this, and she told John that to be a teacher one must learn self-care as she put a copy of A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech in his hands. John keeps a copy of the book displayed wherever he’s worked to remind him to keep in the forefront of his mind personal well-being.

At one point, John asked us our definition of story. I wrote: Story is like breathing in and out. I could not live without story. And when children tell me they hate reading, I remind them that they LOVE stories – and they agree. I remember when I was tutoring dyslexic children, and they would get discouraged because reading was so hard for them. It was such long, hard, and tedious work. They would tire and feel disappointed with themselves. I found ways to encourage them. I would empathize with them that reading was indeed difficult, but I would also remind them that they LOVED stories. They would nod their head and agree. Then, I would read aloud to them to help them energize and enter a story. After I read for a while, we would stop and share our thoughts and have deep conversations about characters, events, and make predictions about what might happen next. It was that anticipation that kept them going. They needed to know what was going to happen next.

John told us a great story about the anticipatory joy that reading brings. He recounted a time when he got a book in the mail and be became so absorbed in it that he spent the day taking the book with him to his living room chair, over to the refrigerator, back to the chair, then into the bathroom, then back to the chair and round and round again and again until he had only five pages left. That’s when a monumental decision loomed: finish the book or make it last a little longer. As avid readers we do not want the story to end. So John decided to go to sleep with the five pages unread. Of course, he tossed and turned in bed. He needed to know the ending of this now beloved story. He got up, went downstairs, sat in his comfy chair, and read the ending, tears flowing down his face. The story was complete. The book? The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The story had changed him like all good stories do. John spent a lot of time telling everyone he could about The One and Only Ivan. It was a treasure he wanted to share. He even got a chance to meet Ivan and have Ivan autograph his copy of the book, by signing with his thumbprint in green.

This day with John was well spent. I now have a longer list of books to read, I have a box full of books from Amazon on their way, I have a renewed love of story, and I have found a kindred spirit and book whisperer extraordinaire.

Books by Mr. Schu

Connect with Mr. Schu

Some of the Books that Pass Mr. Schu’s Smell Test

Rainbow Writing with Kindergarteners

February 20, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ 9 Comments

I count myself fortunate. My busy job includes spending time with kindergarten writers and there is no greater joy than that. Since September, these novice writers have grown steadily. First, they drew their stories and told them to each other. Eventually, they began to write their stories instead of saying them aloud. They valiantly sounded out each letter until they formed the approximate word. Most times they could read back what they had written. When they couldn’t read it back, they looked at their picture and found other words. Writing in Kindergarten takes a great amount of perseverance and faith. Their stick-to-itiveness is remarkable. They are a determined lot.

That’s why I was not surprised when I came to my weekly writing workshop on a Monday afternoon in mid-February to see all the kindergarten writers busy working on various steps in the writing process: brainstorming, planning, drafting, conferring with a teacher, and finally creating a cover for publication. When I stepped inside the doorway, several of them immediately called to me.

“Sit here!”

“Sit with us!”

“Come write with us,” one girl called and patted the chair next to her.

It is good to have five-year-old friends who are writers. They are welcoming and affirming. I sat down and asked what they were working on. They readily shared their drawings and stories. One of them commanded, “Write a story.”

I smiled. I have been joining them for writing workshop for six months now, and almost every time I make sure that they see me writing. I have explained to our teachers that writing with your students is as important (and I dare say – more important) that conferring with them. When children see you write, they better understand the process and can learn how you go about planning, composing, and revising. This type of showing is so much better than telling.

Though I know writing with children is important, I wasn’t sure that the children had noticed. However, this past week proved that the children do indeed take notice and that they want adults to join them in the writing process rather than always being the facilitator or editor. Writing alongside them actually wields more power – makes a greater impact.

So, I steady myself on the kindergarten-sized chair and I ask, “What should I write about?”

“Rainbows,” Charlotte explains.

I chuckle, and think to myself, “Of course, kindergarten girls – rainbows indeed.”

One of them runs off to get me three sheets of paper. They are learning to write a story in three parts: beginning, middle, and end. I take the paper and bend my head towards the table. I do not look up but instead concentrate carefully on what I want to write. I start with a picture. I draw two giant clouds and then I get an idea. I start to draw small cats dropping out of one cloud and small dogs dropping out of the other.

“What is she doing?” whispers one of them.

“Look!” whispers another.

I do not raise my head or say anything. I keep concentrating.

They begin to giggle. “Dogs and cats are falling,” one of them declares.

One of them hops up excitedly, “It’s raining cats and dogs!” she screams.“I know what that means. I know what that means!” Julie shouts.

She bends down next to me and tucks her face two inches from mine. I can’t help but stop and look at her.

“It means it is raining very hard,” Julie explains.

I smile and nod my head. I flip the page and start drawing a giant puddle.

“What’s that?” one of them asks.

“It’s a puddle!’’ another answers.

“I know. I know. The dogs and cats are going to drop into the puddle!” Julie predicts.

I have never had so much fun writing a story. These young writers are thoroughly engaged and engaging. They continue with their work, and we write together quietly. Sometimes one of them will offer me an orange pencil so I can color in one of the cats.

A shy student who was sitting at another table comes over to me, encouraged by her teacher. She hands her book to me.

“Oh, you finished your story, Olivia!” I say. She nods her head.

“I’d like to hear it. Will you read it to me?” I ask gently.

Olivia nods her head again.

She is very shy and tentative. She speaks softly, and we have spent the year encouraging her and giving her opportunities to speak. From her drawings and writing, it is clear Olivia has a lot to say. She has sophisticated thoughts that we might have missed if we didn’t give her and her classmates this time to imagine and create.

Soon, writing workshop time comes to an end, and they gather together in the authors’ circle. I leave my rainbow story for them to read at another time as Olivia raises her hand to share.

A More Beautiful Question Revisited

February 5, 2023 ~ wordancerblog ~ Leave a comment

Almost a decade after reading Warren Berger’s A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas, I decided to re-read it, since it is such a thought-provoking book. I’m reading it in little pieces now, savoring each idea! One nugget I read this week was about the amount of questions children ask. Young children begin asking “WHY?” and they don’t stop! Why is the sky blue? Why can you see the moon during the day? Why do rabbits’ teeth keep growing? The world is a large place, and little children want to know all about it. That’s why I became an early childhood teacher 42 years ago. That’s what I love about visiting the early childhood and elementary classrooms: children keep asking questions, more and more questions.! Of course, that can be exhausting, and you may run out of patience, but that process of asking questions is what separates us from all other species on Earth! And you know what happens as children get older? Yes – you are right – they stop asking questions!

Berger noted that questioning “falls off a cliff” as kids become older. A Gallup Poll revealed that as students’ progress through the grades, their questioning plummets (76% in elementary school to 44% in high school). Instead of wondering, older students are busy gathering information and spitting it back in a rote manner. This leads to massive disengagement from learning. I was not very surprised by this information, but it did lead me to think and question the classroom practices I observe each week:

How do we use student questions to spark interest in a topic?
Can the “parking lot” technique be used to display student questions and be a springboard for discussion?
Can we have students generate questions from our essential questions?
Do adults feel like they need to know the answers to all student questions?
What do teachers do when they don’t know the answer?
How comfortable are we as adults to ask questions?

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

By honoring students’ questions, teachers facilitate learning, which is relevant and motivates students to question further and seek out possibilities pertaining to any subject. To be curious and to question is intrinsic to learning. Berger quotes research scientist, John Seely Brown who explains that “…if you’re comfortable questioning, experimenting, connecting things – then change is something that becomes an adventure. And if you can see it as an adventure, then you’re off and running.”

This adventurous spirit reminds me of a time when one of my young three-year-old students was outside playing. He suddenly looked up at the sky and was enthralled by the presence of the moon. He could not take his eyes off the moon and wondered why it was out in the daytime. In his experience, the moon only came out at night, and now all that he had come to know was in question. That was an important moment for him as a learner, and it was an important moment for me as a young teacher. I could have patted his head, given him a cursory answer, and brought his attention back to something tangible like the sandbox. Instead, I listened and encouraged his questions and helped him to better understand the workings of the universe. Indeed, this young boy’s curiosity sparked weeks of learning about the nature of the sky for all his classmates. We read countless books about the moon, created a moon surface, made a mural of the phases of the moon, and even built our own lunar explorer.

Teaching is at its most effective when it promotes risk-taking and relentless experimentation, which is the true heart of constructivist teaching. When teachers and students start asking open-ended questions such as: What do we want to learn? Why do we want to learn it? How will we go about learning it? How will we show what we’ve learned? – They are constructing curiosity, which will become a lifelong process. This approach affords multiple avenues for learning, giving teachers and students freedom to learn in a personal, creative, and active way.

Did I piqued your curiosity? Do you ave more questions? You might want to read and investigate a little further.

Books by Warren Berger

A More Beautiful Question

Beautiful Questions in the Classroom

The Book of Beautiful Questions

Visit Warren’s Blog:

Want to inspire more curiosity and inquiry in kids?

Inspiration and Handiwork

December 6, 2022 ~ wordancerblog ~ 7 Comments

Over the years, bloggers have blessed me with new ideas, book suggestions, encouragement, beautiful artwork and photographs, and myriad moments of inspiration. I have learned so much from strangers, and I am so grateful for their knowledge and generosity.

My latest spark of inspiration comes from Adam Zucker who blogs at Artfully Learning. Last week, Adam wrote about Black Mountain College in North Carolina and its founders, teachers, and alumni. He wrote about the life and art of Ruth Asawa. I had never heard of her, but I had read and studied the work of her teacher, Josef Albers. As I looked at the work of Ruth Asawa, I had a tingling “Aha” moment. I had such a strong visceral reaction to her sculptures. They were curved and intricate biomorphic shapes. Her organic wire sculptures reminded me of some macramé sculpture I created in graduate school as part of my Master’s thesis in Creative Arts Education forty-three years ago. I carried those sculptures around for years and gave a few away to friends. I had forgotten about them until I saw Ruth’s sculptures. I said aloud to myself, “Oh! I wish I had known about Ruth Asawa forty-three years ago. Her work would have greatly influenced my art and pushed me forward.” I never thought of weaving with wire and stayed with more common materials such as paper, fabric, yarn, jute, and hemp.

I made twelve sculptures with accompanying poems. Two sculptures I remember very well. My work was centered around the women who influenced my life. The first sculpture was a rectangular wall hanging in a natural jute tied onto wooden branches on the top and bottom. The knots were predominantly Josephine knots in honor of my maternal grandmother, Josephine, who I never met. She died at the age of forty-six from a cerebral hemorrhage. Family members always told me that I looked like her. I never believed them until I came across a photo of her at the age of sixteen. My heart skipped a beat when I looked at her eyes and smile. Yes, indeed, I look a lot like my grandmother. I wanted to create a sculpture that would reflect my connection to her.

Another sculpture was a replica of a head of long chestnut hair. My childhood friend, Roxanne, had the most gorgeous long, straight, thick hair. My hair was short, fine, dark brown, and curly. I coveted Roxanne’s hair. I craved long thick tresses that I could toss, braid, and put in in an elegant bun. I found a wire-framed oval, and I tied long strands of wool year in multi-shades of brown. Then I created different kinds of intricate braids down the length of the sculpture. To add interest, I woven in some gold engraved barrel beads. This is the hair I would have wanted. This is the hair of my amazing dear friend. After the exhibition, I packed Roxanne’s hair in a box and sent it to her in Boston with a note expressing how much her friendship meant to me.

As years went by, I turned to watercolor and collage for artistic expression. And my time was spent more and more teaching children. In my teaching, I always shared the connection of art to literature, and exposed my young students to various artists, genres, and materials. I knew it was important for children to explore the world of art and use their imaginations to create their own work. This free expression is crucial for building identity, self-esteem, and for nurturing creative minds.

With a little research, I found a picture book – A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa by Andrea D’Aquino. She recounts Ruth’s childhood on a California farm, her interest in nature, and her studies in art. She was influenced by choreographer, Merce Cunningham, the visionary designer, Buckminster Fuller, and the abstract artist, Josef Albers. As Ruth developed as an artist, a trip to Mexico introduced her to write weaving. When she returned home to San Francisco, she began to tach art and create beautiful nature-inspired wire sculptures.

I cannot wait to try my hand at wire sculptures. After all, I have been waiting for forty-three years! Maybe I can combine wire and fiber. I am looking forward to playing and creating with this new-found idea.

Small Wonder

September 18, 2022 ~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

September is more than half-way over. I am beginning to settle in to my school routine: getting up early, working long days organizing student support, and coming home exhausted only to organize some more. It sounds tedious and parts of my job are very routinized, but then there is the wonder that sneaks in every day. The wonder from young children engaging with their world. That I would not trade to witness for all the money the in world – honestly. Wonder is what sustains me, what pushes me through, what is on the other side of the routines and everyday drudgery.

I realized that I have been either going to school or teaching in a school for sixty-two years, more than half a century, most of my life! That is indeed a long time, and I know when the time comes for me to stop doing school, it will be a hard transition. I absolutely love school. I love getting up in the morning, picking out a school outfit, getting to school and seeing friends, going through my way and learning, going home to think about all that has happened in the day, and then doing it all over again until summertime greets me at the end of the school year.

Every day there is a new surprise. Every day, something I didn’t expect happens. This is sometimes positive and sometimes negative, and whichever it is – it is always a learning experience. My days are electric, and that’s how I like them. This is not to say my day are frenetic and haphazard. No, the electricity comes from learning alongside children. I get to see the world again through that childlike lens of wonder and discovery. It fills me with joy, and I am reminded how exciting learning something can be.

One of the best ways I know to spend my time is visiting the JPK classroom, which is home to our three-year-old students. I started my career teaching three-year-old children, so when I enter their classroom, it is like going back in time, and I feel young again. Three-year-olds are the friendliest people I know. They engage you from the minute they meet you and want to be your friend. They like to share information and will tell you without any hesitation what they are doing and how it is going in their world. Even if sometimes they are shy, they are still willing to come up and quietly share what they are thinking. They thrive on connection.

I came to help out on the first day of school. As parents were separating from their children, I noticed one little dark-haired girl, Avery, was having trouble letting her mom go. I sat next to her at the playdough table and engaged her in a conversation long enough for her mom to say good-bye and leave. We continued to play with our pink playdough balls, and I asked Avery if she’d like me to make a snowman. Her face lit up with an exuberant nod. She requested that I make snowman after snowman in various sizes. She giggled and clapped all the way through. I encouraged her to make a snowman, but she just shook her head and said, “You do it.” We played and chatted at the table until it was time for the children to clean-up and for me to get on with the rest of my day.

The following week, I came into the JPK room to find Avery once again sitting with pink playdough. I sat alongside her and said hello. She gave me a big smile and commanded me to make a snowman. I started to make one ball and stopped and said, “You know you can do this.” She shook her head. “Yes, you can,” and I said, “I can show you.” Avery looked up at me, and I showed her how to move her hands to make a ball. She took some playdough and tried to form a ball. She moved her hands back and forth. When she opened her palms, she looked down and frowned. “It’s a snake,” she said. I smiled and explained, “When you move your hand back and forth it turns into a snake. When you move your hands around in a circle like this it becomes a ball.” I made a snake and then a ball. Then I helped Avery to move her hands in a circle. I told her to put the playdough on the table and move one hand on top in a circle. She followed my instructions and slowly removed her hand uncovering a perfect little pink ball. Her face lit up like she had just witnessed magic. Her face was a glow of delight that spread to me and to all the other children at the table. I wished I had taken a photo of her. Her expression was pure joy and happiness. I tucked that image away with me and will keep it with me to use at times when I need a boost.

A few days later, I returned to Avery’s classroom. When I walked in the door, she looked over her shoulder and beckoned me to come see what she was doing. When I saw, my heart over-filled with complete joy. Avery’s playdough mat had a long line of pink balls lined up one after another and stacked one on top of another like a great pink snowball wall. I laughed and said, “Oh, you have been busy! You know how to make snowballs now! You don’t need me.” Avery smiled at me, patted the chair next to her. “Sit down,” she said, “Come play.” Who could argue with that?

I know this seems like such a small thing: a child playing with playdough, learning to make shapes. Some people might say, “This is the way you spend your day? You get paid for this?” And I will proudly declare, “Yes – I spend my day in joy and wonder. I spend my day cultivating play and creativity because it is through these little joy-filled interactions that people learn and grow and invent new ways for our world to be a better place. And so to all of you I say, “Sit down. Come play.”

Avery playing practicing her new skill: PlayDough balls!

Reading in Wildness

August 9, 2022 ~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

I took this photo while on vacation in Maine. I was walking by a favorite lily pond and happened upon this mother-daughter reading team lounging in a nearby meadow. The mother was reading with much gusto, taking on the voices of each character. I don’t know what book it was that she was reading, but her young daughter was totally entranced by the story. “Surely,” I thought to myself, “this child will grow up to be a fearless, wild reader.” They brought a smile to my face and joy to my old teacher heart.

As a child, reading was difficult for me. I painstakingly sounded out each letter and then tried my hardest to blend the sounds into a word. Sometimes it worked, but sometimes it didn’t, and the whole process left me exhausted. However, I loved stories. I listened to epic poems that my father would recite and fantasy classics that my mother would read to me. I found stories to be mesmerizing. It took me a long time to say that I loved reading. Reading was slow work, and I was a fast kid. I did not like to sit still. I wanted the words to come fast and furious, but my mind kept me at a slow and steady pace. I was labeled a “slow reader.” I wasn’t dyslexic, just slow. One of the reasons for this, I think as I look back, is that I was in love with words, so I would dawdle over passages and wonder how the author constructed such a scene. If the author left some things to the readers’ imagination, then I would float off creating whole other scenarios in my head. Slowly, I would land back to the book and continue where I had left off. This certainly was not efficient, purposeful reading, but it did afford me the ability to read like a writer. I was not a spectator as I read, I was a participant. I took in all the words to use them again in a different way in a story of my own. Eventually, I learned to savor the slow and to know that the kind of reading I was doing was helping me become a better writer.

Recently, I found Hudson Talbott’s A Walk in Words. Talbott was also a slow reader and in this book he explains his reading journey. It is through drawing that Talbott came to love reading and writing. He found that his love of drawing lead him into stories, and he began to think of reading as “word painting.” As he grew, Talbott’s curiosity won, and he was able to read at his own pace. At the end of the book, he created a Slow Reader Hall of Fame including: William Shakespeare, Joan of Arc, Babe Ruth, Sojourner Truth, Alexander Graham Bell, to name a few. Thankfully, Talbott became a picture book writer. He said that he mined books for words to use in his stories and that the ability to lose himself in books helped to spark his imagination.

When I think of it, many of the book I adored as a child were based in the wild. The book that taught me that I loved reading was the classic, Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry and after that was Jean Craighead George’s masterpiece, My Side of the Mountain. Those books helped me see past myself and to envision the kind of reader who takes chances and doesn’t give up. I slowly picked my way through the words and in the process found lifelong friends and exciting adventures.

Reading in Wildness Suggestions:

Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits by Donalyn Miller

Picture Books:

A Walk in Forest by Maria Dek

Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams

The Hike by Alison Farrell

Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark

Wild by Emily Hughes

Chapter Books:

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk