This week, I had the great pleasure of working with our 2nd grade students. I did a short, guided listening activity in which I gave them multi-step directions and then they drew from memory. The object they were creating was a girl, a simple shape by shape little girl with a party hat on her head and a present in one hand. They all followed the directions perfectly. Then I asked them: What is the girl’s name? Who is the present for? What happened at the party? Then on the back of their paper, they were asked to tell a story. It is still amazing to me what young children can do with a simple prompt.
Category: inspiration
A Grateful Writer
Thanksgiving gave me time to pause, time to reflect on the changes happening in my own life and all around me. It made stop and think about what I truly hold as important. Blogging for the past five years, has given me the space in which I form and share ideas. I write about books, art, people, and concepts that intrigue me, that I want to learn more about. By writing, I come to understand things at a much deeper level.
Put Learning in Their Hands
I’m at a point in my life when I look back and reflect on my decisions, I think about all the steps (and missteps) I’ve made that brought me this far. The one thing that stands out for me is how working with my hands has been a major theme throughout my childhood, teenage years, and all the decades of my adult life.
Crafting Perseverance in the Wonder Studio
...the Wonder Studio is a place where no one is telling them what to do; they can devise their own projects and get messy. This is very important to them, and I dare say, it is a crucial part of growing and learning. Children need opportunities to try out ideas, fail, try again, and keep going until they succeed, which in this case comes in the form of felt, wood, beads, hot glue, and cardboard.
Working in the Wonder Studio: Stitching Meditation
This fall, the 5th graders had four weeks to explore the Wonder Studio. We showcased things made of duct tape, and I had pictures of different projects on the bulletin board for them to see and get inspired. However, what ended up inspiring them was some orange felt and black socks I had in the sewing space. October was mainly spent teaching a group of girls to sew.
Revisiting a Young Writer’s Practice
As a child, I loved to write. The pencil was an extension of my hand and mind. I found that all the stories in my head could be released onto beautiful blank white paper. This revelation was exciting to me. I couldn’t wait to jot down my stories. It took me some time to realize that not everyone in the world finds writing fun and adventurous. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I learned that there are children who have trouble getting their stories down on paper.
Mapping the Imagination
Much of my preparation for writing takes place in action. I walk in the various woods nearby my house, and as I walk, words come into my head and form a description of what I’m seeing. Each step takes on a cadence, and the words sort themselves out into a rhythm.
Secret Escape: Forest Bathing in October
Lately, I’ve taken my camera with me to the woods to record the passing of the seasons and to meditate as I walk. My pace is slow. I scan my surroundings. I listen for the wind, the birds and insects. I came across a charm of goldfinches last week. What a golden treasure they were! I scout out small hidden places. I walk in wonder.
Moving into Autumn
Since the weather has made me sleep in, I finally have time to breathe and relax. I can have a second cup of tea. I can leisurely look at my texts and emails. The cool air makes you yearn for apples, pumpkins, and plum colored sweaters. It is a good morning to move my summer clothes to storage and get out my wool and plaids.
The Serene Art of Forest Bathing
The muted, burnished colors reflected in the mountain pools were so incredibly soothing. They blended together in wavy lines. The trees, the leaves, the water became one, and I wanted to plunge in and cover myself in autumnal splendor. It is in these moments that the real and the imagined join forces and cast a magical energy.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 