The 10th also stands as a reminder for me to pause, take a step back and undo some of the knot of work projects. The work is important, but if I don’t take time for myself and show myself some love, the work will ultimately suffer. Here are 14 ways I'm intentionally showing myself some love this February.
Category: teaching
A More Beautiful Question Revisited
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. … Continue reading A More Beautiful Question Revisited
Celebration in the Wonder Studio: Lunar New Year
This week, I added a box in the shape of a dragon’s head to celebrate Lunar New year. I quickly cut the box to look like a dragon with a wide pointed-tooth grin. The girls collected some found objects to make the dragon’s eyes, nostrils, and teeth. Then we all took turns collaging bright colored tissue paper all over the head in layers upon layers. Once completed, the dragon would be hung right outside their classrooms to celebrate Lunar New Year.
3rd Grade Makers: Creating in the Wonder Studio
It’s January, and it’s finally time for the 3rd graders to have time in the Wonder Studio during recess. They are beyond excited. I look out onto a sea of eager faces, and they are literally bouncing with energy. I gather them on the porch before we venture inside.
Stirring the Senses – Part 2
Like each child, like each snowflake, each poem was different, exquisite in its creation. They took their experiences of snow and thought about how it looked, smelled, sounded, tasted, and felt. They thought hard, they experimented with words, and they formed meaning to share with others. This time to play is necessary and important for writers.
2nd Grade Poets: Stirring the Senses
I have been introducing young children to poetry for many decades, so I jumped at the chance to teach again and this time try a new approach. I spent the weekend thinking about ways to introduce sensory poems, which would engage these small, curious minds. I
Inspiration and Handiwork
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.
The Conversation Connection
I knew that the way my students felt about themselves greatly affected their ability to persevere and learn. These teacher-student conversations were so rewarding; they built self-awareness, agency, and community. Most of the academic content might not be remembered, but I knew the social connections would be. Student would remember that someone listened to them and valued their opinions.
Good Morning, Little Writers!: Conferring in 1st Grade
Every Tuesday morning, I start my day in writing workshop with 1st graders. This week, they have been composing narratives about fall. Almost everyone is on their final drafts. Almost everyone, but M., who hasn’t even yet begun. These are the kind of writers I have the privilege to support. I love this challenge. I love to figure what these small writers need and build a road map with them to set them off on their long writing journey.
Crafting Kindness
Children need a strong, clear foundation of kindness and consideration, so they can appreciate other points of view and become fully functional, productive citizens. Slowing down, listening to students’ needs and concerns, and building in time for communication can make classrooms a model for a civil society.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 