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Tag: Play & wonder

Daily Dose of Joy

September 21, 2025 ~ wordancerblog ~ 8 Comments

  I put down my briefcase, sat carefully down on a small chair, and introduced myself to a table of three-year-old girls.  I started my teaching career working with three-year-olds.  I remember days of play, imagination, and song so fondly.

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  1. Sharon Roy's avatar
    Sharon Roy on Three Pillars of Teaching: Heart, Creativity, and ConnectionMay 6, 2026

    Word Dancer, I always love reading about your nurturing interactions with students. Thank you for sharing your beautiful interaction and…

  2. Trish's avatar
    Trish on Three Pillars of Teaching: Heart, Creativity, and ConnectionMay 5, 2026

    Oh that lucky Josephine. This is how we count life's riches, one true connection after another. She will not forget…

  3. Awakening Wonders's avatar
    Awakening Wonders on Three Pillars of Teaching: Heart, Creativity, and ConnectionMay 3, 2026

    A simply delightful and beautiful poem, I'm sure Josephine will treasure it the rest of her life!

  4. Denise Krebs's avatar
    Denise Krebs on Three Pillars of Teaching: Heart, Creativity, and ConnectionMay 3, 2026

    Joanne, what a lovely description of your philosophy of education. So many strong qualities for that foundation. 48 years! Wow.…

  5. margaretsmn's avatar
    margaretsmn on Three Pillars of Teaching: Heart, Creativity, and ConnectionMay 3, 2026

    Josephine must bring you great joy. Connecting one on one in this way, you have changed her heart, even if…

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8 responses to “Daily Dose of Joy”

  1. Awakening Wonders Avatar
    Awakening Wonders
    September 21, 2025

    Looks like you found a whole lot of sunshine in that classroom! Thanks for sharing a dose of pure, unfiltered joy with us.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. margaretsmn Avatar
    margaretsmn
    September 22, 2025

    I’m hoping to get back into some classroom visits soon. I do miss those little doses of joy. I loved playing with the little ones in carpool line.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Alice Tabor-Nine Avatar
    Alice Tabor-Nine
    September 23, 2025

    “Littles” can be pure joy. I enjoyed your flow of dialogue… it carried me through your classroom visit and made me smile as echoes of similar conversations drifted out of my memory. I, too, think conversing with “littles” is delightful.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Linda&Greg Avatar
    Linda&Greg
    September 23, 2025

    In my journey as a guest teacher (substitute) I am finding I really enjoy the younger grades. I taught second grade for my first 18 years in a classroom, and I love their grins and giggles. I appreciate your reminder to find the joy (and peace) in working with younger kids.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Trish Avatar
    Trish
    September 23, 2025

    All that joy is a shared experience. Retirement isn’t an age-defined thing. It’s about the feeling the work gives. Clearly you need to be right where you are, with the “Pickle” and those younger siblings, and your writing about it lets your readers in, too.

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. wordancerblog Avatar
      wordancerblog
      September 23, 2025

      And Trish – the “Pickle’s” mother is a young teacher at our school who I hadn’t yet met. At lunch that day, I saw her, and I introduced myself and told her the story of her little green genius. She told me that she will remember it always and thanked me for giving her a glimpse of his classroom. Warmed my heart.

      LikeLiked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Trish Avatar
        Trish
        September 23, 2025

        All that love and joy, the perfect environment for human learning.

        LikeLiked by 1 person

  6. Anita Ferreri Avatar
    Anita Ferreri
    September 23, 2025

    Those little spots of sunshine are clearly a reason to return. I always say that you can take a teacher out of their school, but you cannot take the heart of learning out of a teachers. I too am still at it!

    LikeLiked by 1 person

    Reply
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