May 10, 2013
Angela Lee Duckworth talks about her research on “grit”- can it be taught? Watch the video with students in mind, then watch again with educators in mind.
Do educators have the “grit” to find new ways of working with students? Do educators have the “grit” to fight for the rights of children? Do educators have the “grit” to work in early childhood education when it is not seen as valuable in our society? How do we, as educators get “gritty’?
May 8, 2013
“When I hear stories about teachers and administrators making decisions that create the impression they don’t know children at all, I speculate about how different things might be if everyone understood child development. When I hear stories of small children who are bewildered, frustrated, and even defeated in their earliest school experiences, trying with brave determination to do what is asked of them and failing to understand why they can’t, I wonder, what if everybody understood child development? At the very least, shouldn’t every educator and school administrator?” from Rae Pica: What If Everybody Understood Child Development?
Rae Pica: What If Everybody Understood Child Development?.
What can YOU do to increase your knowledge of Child Development? Brain storm with co workers some strategies to support YOUR understanding. What books, websites, articles, videos could you use as a support over the summer months? Let me hear from you.
May 6, 2013
A good quotation can serve as a model for one’s own work. I love quotations! I even have a list that I add new quotations to when I find them. Often they serve as inspiration or a spring board for my work as I attempt to communicate what I believe. Or it may be a reminder as I work with a staff of 80+ educators. I like this one: If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.
-Winnie the Pooh.
It makes me smile first instead of getting frustrated. Or I think of this one: “Every time we teach a child something, we keep him from inventing it himself. On the other hand, that which we allow him to discover for himself will remain with him visible for the rest of his life.”( Piaget) as I work with teachers and parents to build an understanding of a constructivist curriculum. It doesn’t explain all of the approach but it gives me a spring board for a conversation. I especially like this one: Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.
-Henry Van Dyke. It reminds me to use what I have- give it a go! I may not be the best song bird but I can sing my own song!
Do you use quotations? How and why? Read the following article for an interesting take on quotations~
We Are What We Quote – NYTimes.com.
April 28, 2013
This is near and dear to my heart! My youngest son is dyslexic. He’s 20 now and in college at the University of Montana. I honestly thought that he would never go to college because I wasn’t sure he could survive elementary, middle, and high school! Things were tough for him in school especially in 7th grade. Teachers were tough on him, in an effort to instill skills they felt were vital to education. He developed OCD and anxiety which with a change of schools and some minor behavioral adjustments suddenly went away. It taught us to really listen to our son. We had always been advocates for him, but up until then, we felt that we were running the show. He showed us, taught us, what he needed ( a new school -which would accept him as he was and be willing to make adjustments). The good news is that we found such a school. I can remember the first parent/teacher conference where I understood that the teachers were on his side. One teacher, Mr. Jones (God bless him) stood up in front of the other 5 teachers, principal, and learning specialist and declared, ” If you can’t teach a student like C.R., you have no business being here. He is the finest student I have ever had!” (This from an Honor teacher who had been named STAR teacher by the valedictorian). Together, C.R. and Mr. Jones tackled English Lit, Modern Lit, Classic Lit, and writing/composition. Yes, he was very lucky to have Mr. Jones for 4 years. Their relationship was based on respect for each other. It was what our son needed to survive in the world of current education. C.R. was accepted to The University of Montana which was suggested by his counselor (it had a strong support system in place). CR is extremely successful in his life as a college student… good grades, good friends, and good summer jobs. I don’t think it was a life that his elementary and middle school teachers felt was possible. We know it is possible but if CR had not had someone in his corner like Mr. Jones, or a school willing to make changes like Mount Vernon, who knows …maybe they would have been right. How many dyslexic students are on their own, just waiting for school to be over so they can succeed at life?
Lisa Belzberg: Can Dyslexics Succeed at School or Only in Life?.
April 24, 2013
When we envision a well-rounded, progressive education for our kids, we think of a vibrant environment that nurtures students’ passions, provides structure for rich and deep learning, a place where kids can get their hands on projects that are meaningful to them.
That’s the goal at Brightworks, a small, K-12 private school just starting its second year in San Francisco: to re-imagine traditional modes of education so that curiosity and creativity hold sway over standardized tests and worksheets. But in the course of creating this space for students’ interests, the school has also had to refine some of its original ideas to make room for realities like assessments and how to group students.
Read about their ongoing journey. How does it compare to your journey?
Lessons Learned: How a Progressive New School Adapts to Realities | MindShift.
April 18, 2013
James Heckman is one of the world’s most distinguished economists. He built his career studying the labor market. In 2000, he won the Nobel Prize.
But in recent years, Heckman has become famous for something else. He is now one of the country’s leading advocates for investments in early childhood education.
Let’s do all we can to spread the message that to invest in Early Childhood Education is an investment in our future!
How a Nobel Prize-winning economist became an advocate for preschool | state of opportunity.
April 16, 2013
Fred Rogers urged early childhood professionals to “…love what you do in front of the children…to share your special interests with them.” When children know that you care about them…and they see that you care about something…they want to care about that something, too!
What can you love in front of the children?
