It Tastes Ymmy

We have three new little turtles in the pond in our yard. It has taken a month or so for us to train the little ones to come to the surface (not swim away) and eat the food we throw on top of the water. The real trick is to encourage them to eat the TURTLE food, not the fish food we distribute for the school of fish which shares their pond. I suppose they might get nourishment from the fish food, but I know the turtle food is healthier for them in the long run.
It makes me think of beginning a school year with a new group of children. We carefully need to teach them to come to the surface to eat the right food. Of course, the teacher or caregiver must provide the right food. Sometimes that doesn't happen. Just like the little turtles, I suppose children may get some benefit out of inappropriate practices in the classroom. But, when teachers use appropriate teaching strategies, it is much more nourishing and beneficial for the child's entire life. I hope we early childhood educators will do our best to provide turtle food to help growth and development.

There's Always Ice Cream!

We went from a long wet, cool spring (unusual for us) to a blistering hot summer this month! We were trying to enjoy a family birthday barbecue this past Saturday (it was 102!) and one of my grandchildren reminded me that when it is hot outside there is always ice cream (she wishes).
That reminds me of the promises of life. When I graduate from college I can... When I finish this school year, I can rejuvenate... When I train him out of diapers, I can... Lots of expectations when certain journeys seem complete. I think we adults tend to concentrate on the end reward without enjoying the journey. However, it may help us weather the journey. I was complaining about the cold and rain in June, so I should enjoy my 102!
On the flip side of this issue are the children. Not knowing what the end result will be, they are alive in the moment. I was discussing inappropriate classrooms last week with my class. I was struck by how uncomfortable some teachers make classroom settings. Since children don't seem to worry about the end result (I can be free of this mean teacher at the end of the year...) they are stuck in the moment. It makes me very sad for the children in classrooms that are always so negative. I would assume it is a feeling of being trapped in a cage. Their situation is much more uncomfortable than 102.
I wish I could find all those children and give them ice cream.

The Good and the Bad

I was reminded recently about how there seems to be opposition in all things. We built a deck last summer underneath a very large and very old apricot tree. As much as I like apricots, I was wishing the blossoms would freeze this spring (which many of them did when it was 29!). The reason for my desire was that there can be so many apricots on that tree and they drop to the ground for several weeks. Our back yard smells like a winery. Also, I didn't want them falling on my new deck. The glorious shade provided by the tree is compromised during July because you might be fielding apricots when you are sitting underneath.
We talked in our Cognition and Creativity class this week about standardized tests. While they are usually inappropriate for early childhood, there is place for them at the table in later years. They do provide a framework and norm for learning the core curriculum. Unfortunately, they can be used as a single indicator of a child's learning. In the early education field we know that multiple measures must be used to monitor a child's progress and development. Just like the tree, the shade and the deck provide a great escape during the summer (basic information provided by standardized assessments), sometimes we get hit with apricots (major decisions made solely on standardized test scores).

I Like the Real Thing

Earlier this month I accompanied my granddaughter's first grade class to a museum of 'natural history.' I'm always disappointed to see a bunch of stuffed animals. There is something quite 'unnatural' about it to me, almost creepy. I guess this is one way we can learn about animals, but....
Last week I went with my six grandkids to the zoo. Now THAT was natural. I don't care how many times I go, the animals fascinate me in some way. I certainly came to the conclusion that for me, there is nothing like the real thing when learning about animals.

Here We Go Again...

I recently heard from a former coworker who taught with me for a number of years. She mentioned that in her new district they are always reinventing the wheel with educational practices. That seems to happen often. Sometimes I chuckle at the 'latest' teaching method or curriculum because often it is an old technique reorganized. I have been working on a workshop highlighting the RTI (Response to Intervention) teaching methods. Although founded in special needs, it is an organized way for the classroom teacher to provide support for all children, particularly those who need extra help. The first tier requires the teacher to have clear-cut goals/guidelines and an organized way of tracking the progress of each child. When we wrote POCET (Preschool Outcomes Checklist and Evaluation Tool) several years ago, that was exactly the philosophy. Give preschool teachers a clear roadmap of skills that is easy to understand, in developmental order, and provide a way to track each child's progress in mastering those skills. So, I'm reinventing my POCET workshop to the first tier of RTI. The good news is that great teachers can adjust to the new label and still perform their good teaching practices. Ya gotta satisfy the boss. :-)

She Can't Talk!

Every spring the turtle in our backyard pond goes wandering. We think it has something to do with trying to lay eggs, but we need to keep one hole underneath the gate blocked so she can't leave the yard. Neighbors have found her in the street, etc. I took this picture of Gertrude trying to escape and sent it to my grandkids in California. When my daughter showed it to her 2 year-old and said, "Papa's turtle just came out to say hello." My granddaughter replied, "She can't talk!" It reminded me of the old story about the answer from a kindergarten boy when listening to a story of the Three Pigs. When the first pig asked the man for straw to build a house, the teacher asked, "What do you think that man said?" The little boy replied, "I'll be damned, a talking pig!"

Children are so literal and yet so imaginative and creative if given a chance. I love big mouth hand puppets because they give the child an opportunity to allow the animals to talk and tell their own stories. Something tells me that my granddaughter wouldn't have any problem allowing a turtle hand puppet to talk! She is coming to visit soon, we'll see what she finds out about the turtle.

But It's Cute!

I am writing this while sitting on my deck eating ice cream (hey...its 90!). I recently remembered a teacher who was very unhappy with me when I asked her to remove a 'cutesy' picture she had created from the wall of the her classroom. She needed the space to display more important items, such as the children's artwork. She was upset because the picture was so 'cute.' Well, sometimes cute stands in the way of functional. We just removed a tree/bush from our backyard (see photo). It was beautiful and added wonderful color, but it blocked the view of our waterfall and pond area from the deck. So we dug it up and put it in the front yard. We initially missed the color splash, but removing that lovely bush has let us enjoy the waterfall and pond area so much more. Not only that, but we have a complete view of the area when grandchildren are here (we still have three that are a worry around the water). It has also let us watch the daily march of the huge flock of quail that come to our yard to feed and bathe (they hatch eggs in the neighbor's unkept yard because they can hide and no one goes in the backyard...but we provide the restaurant and atmosphere). All these things we enjoy more because we moved the beautiful picture...bush. Sometimes adjustments are necessary to see the real beauty around.