Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld

Mimi our Queen of fun!!!!
NAEYC Peabody Ballroom.
Friday night: annual tradition.

MASTER TEACHER!!!!

"Who wants to be without fun? When you remove the fun from the building blocks, the basics, the fundamental what would that leave?
If you remove the fun from the fundamental? That would leave us all just a bit 'da-mental.' Nobody wants to be da-mental."  -- classic Mimism

It's always a celebration when you spend time with Mimi. It's always time for a parade. The parade of animals. The parade of seasons. The parade of morning. The parade of weather. The parade of Jack-be-nimbles. Time spent with Mim is also a time of recognition of the Art-of-Teaching. There's always a moment that humbles, when the master teacher salutes the greatness in her midst -- by taking her hat off & honoring the wonder, the awe, the ideas, the creativity, the ability in the room. It's a time of story-telling and giggles, an occasional tear, and a heart felt affirmation of why we do what we do. Pack your hat for next year. Now here's her direct message that was in my inbox this morning.  -- Debbie

My dearest Debbie and readers,

Debbie's bestowing a GREAT gift with her new offering here. So many wonderful people in this amazing field of ours. A profession of LOVE. The poet, Roethke, wrote, "Teaching is one of the few professions that  permits love."  I love quotes and that is one of the best.

I will be happy to share what we all already know but sometimes we forget so we have to be reminded. We humans learn best when we feel safe (not just physically but emotionally), honored, welcomed, respected and recognized.

We need to feel success!  We need to learn in the ways we learn best = through song, movement, play, stories, reading, writing, chanting, memorizing, maps, charts, bumper stickers, clothing, food, poems, building, quotes + DYOT: do your own thing! (Think Multiple Intelligences.)

We need to taste the joy of learning together = life's greatest ongoing adventure! We need to keep our sense of humor, our sense of fun, experimentation, flexibility, spontaneity, curiosity, appreciation, wonder, imagination and courage. The simplest things are often the BEST!

"Before we teach others, we must teach ourselves."   That's a great quote from Sylvia Ashton-Warner.  I think your wonderful new creative gathering will help us teach ourselves so we can be the MOST we can be with our precious children.

GOOD LUCK and again, thank you so  much for inviting me to join such outstanding colleagues in our beautiful family of early childhood educators.

Love and Peace, Mimi 

Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld is the author of numorous books including "Creative Experiences For Young Children" (Heinemann)  "Teaching In The Key Of Life" (NAEYC)  "Teaching By Heart:" (Redleaf) "Celebrating Young Children and their Teachers" (NAEYC and Redleaf). She is a regular contributor of articles to such magazines as Young Children, Teaching Young Children, Educational Leadership, Kappan