A few of you have asked if Dan Brodsky Chenfeld, skydiver, author of the new book, "ABOVE ALL ELSE" (available at Amazon ) is related to me. Yes, dear ones, he is my youngest child and sharing this news with you connects to vitally important themes in our sacred calling of Early Childhood Education.
You guessed it, ours was a most permissive , encouraging family. Follow your passions. Follow your dreams. Courage! Don't worry about what others say. Do what is in your heart! No one is perfect! If you love something, stay with it. Keep trying. Process over product! The JOY of doing!
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| 5 Year Old Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld 'Flying' |
Well, our Danny always wanted to fly! He wanted to be a bird! Yours truly never ever even heard of such a "field" as skydiving but this flighty child fell in love with the closest thing to flying by himself and that was the beginning of his lifetime adventure. He's still up in the air!
Now, this earthbound mother and teacher wants to remind Deb's dear readers that not all of our children are encouraged and hallowed by family. Many of our children look to us --teachers -- for welcoming, honoring, listening, reassuring, celebrating- For so many of our young students, we are the ONLY people in their lives who offer such gifts in a safe and loving place. There is no real measurement to equal the importance of these relationships. I think of our work as Life Affirming! Teaching in the 'key of life.'
I was recently on our NPR radio call in show about creativity in education. A gentleman in his sixties called in to tell us that when he was a very young child, he had a wonderful teacher who constantly reassured him as he expressed anxiety and nervousness with so many projects. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Her support constant. He told us that to this day, music and art are part of his life because she helped him love the arts!
It was a beautiful phone call. Wherever you are, you are a city of refuge, home plate, an oasis for our children. Who knows? One of your little ones might be dreaming of flying right now?
Love and Peace,
Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld
Creative Experiences For Young Children (Heinemann)
Celebrating Young Children And Their Teachers (NAEYC and Redleaf)
Teaching By Heart (still available from Redleaf)
WoW - great post. Such powerful verbs . . . welcoming, honoring, affirming, listening . . . . thanks for the soul food this morning!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
The Corner On Character
Mimi + Dan!!! Thanks so much for sharing a glimpse into what can happen with support, love, encouragement and example.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that 'we' got the picture of Dan in flight as a youngster. It took a village indeed.
So glad to have your inspiration in our midst.
Debbie
These are the stories I keep in the back of my mind each and every day I am with the children in my charge. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteChildren dreams start when see something that they impress.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Mimi! I loved reading about your son's interest from a young age. Following my kids' interests from an early age led to their careers as adults, too. It's fascinating how each child is drawn to certain areas. We can help immensely as parents and teachers simply by honoring their interests. I pinned your post to the Lifelong Love of Learning Pinterest board at http://pinterest.com/zina/lifetime-love-of-learning/
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