Where's the FUN in the Fundamentals? Advocate for FUN!

HAPPY MARCH! Spring is on the way! Keep Believing! 

This is Debbie Clement, Editor-in-Chief around this collaboration. Dare I tell you where I am as I type? We are in sun-drenched CABO! At the southern tip of the Mexican peninsula. And we are here to have FUN! FUN! And yet more FUN! We're never too old for fun!!!

Our last two Tuesday night Twitter Chats at the hashtag #TeacherFriends have had the topics: #WhatIf #DigCit and Where's the Fun? So I have been focused on those two subjects a lot lately. What if we were more conscientious about being connected? About having fun?

Spring. March. This is such an exciting time of year. All of those laborious and exhausting weeks of establishing routines and parameters are paying off. The evidence of growth and learning is evident on a daily and hourly basis!!! Oh happy day! PROGRESS!

Children are learning and acquiring new skills daily! Your hard work and attention to offering opportunities for growth are paying off! It is so important to have a tribe that supports and encourages you. In your building or in cyber-space! OR BOTH!!! It is great when you can rub elbows with people that inspire you and life you up! 

That's me in the middle-ish, wearing my polka-dot SUPER HERO cape! 

We made our way to Mexico on Monday, by way of the Southern California Kindergarten conference last weekend. It is always exhausting, hard work, an adventure to travel cross country. The packing alone takes me a day.

We recently received the very sobering news that a friend of our family suddenly died of a heart attack at the age of 64. After some soul searching, we decided that we needed more fun in our lives. Our days are indeed numbered. 

My sweet husband cancelled our return flight from CA to FL and instead we have made a diversion to CABO for a week! This week! Right now! This is the view from our balcony. SHADES OF BLUE and MORE SHADES OF BLUE! 

I am attending to this responsibility from my sun drenched balcony, over-looking an infinity pool and further beyond are the glistening waters of the Sea of Cortes. Look closely and you will see that there are ponies tied right there at water's edge. 

Trust me I have already enjoyed more than my typical day's allotment of fun! I shot videos of the sun rising over the water (follow me on IG to watch it for yourself) and then I took a yoga class on the beach! AWESOME!

But back to my 'real life' and the having of fun. Having people that you can count on, people that inspire you, people that connect you to new ideas -- is indeed fun for me. 

Meet Sylvia of "Learning with Mrs. Parker" fame and blog. We have been cyber friends for over two years and we met for the first time at the conference! BUCKET LIST! Meeting your cyber friends IRL is about as fun as it gets! Sylvia is ALL about integrating technology for her kinders, but doing so in a developmentally appropriate and FUN manner! 

I can't say enough about these next two angels pictured in the top of the photo collage below. 

They each 'held-me-up' in more ways-than-one during the conference. 

Do you recognize them? 

It was such an honor to spend time with Katie -- Teacher to the Core, {upper right} who is the type of person that will text you a copy of the conference's agenda, so you are in the right place at the right time. 

Then there's my girl-crush, first meet-up with THE Cara -- of First Grade Parade {pictured upper right above.} 

Our chauffeured rides arrived at the hotel at the exact same moment. 

So that meant we were destined to have fun over dinner!

We laughed. We cried a bit. We had fun. We bonded. 

Incredible women. 

Since I have last written here, I had the amazing opportunity to speak on one of our Army bases, Fort Stewart in GA, to the 350 teaching team of the young children of our troops stationed there. I was honored that when my final keynote for the day concluded, when the commander of the base awarded me with a medal. THAT WAS FUN!  

My newest picture book, "Red, White and Blue" was born during the week following September 11th and the patriotic song and my artwork are welcomed by those connected with our armed services. It is an honor and privilege to share it with teachers who teach the children of our troops. 

Also during my tour of GA I had the great good fortune to make a school visit to a primary school, with 578 kindergarten and first grade children(!!!) A brand new consolidation combined five country schools together. The principal shared that they had performed this same song of mine for Veteran's Day last fall, at the first combined PTA meeting since the consolidation. She got teary eyed and I did too. 

It is an amazing thing to receive feedback of such magnitude, during the living of your life. Simplicity. Repetition. Heart felt. Feedback is the highest form of FUN possible for an artist, a teacher, a cheerleader. 

We have some super exciting news over at WobbleSeat.com where we distribute the fun #AlternativeSeating stools. We can now accept purchase orders from schools and are processing orders coast-to-coast. There is a new VERY adjustable version being released this week, called the "Grow with Me" model! 

The top and bottom are the same as the original model and there is a new center post with a 'ring' that is squeezed to change the height anywhere from 15.5" to 21.5" making it tailor made for every height in the classroom!!! BIG NEWS! We are now taking orders and they will begin shipping at the end of the month. We can all envision a back-order, when folks learn of the new model. 

I have spent a bit of time finding you some FUN and FREE resources for spring. Look below! Hope it makes your day that I have done some of the research for you. 

Now for some FUN! Take a look at these pictures! Inspiration! 

Those just MAY be the most delightful teachers ev-er for Seuss celebration. 

Thanks to Missy Gibbs of TX for sharing the photo in Simply Kinder on FB 

and giving me permission to share here! 

AWARD WINNING FUN, RIGHT THERE! 

I had an author visit in February at the school where my nephew Justin teaches Kindergarten. We 'borrowed' one of his fellow teacher's doors for this family photo.

WALKING IN THAT DOOR IS JUST PLAIN FUN!  

You can tell when there is spontaneous excitement. 

The kids let you know. 

Their eyes light up! 

Take a look at all of this enthusiasm over making applesauce together! 

This is the very definition of fun! 

Here are some FREEBIES for FUN! 

March and SPRING-time! 

{{{Click on the photo to go to the FREEBIE!}}}

The Art of Synergy - how to create a sense of community

THE ART OF SYNERGY

Modeling how to create community for our next generation

Children!  

Our greatest global resource

Hi, it's Enrique from the Global Learning Foundation and the Sam the Ant team.  It's always exciting to share an idea and some strategies with you every month.  There are so many great ideas on this collaborative blog.  A simple one that I loved was Scott from Brick by Brick with his blog this past September titled Drawing on Mirrors.  I love how fundamental this particular strategy is because it allows the teacher/guide to create all sorts of learning opportunities.  It's open ended and that leads to questions, which can lead to inspiration, which leads to striving...

which leads to synergy!

What is synergy?

What does synergy look like?

Learning Guide and Learners co-discovering with young learners
being treated like co-creators, co-researchers and co-scientists.

John Coltrane and Miles Davis creating musical synergy in 1958

Synergy can be achieved in any moment and once
achieved it can be built upon, studied, practiced and elevated.

Synergy is not just any one moment, but a set of ongoing
moments which can culminate in the creation of something
physical, as is the case with this garden.

Synergy can built within families and friends.  The creation
of synergy in community is of critical importance to our
planet. This set of family and friends are in the UK.

The building of synergy can include modeling of ideas and it is important to also include opportunities for the learner to express their own desires and perspectives, as can be seen with the different levels of complexity of drawings, some by the adult, some by the young learner and some by both!

Synergy is like collaboration, but much more alive, open ended and has more energy associated with it because it involves multiple individuals or organizations not just working together, but openly exploring together.  For synergy to take place, it takes individuals and/or organizations which are truly open to creating ideas, which otherwise, would not have been possible.

Synergy can impact the effectiveness and productivity in any setting, and the setting itself can impact how comfortable we are to synergize, including the following.  We can take the time to set up any environment that fosters synergy and the settings which follow are excellent examples.

Early Childhood Classrooms

An early childhood classroom that uses both Reggio and Montessori inspired materials as provocations for the young learners who call this one of their homes.

You can learn more about the above classroom here.

Open up: Fuji Kindergarten by Tezuka Architects features an outdoor play area on its roof. | PHOTOGRAPHER: KATSUHISA KIDA/FOTOTECA; CREATIVE DIRECTOR KASHIWA SATO; LIGHTING DESIGNER: MASAHIDE KAKUDATE/MASAHIDE KAKUDATE LIGHTING ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES,INC.

Fuji Kindergarten                                                                       (Yes, the top of this school is the roof, and yes, children are able to explore, run and interact with their surroundings)

The above kindergarten is a very effective example of a physical structure which not only invites synergy, but also ignites it! When first meeting Takaharu and Yui, the husband-and-wife team who created Fuji Kindergarten, you are immediately drawn to their playful spirit. “Our architecture is about family — everything we learn, everything we do about architecture starts with our family,” says Takaharu. The Tezukas have two young children. The architects’ motto is: “If you don’t know happiness, how can you provide it to others?” Located in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, the 750-student, three-year preschool built in 2007 is a one-story structure in the shape of a donut. The entire school feels like a playground, from the open-air central courtyard to the building’s wide circular roof. Even the interior classroom areas follow an open-school plan where partitions separate sections and all furniture is moveable. Takaharu says the goal is for “these children to be stronger and more flexible.” The idea of non-linear structures is not new, yet not used as often as they should be used.  There are plenty of linear moments in our lives as human beings.  Non-linear visual stimuli and experiences ignite a different part of our brain. The part which is connected to creativity and innovation.

K - 12 Classrooms

A Waldorf school in Seattle.  This is a physical example of synergy!

Una de las clases de la escuela infantil waldorf de Belloterra, Spain.  A classroom from an early childhood classroom in Belloterra, Spain.

For more information on this classroom, click here.

It took children’s book illustrator Maira Kalman an entire year to track down the flea-market treasures that she transformed into the alphabet at the John Randolph School, P.S. 47 in the Bronx. The stimulating space is divided into colorful reading, research, and study areas with floor graphics, mobile shelving, and easily positioned tables and chairs, including Pierre Paulin’s “Orange Slice” chair, peeking out in the background. Photo ©Peter Mauss/Esto.  

Artist rendering of open kitchen and co-located teaching kitchen for upper and
lower elementary schools, Dillwyn, Virginia

Click here for more information on this idea. 

Anne Frank Inspire Academy Middle School in San Antonio, Texas

A signature Wall composed of cross sections of local wood contains

a storage area with whiteboard doors for brainstorming sessions

Blended Rehab of a space! American International School of Utah is a great example of rehabilitated retail space. Early grades use a Montessori approach. Intermediate grades are student-centered similar to another school worth visiting — Acton Academy. The high school has big blended blocks that use a mixture of learning spaces that allow for student choice and encourage ownership. The music and drama program are exceptional (featured here).

Green School in Bali combines a rigorous K-12 core curriculum with hands-on experiential learning within a Green Studies curriculum and a Creative Arts curriculum.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BRUSSELS HIGH SCHOOL

Brussels, Belgium The International School of Brussels is an English-language international school that provides an international education to over 1500 students aged 2 ½ to 19 from 62 countries. The 40-acre secure campus lies in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort.  As with the above examples, the physical structure is more open than most high schools, with more natural light and which impacts our minds in ways which can lead to more creative thought.  Creativity is the seeding ground for synergy.

Higher Education settings

Innovation is about to get easier, faster and more accessible at the University of Central Florida with the grand opening of four new labs known as Maker Spaces.  The above two images are examples of the creative use of space, color and light, which can all impact how quickly learners engage in synergistic activities.

Corporate settings

Google Office Spaces are designed for ignition of creativity. Synergy can become an expected part of daily activities!

BBC North Offices in England are designed with circular structures within a more traditional structure.  The color green has been shown by research as a color which invites 

both relaxation and creativity.

There are three areas, once experienced authentically over time, which lead to synergy. Inviting others to this process in an invitational way typically leads to a stronger sense of caring, community and increases the potential for synergy to arise.

THE ART OF THE QUESTION

• What kinds of questions do you tend to ask others?
• What kinds of questions do you tend to ask yourself?
• When someone asks you a questions, do you sometimes respond with a question that leads to even more conversation and thought?

As adults, we tend to ask questions for which we are hoping to hear a certain answer. This limits the response and when working with young children, we want to expand the possible responses. We all want our children to feel free and strong enough to answer authentically... and explore just as freely!

THE ART OF INSPIRATION

When we think of inspiration, we sometimes think of what inspires us. Other times we think about what inspires others. I'd like you to think about:

• What inspires others to be inspired?
• What inspires others to inspire others?

When we take the time to observe how children interact with other children, adults and even animals, we will see some wonderful examples of this. We'll also see attempts that are unsuccessful, yet in the attempt there is the "learning how to inspire and be inspired" which can most certainly take place, depending on how we, as the adult guide, position their attempt.

THE ART OF STRIVING

Paralympic Games in London

When many think of striving, we think of working hard and certainly work ethic is a key variable. I'd like you to ask yourself the following questions related to your work with children and your own circle of friends and colleagues:

• When you feel happy, what is it that prompts that feeling of happiness?
• When you achieve a goal, what is it that prompts that feeling of achievement?
• When you feel negative in some way, what is it that prompts that feeling?
• When you miss a goal, do you always feel a sense of disappointment?  Why or why not?
• What percentage of people in your life actively support your projects and your general approach to life?

From my own experience and the many years of experience in synergizing with children and colleagues, the Art of Striving is all about finding what feeds our energy tank.  When we connect to the things and people that give back positive energy, it creates a win-win scenario. This typically feels like I am going with the current of a river.... I feel like I'm going downstream, with the flow, living in the moment.... and THAT.... feels absolutely liberating. I encourage you to take some time to think about that and talk about this with your friends and colleagues.

And now a gift for all of you that will help you and your children explore The Art of the Question, The Art of Inspiration and The Art of Synergy all in the form of a children's book...for free!  Click on FREE Sam the Ant ebook and enjoy this story which embodies everything in this blog.

An example from a page of Sam the Ant - The Flood (Book 1)

Cheers!

Enrique

*

Public Speaker

*

Founder, Global Learning Foundation

*

Co-Creator, Sam the Ant Children's Books

*

Producer, Kaleidoscope, 

a new Children's Music Album

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Sanitizing Toys and Materials In Preschool

Affiliate links have been added for your convenience.

Sanitizing toys and materials in preschool is important...and it is different than cleaning or disinfecting toys.  Know the difference and reduce the risk of flu and illness in your program.

Each year (and each week), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) posts their Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report.  

This report shows data regarding the movement and spread of the flu.  

In week 51 of 2014 (week ending December 20, 2014), for example, the flu reached what was considered the epidemic threshold.

The past several years have shown high levels of flu activity in December:  the level of activity that we used to see earlier in the season.  Because the flu is spread through sneezing and coughing, spaces where people are together hold a higher risk of spreading the flu as well as other illnesses.

This means.......mhmmmm......our preschool programs and our homes.

Preschoolers Are Learning To Share Everything-
Including Germs!

Preschoolers are adorable.  They are typically caring, lovable and learning to share.......EVERYTHING!

They are learning to share toys, hugs and kisses as well as coughs and sneezes--all of which include sharing germs.

Remember that awesome ice cream sundae the children made in dramatic play?  

Remember that it looked so delicious they forgot it was pretend and actually put the spoon in their mouth?

Remember those blocks they used to build an awesome house with?  It seemed all of your little construction workers were sneezing a symphony while building. 

It is your job to keep the germs at a minimum in your classroom.  Germs are shared through coughing, sneezing and drooling!  

I HIGHLY recommend a "Wash Me" bin for every classroom!  

Any toys that were mouthed, sneezed or drooled on goes in it throughout the day.

Sanitizing toys in the Wash Me bin daily will help reduce the spread of germs.

Cleaning, Disinfecting & Sanitizing Toys In Preschool

When did you last spend time cleaning, disinfecting or sanitizing toys and materials in your classroom?

Before any of us can answer this question we need to be clear on the difference between the three terms.

CLEANING Toys In Preschool

The Process:

Cleaning refers to any process that removes visible dirt, debris, food, etc. from a toy.  

You do this by washing or scrubbing the toy or area and rinsing it off.

The Purpose:  

The purpose of cleaning is to remove dirt and debris.

However, cleaning does NOT kill germs.  To kill germs, you need to sanitize preschool toys.

This is typically what we do to the tables and chairs, the dishes and items in dramatic play or even the baby dolls.  

You might sometimes place all the toy cars in a bucket of soapy water....swish them, give them a quick wipe down and rinse.

SANITIZING Toys In Preschool

The Process:  

Sanitizing refers to treating or cleaning with a product that kills at least 99.9% of germs.

You do this by using a product that lists on the label that it kills germs.  Many times you might wash the table and chairs and then follow up by sanitizing.

The Purpose:  

The purpose of sanitizing is to kill bacterial germs or contaminants with the goal of reducing the number of them on the toys or materials.  

Cleaning and sanitizing preschool toys are not (separately or combined) considered disinfecting!

DISINFECTING Toys In Preschool

The Process:  

Disinfecting refers to treating or cleaning with a product that is listed to kill 100% of the germs listed on the product's label.

The Purpose:  

The purpose of disinfecting is to kill pathogens that may be on products.

_______________________________________________________________________________

A Little Diversion...

Wow!  Really?!!  YES!  Really!  I found this on Pinterest.  

Well, coffee beans work to dilute the smell of overwhelm in candle stores, why not for this?  

A teacher told me to be sure to scoop it with your dustpan and don't use your vacuum... for the obvious, long-term, smelly reasons! 

_______________________________________________________________________________

So, Which Process Should Be Done?  And When?

It will depend upon the toy, material or area.  Also, check your state regulations.  Some states specifically list the products approved for child care settings,

Below is a simple chart to give you some guidance.  

It is important to stay on top of cleaning and sanitizing preschool toys to reduce the risk of the spread of illness in your program.

Below are the bleach to water ratio for Clorox Bleach solutions for sanitizing and disinfecting.

We make a bleach/water solution in a 1 quart spray bottle like this one.

It is a plastic, spray bottle. What I like about this one is that it is heavy duty and chemical resistant.

Cheap spray bottles will deteriorate after a while and the sprayer will stop working. This one lasts much longer for us.

To make the bleach/water solution:  Mix 2 tablespoons of bleach with 1 quart of water in the spray bottle.  

To disinfect toys:  Use ½ cup of bleach per gallon of water.

To disinfect food contact surfaces:    A weaker solution is needed: Use 2 teaspoons bleach per gallon of water.

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT SANITIZING TOYS:

It is imperative that you do the following with your bleach/water spray bottle:

1.  Mark It.

Mark the name of the contents of the bottle with a permanent marker.  Mark it Bleach & Water.

2.  One Bottle-One Purpose.

NEVER, EVER use this bottle for anything else except for bleach and water solutions in the future.
If you make a mix using a different chemical, use a different spray bottle.
Some chemicals, when mixed, are TOXIC and DANGEROUS.  Don't take a chance.

3.  Fresh Daily.
Make a fresh batch of your bleach/water solution every day.

It will be very tempting for you to use the same bottle for a few days.
It may seem like a "waste" to empty it out each day.

However, if you do not make it fresh, you are only going through the motions of disinfecting and sanitizing preschool toys and materials and THAT is a waste of your time and defeating the very purpose of making the solution to begin with.

Bleach, once mixed with water, loses its effectiveness and breaks down in 24 hours.  So, even though the bleach smells strong the next day, it is NOT strong.  Make it a point to pour it out at the end of each day.

4.  Out of Reach.

Of course, this solution must be out of reach of the children at all times.  

Other Solution Options

Some centers use commercial disinfectants that are EPA approved. 

An effective and popular one is Diversey Alpha-HP Multi-Surface Disinfectant Cleaner.
It has a light, citrus scent. It comes 2 in a case (each one being a 1.5L Spray Bottle).

It is important, however, to check with your director and/or state licensing agency to confirm that this, or any other product, is approved.

A Schedule for Sanitizing Toys In Preschool

Below is a suggested schedule of when to clean the main items and areas in your classroom.

Sanitizing Toys Summary:

Cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing preschool toys are an important task we need to do on an intentional schedule.  

Put a process into place, if you don't already have one, to stay on top of this process.  

It will reduce the risk of flu and illness in your program.

Sources:  CDC

                NAEYC

                NRCKids

About the author

Cheryl Hatch has taught and directed preschool programs for over 20 years.  She is the Creator and Owner of Preschool Plan It, a website dedicated to sharing preschool themes, activities, articles and training with early childhood educators.  She volunteers as the coordinator and teacher of the MOPPETS program in her town (a preschool program for the M.O.P.S.--Mothers of Preschoolers Program).  She has her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education.  Cheryl has been an active, integral member and leader within the Teachers.Net Early Childhood community for many years, moderating live chats and providing peer support on the Preschool Teachers Chatboard.  You can read Cheryl’s articles, activities and themed preschool lesson plans at www.preschool-plan-it.com