Fall Fun: Leaf Explorations!

Hi! I'm Ayn and I am a Ga. Pre-K teacher, serving 4 and 5 year olds in an inclusive setting. I share my classroom adventures on my blog, little illuminations.

Fall has begun here and it's the perfect time to explore nature. We've recently discovered the book, "We're Going On A Leaf Hunt" by Steve Metzger written similarly to the favorite "We're Going On A Bear Hunt".

We enjoy taking nature walks and collecting interesting leaves, acorns, gumballs, pine cones and other natural items along the way. We often bring items back to class to put in our science center for independent exploration, as well as in our art center. 

We measure our leaves, both with standard and non-standard measures. Of course, as a true scientist would do, we hypothesize about what we think our results will be. (This is a great time for me as a teacher to ask questions and try to prompt critical thinking.)  We use math cubes to measure length.

We cover the leaf with pennies and try to guess how many it will take to cover it completely.

We explore the properties of buoyancy. Do leaves sink or float? What if we weight it down with pennies? How many pennies will make the leaf sink?

We explore how the leaves travel through the wind to land in various locations on our playground and recreate the wind with a fan.

On the playground, leaves and natural items are an integral part of our play. 

Gumballs are everywhere this time of year, and feature prominently in our outdoor play. The children often call them "meatballs".  

Sometimes, they are featured in our art, as well. 

In our art center, we make leaf rubbings.

After I saw this idea on Pinterest, we painted the back of leaves and made leaf print paintings.

Some of the kids made nature wreaths with found items.

Sometimes, we take the art materials outside to create with what we discover there.

One of our favorite fall books is "Leaf Man" by Lois Ehlert. 

The "Leaf Man" book often inspires the children to create their own "leaf people".

Leaf explorations are often a great way to help children begin to notice the world that surrounds them.  I get as excited as the kids when I hear, "Hey, Mrs. Ayn, guess what I found?!" They are always excited to share their finds.

There are so many ways to explore the nature that surrounds us. Sometimes, a simple nature walk can lead to so much more! 

Stop by and visit me anytime at littleilluminations.blogspot.com or visit the little illuminations fanpage on facebook!

Reflections of a Kinder Mom! Food for thought!

Where do I start?  How do I put in words what I really want to say without being judgmental or rude?  I don't know, so I am just going to put my thoughts out there and hopefully as early childhood teachers we can all learn something from my reflections of being on the parent side of kindergarten!

Here's a little background to understand my situation.  I am a kindergarten teacher and have been so for 7 years (although I have taught for 10.)  Last year I moved districts and this year I moved schools.  I had a baby about 2 days before we report back to school so I don't know the people at my new school but I had heard they were amazing and so I was completely comfortable and confident driving my own kindergartner there each day.  My son attended developmental preschool and has an IEP for articulation, anxiety issues, as well as a borderline Apraxia which is a language processing disorder.  However, you would talk to him and never know he had any issues at all.  About 2 weeks ago I got a call from district that I am being moved schools before I return.  So we uprooted him am moved him immediately to my new school.  So my little guy has had 2 kindergarten classes and 2 very different kindergarten teachers!  

Here's what I learned about my job as a teacher this year as a teacher being on the parent side:

1.  Watch what you say to parents.  How you say things and what you say means different things to the parents.  You may be trying to help, but a quick conversation in passing can cause lots of restless nights on the parent side.  

2.  Be consistent with parents.  Don't say one thing to one parent and another to the other.  It makes it seem as if you are not 100% committed to excellence and just saying what you need to say to survive the conversation!  

3.  Pay attention to where you are putting your focus.  If you have a student who is struggling with the alphabet and writing, then don't do small groups on a science topic.  That just makes no sense.  

4.  Don't judge parenting by the child.  Each child has their own reasons for why they act certain ways.  And if you have a child who is acting out with one parent over another, that's just part of the job.  Find a way to deal with because it cannot be undone overnight.  And don't assume that they are not working on it. 

5.  If a parent asks to meet with you, you should honor it.  It should be a private meeting between you and the parent and should not include other people.  If you want to schedule a meeting with other people involved, then I suggest you meet with them first and then refer it to whomever else needs to be involved.  This makes the parent feel as if they are being they are being ganged up on.  I don't know about you but that is not how I want my parents to feel!

6.  Make sure you are saying what is being seen by the parents.  If you are saying the student has a hard time walking in line, but the student can walk in line out to dismissal and in class each morning that makes no sense.  Makes the parents feel as if you are either singling them out or not really watching what is going on.  

7.  Watch how much homework your kids have.  Just read this book and do this worksheet and practice your sight words and practice writing your name will quickly turn into way too much homework!  I understand the push of the Common Core but you need to get kids moving but how much time are you monopolizing at home?

8.  Reach out to your parents!  Don't let the first interaction be a negative one or one in which they feel they have to explain or defend their child (educational or behavioral.)  

And most of all... you get what you give to your students.  If you see them as hassles, they will give you hassles.  If you spend time with them and work hard, then they will work hard too!  I have now lived it and can honestly say... 

You as a teacher ARE impacting what the child is learning!  Take ownership and work with your parents!  There is an element of customer service in education that we never really reflect on.  I think that's my biggest AHA... what type of customer service am I providing my students and parents with?  Good food for thought I think!

Do you have kids in school?  Did you have any AHA's as a teacher when your students started school or now?  Please post your thoughts!

Jennifer from Simply Kinder!

(Graphics from Dreamlike Magic Designs!)

WHAT ELSE? Engaging Critical Thinking Skills. An INTERACTIVE BLOG!

REKINDLING DISCOVERY & WONDER!

"PLAY IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF RESEARCH."  Albert Einstein said that!  Really, he did. 

"FUN IS NOT FLUFF."  I said that... and I'm proud to say it every time I have the opportunity to work with teachers and parents across our country.  The words "What Else?" which come from my dear colleague, friend, and mentor, Mimi Chenfeld, speak to playing, discovering, wondering and doing so as we look for more depth in learning.

THE GOAL OF TODAY'S BLOG:
It's so wonderful to have you back and I'm so happy to be able to share with you some fantastic images which I hope will give you ideas on how to re-direct children's abundant energy in ways which elevates their critical thinking skills and so, so,  SO many other ways of learning.

There is something called the:

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS.  They are so cool. They talk about things like big concepts that we want all young learners to start recognizing.  One of them is one we all know in the PreK and K world... Patterns!!!  Another I'd like you to think about with our first image is:

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Take a moment and really look at this next image.  Soak it in and then comment as to what kinds of things children would learn by placing objects inside the tubes.  I'm not going to give the answer away in the blog, but rather in my reply to your comments.  If you like, you can also email me directly at enriquehankfeldman@gmail.com.

CAUSE AND EFFECT

FOOD!!!  

I'm such a foodie.  I love to cook and I am the chef in my home.  I've even found ways to be much healthier and in doing so, I've lost 53 lbs over the past 4 years.  Below is an image related to food.  What can we learn from asking children about what their favorite food is?  Take a glance at this next image and read the comments from children when asked that question.  Feel free to comment and I'll be happy to reply.

A CHILD'S NAME

We all know a child's name is a powerful gateway to learning in multiple areas.  We usually think about it related to literacy and that's great!  What about math?  What about patterns?  Enjoy this next image and if you'd like to engage me with a comment, I'll be pleased to read your comment and reply back to you. 

SHAPES AND OUR WORLD

Children are so connected to life.  They are a great reminder to us adults that there is so much wonder and richness all around us.... all the time!  So, back to the concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards...this time think about "Stability and Change."  What is that?  Is it one or the other?  Do they co-exist?  Can we guide young children in playful ways so that they begin to understand this kind of a concept?  I used to think the answer was no, but over the last two years I've been asked to design play-based approaches that combine Arts Integration for PreK and K which connect to things like STEM, the Common Core, and these Next Generation Science Standards.... and yes, in playful, developmentally appropriate ways.  At first, about 20% of my brain said....ughhhhh, but the other 80% which is still like a child, said, "That could be fun!"  Guess what I noticed?  I was making decisions on what I thought would be good for children based on my own prejudging.  I'm no scientist, but I do know how to search for things on google.... I challenged myself and oh what fun!

Look at this next image and ask yourself:

• What is this child creating?
• How did they create it?
• What are they learning?
• Is it related to something this child has seen?
• What is stable about it?
• What could change about it?

ACTIVATING WHAT CHILDREN ALREADY KNOW

In my part of the country, you see lots of nature.  We can use things from nature to create different kinds of Art.  We can use these objects found in nature to classify, identify and compare!  Look at the image below.  

• What do you see?
• Can you make any comparisons?
• What could you and your children make from these things?

THE GREAT OUTDOORS!

When you think of a garden, what do you think of?  Some say food, some say plants, some say nature, other say the sun, others trees, some think of cycles and many other wonderful observations are in fact possible.  Have you ever taken your children through a project of sorts based on an outdoor space?

Related to this next image:

• What visual cues are obvious?
• What visual cues are not so obvious?
• What auditory cues might be obvious?
• What auditory cues might not be so obvious?
• What kinds of kinesthetic cues are obvious?
• What kinds of kinesthetic cues might not be so obvious?

LETTERS AND COLORS

This final image is so simple, but it's so powerful.  GIANT LETTERS hanging from the ceiling.  Think about the process that went into making these letters.

• What would children learn by co-creating these shapes?
• When would children see these letters?
• What might move these letters?
• How could you use this concept in other areas of learning?

I hope you're enjoyed today's journey.  It has been a pleasure being your guide.  If you like what you saw today and what you experienced, check out my newest book, "Living Like a Child" and check out my Foundation's newest partners, Arts Integration Solution!  Check out their "Ai Minutes!"

Cheers,
Enrique C. Feldman, Founder and Director of Education
Fostering Arts-Mind Education Foundation
Film Composer and Producer

You ARE Making A Difference!

Sometimes you know you are making a positive difference and sometimes you do not ...but all you are doing matters and it is wonderful!

Recently, I was having a conversation with Ezechiel Bambolo Jr. the author of The FirstBorn Son. I had the  great pleasure of meeting, 'Zeke' at the Parenting 2.0 International Summit. And had the pleasure of being a guest on his radio show this weekend. When discussing the radio show, we talked about how we are not always aware of who we are reaching. 

 
This conversation reminded me of the time when I was presenting at a school and was given a tour afterwards. The director proudly showed me the new nature learning area that was created behind the school. She explained that they had received a grant as a result of attending a previous presentation I had done. In the workshop I had shared the ways in which nature benefits developing brains. It was wonderful to know of the impact the information I had shared lead to many children getting this great opportunity! 

The point is, as heartwarming as it was to know this, it really doesn't matter if I did. The important thing was that many children are going to benefit!

When you receive positive comments, notes, or kind feedback about all you do, I am sure it always feels very good. And it is wonderful It helps you to focus on and recall the positive influence you have.

Sometimes you know you have an impact right away. There are certain moments where you can feel it through the exchange or see the body language or expressions. But of course there are other times when we have no idea if our efforts or actions make a difference. 

It is interesting to realize that our brains focus on what we pay attention to. Are you familiar with this attention experiment? Try it ... It is fun! What do you pay attention to?

Because you are so dedicate to making a positive difference, it becomes easy to think you should have done something better or handled it differently, or accomplished more during the day. But of course what is much better is to focus on what you DID do, or all that went very well. This is important because EVERY day you ARE making a positive difference. Sometimes you will know it and sometimes you will never know... But because of the experiences you provide, you are contributing to developing young brains everyday!

So, I simply want to encourage you to pay attention to ALL that you do... because the world needs more people like you ... making a positive difference!  

It is my belief that when all of us who care about the healthy, happy development of young children work together... we will make a world of difference! I love connecting and promoting all that is taking place for the benefit of children and families.... so it would be great to connect with you.

Feel free to contact me in any of the following ways!

Enjoy the day making a difference!

Deborah McNelis
braininsights®

www.braininsightsonline.com

http://braininsights.blogspot.com/

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Fears, Anxiety + Monsters in Childhood

Welcome to October! Welcome to Fall!!
Beware: Creepy, Crawlie, Spooky Times Ahead!
The month of costumes, pretend, make believe and dress up has arrived.

Debbie Clement Meets her Fan club in Costume 

For many children the idea of dressing in costume and becoming a princess or ninja for a day [or even a ninja-princess, as the case may be] is the highlight of childhood. Becoming the alter-ego, of pirate or witch in-full-regalia, is the all consuming focus for the entire month of October in the lives of some children. Oh happy day. Delight and joy. October is here! Let the parade of festivities begin. 

For others the month of October spotlights a little life of oh-so-big angst, anxiety and fear. Children are wired differently. Some children have very little tolerance for the unpredictable, for changes in schedule, for separation from parents, for putting their hands in the goo and grit that others adore. Some children come unglued during fire drills as soon as the alarm sounds, while a same aged peer seems to absolutely adore all of the commotion and activity. For some the whole notion of costumed characters is the very basis for tears and meltdowns. 

In my ten years as Resource teacher at a site for children with special needs, I have witnessed first hand more than a few encounters where a professional clown leaves one preschooler cowering behind their teacher, shrieking as the clown gives even a gentle peek in their general direction. At the same moment  another child leaps into that same clown's arms, knocking this unknown character over with their unbridled excitement and delight. 

We as professionals have the responsibility of working with that entire range of children's personalities and tolerance from day one. How do we shore up the child expressing great anxiety? How do we encourage the baby steps necessary to move everyone toward growth, self-reliance and independence?  

Eons ago, I had a wee daughter who suddenly began waking numerous times in the middle of the night horribly afraid of monsters. Night after night I offered assurance. Night after night I was without sleep. Until one night in my restless sleeplessness, I asked her where these monsters were. She was very specific. Up on the shelf between the teddy bears. In the closet between the shoes. Suddenly I had the idea to offer her 'monster spray' to act as the bug spray had worked that afternoon -- to repel the monsters away. IT WORKED! She slept through the night. 

I had stumbled upon a tool that somehow 'worked' in her mind. So the next night we sprayed imaginary spray BEFORE bedtime. You can bet that the spraying away of all monsters became a dependable part of our bedtime routine for quite some time to come. Sleep is good. That wee one has grown up and gone on and just received her doctorate. I think its safe to say she's faced down her share of monsters along the way. A simple tool. Imaginary spray. 

Years later, upon seeing some happy monster posters at a teacher supply store, while in Bryan OH giving a library sing-a-long, I was reminded of our family monster spray era. While driving home I wrote the little dittie that would go on to become my song "Monster Spray." I wanted it to walk that fine line of excitement and be upbeat with a big ending, but not be too frightening in the process. I even chose to include the phrase 'irrational airy ones' in describing monsters in the repetitive chorus.  I wanted to offer another tool to teachers, librarians and parents in the arsenal of shoring up the little ones with fears and anxieties. 

The bottle pictured above was a gift to me by a kindergarten girl in Upper Arlington. Her own parents had lovingly crafted this bottle of spray (label-placed-on-spray-bottle-with-water) for her to take to kindergarten -- presumably to slay those k-monsters that lurk in the long hallways. When I began my song, her teacher went running with glee to their room to retrieve the spray bottle. Little K-girl agreed that she no longer needed such a silly prop. She knew without a doubt that there were no monsters in kindergarten. She had survived those first anxiety ridden days. The music lady could now have her unneeded prop and use that silliness in her travels to the little kids. Honest-to-goodness! True story. 

Of course there are some children who have very REAL and gen-u-ine, understandable reason for fear and anxiety. Unfortunately we have young children who have suffered very real trauma in their early years. In the best of redeeming circumstances there will be a trained counselor with brilliant insight that can help address those tough issues and support that child in their expression and articulation of fear and ultimately lead them to healing, to over come the tragedy experienced. It may be expressing those fears through therapeutic drawings or learning to articulate what has happened. The more tools we have in our arsenal the better.

Parents. You are the best advocate for your child. You know best how your child is wired. You are in the best position to direct your child's teacher in how to support your child. Communication is always the key. On some rare occasions it may even be necessary to request a change in teachers, to best support your child. Professional guidance is always a wonderful support for children who are unduly anxious and afraid. Best to confront these fears early on in an effort to provide a strong foundation for the future. 

I concluded last week on my own blog with a mega-monster RoundUP of ideas from bloggers around the world. There are two dozen ideas to inspire your exploration of the "MONSTER theme" through art projects, construction-sculpture projects, play-doh creations, science experiments, UPcycling, math work, picture books, puppets -- everything, including the kitchen sink. The entire ten yards. You can click here to get to my article which will then direct you on to all of the other sites for the directions, recipes, tools and specific books used for inspiration. Whew. It was fun to put that together. It will be my pleasure to introduce you to other children-bloggers. 

If you can only read one article from the RoundUP, may I suggest that you go to Crystal's article written on overcoming childhood fears at Becoming a Jeweled Rose. She is living that chapter right now as the mommy to two little roses and has an amazing list of resources and ideas from the parent perspective. 

In my efforts to grow with the times, I am now translating some of my favorite songs into the digital download format. I have just uploaded the Mp3 files for "Monster Spray" to Teachers Pay Teachers where it is available for your immediate purchase in digital download format. I have created several pdfs to further support the use of my song with young readers. The chorus lyrics are ready to print out for your pocket chart. I've also created a simple template for writing and drawing about those fears experienced, "once upon a time." There are two coloring pages included as well. 

I'd be ever so grateful for you to follow my little shop over at TpT. You will receive an email with each new 'project' that I create. You'll be up to date and receive notice of any sales that my shop participates in. Who doesn't LUV a sale? 

I am now up to 65,000+ followers over at Pinterest. I have an entire board that is dedicated to all things 'monster' and it has 374 pins already gathered there for your pinspiration! By all means follow me there as well. 

Now, I'd like to share some of the articles from my blog over the last month. A week ago I had a roundUP of oodles of Fall Fun Projects for Little Hands. The article starts with all sorts of ideas for fall leaves and scarecrows and ends up with Jack-o-Lanterns and Black Bats. It's climbing toward my top 10 list!

Here's the link to my RoundUP of Behavior charts. Several from Kindergarten and a couple from Preschool.

Here's a sweet little article with three different approaches to projects using a child's name. 

The newest directory in my series of Pinterest directories is the one for "Special Needs." You'll appreciate following the boards of others who pin from a special needs perspective. Click here for that list of nearly 100 pinners. 

-- Debbie -- 

Debbie Clement is editor-in-chief here at our collaborative blog. She has written over 100 original songs for children on to six CDs. She has turned 3 of those songs into picture book format. Having created the artwork for her books as small fabric quilts -- she now travels the country as Author/Illustrator making school visits.

Her own blog is RainbowsWithinReach and her website carries all of her products.

Every now and then she's lucky enought to have a fan that comes dressed in polka-dots as the music-lady. Me and mini-me!