Author Archives: Jennie

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About Jennie

I have been teaching preschool for over forty years. This is my passion. I believe that children have a voice, and that is the catalyst to enhance or even change the learning experience. Emergent curriculum opens young minds. It's the little things that happen in the classroom that are most important and exciting. That's what I write about. I was a live guest on the Kelly Clarkson Show. I am highlighted in the seventh edition of Jim Trelease's million-copy bestselling book, "The Read-Aloud Handbook" because of my reading to children. My class has designed quilts that hang as permanent displays at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, the Fisher House at the Boston VA Hospital, and the Massachusetts State House in Boston.

Surviving Teaching and Finding Joy

Times have changed.  Teaching has far more demands than it used to.  Required paperwork, overcrowded classes, and lack of support begins to take its toll.  At first it all seems manageable.  That fire of wanting to teach keeps the motor … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 93 Comments

How To Have a Beautiful Life

Jennie

Posted in Giving thanks, Inspiration, joy, Quotes, wonder | Tagged , , , , | 58 Comments

A Field Trip to the Art Show

Children and families and teachers went on a field trip to see the Art Show. Seeing is believing. It’s also loving, and empowering.  In the words of fellow blogger  Laura Bruno Lilly, these children are ‘heartists’ – artists with heart. … Continue reading

Posted in art, Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, preschool, Quotes, Teaching young children, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 45 Comments

Go Red Sox!

Cheering the Red Sox on home opening day! Jennie

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Gloria, joy, Love, preschool, young children | Tagged , , | 23 Comments

Art and Music and Italy – Part 4 – the Finale

Weeks of hard work + joy = great satisfaction and achievement.  That is the perfect equation, exactly how my preschoolers felt when they finally saw their art, their hard work, their masterpieces, mounted and framed. You would think after a … Continue reading

Posted in art, Imagination, Inspiration, preschool, Teaching young children, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 69 Comments

Quotations On Poetry

Originally posted on charles french words reading and writing:
(https://pixabay.com) “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”                                                                     Leonardo da Vinci ? (https://en.wikipedia.org) ? “A poem begins as…

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Best Job Ever – Story Epilogue

Since that wonderful day last week, when a child asked me to sing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles, there has been more.  The music exploded in ways I never expected. Well, it was more than the … Continue reading

Posted in Book Review, books, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Inspiration, joy, Love, music, picture books, reading aloud, Singing, The Arts, The Beatles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 71 Comments

Art and Music and Italy – Part 3

In Part 1, children began to learn about Italy through maps and a big atlas. First we ‘travelled’, then we learned fun facts (pretzels were invented in Italy, pasta was not).  We learned that opera is from Italy, and children … Continue reading

Posted in art, Book Review, books, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Inspiration, music, picture books, preschool, The Arts, young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 71 Comments

Magic In Books — Quotations

Originally posted on charles french words reading and writing:
(https://en.wikipedia.org) “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”                                                                  Stephen King (https://commons.wikimedia.org) “I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen…

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Today’s Quote

Posted in Uncategorized | 11 Comments