Category Archives: School

40 Year Bookends

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Jennie

All in a day, I bumped into ‘bookends’, parents of a student in my first class forty years ago, and parents of a child this past year. Michelle was one of my first students.  The local newspaper came to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Inspiration, preschool, School, Teaching young children | Tagged , , | 71 Comments

The Former Student – On Teaching

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Jennie

Noah was my student, over twenty years ago. He loved music. It was my autoharp and singing that helped him adjust to school. We have stayed in touch. When he was in high school he came to play the keyboard, … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Inspiration, School, teaching | Tagged , , | 87 Comments

40 Words, 40 Years

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Jennie

This is my 40th year teaching preschool at my wonderful school.  It feels like 10 or maybe 20 years.  40 is, well, a big deal…at least my school thinks so.  At our monthly staff meetings, they have often surprised me … Continue reading →

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Inspiration, joy, Kindness, Poetry, School, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , | 111 Comments

Robot Finale and Real Learning

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Jennie

My classroom, the Aqua Room, is ‘crushing’ robots this year.  Every day a child talks about Curiosity on Mars.  Every day we watch the Boston Dynamics robots.  Back in December we wrote a giant letter to NASA, and to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Inspiration, robots, School, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , | 81 Comments

Things Happen in Threes

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Jennie

Things often happen in threes.  They certainly did at school! #1 We had day after day of bitter cold weather.  That meant the children could not go outside.  By day three we had to be creative, so we had a … Continue reading →

Posted in children's books, Early Education, Inspiration, joy, literacy, preschool, reading aloud, reading aloud, robots, School, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , | 51 Comments

Robots!

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Jennie

Meet Curiosity Atlas, our classroom robot.  He is mounted on a scooter board so children can pull him everywhere.  Oh, they do.  He is beloved.  Of course there is a story behind Curiosity Atlas. We were learning about robots.  Children … Continue reading →

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Inspiration, preschool, robots, School, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , | 79 Comments

The New Year Ahead

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Jennie

Unlike many bloggers, I don’t write reviews about my year. I don’t have lofty goals for the New Year. My joy comes from the little things everyday, because these are the big things, and become my landscape, my portrait. Writing … Continue reading →

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Inspiration, School, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , | 73 Comments

Teachers, You Can Transform Lives. Really!

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Jennie

Barb Taub shares stories of Polly, the ‘best’ teacher her children had, the one who made a difference, and transformed their lives.  Polly had one classroom of children from age 4 to first grade.  Thank you, Barb. Barb Taub My … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Inspiration, preschool, School, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , | 34 Comments

When You Read Aloud…

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Jennie

 This is what happens when teachers read aloud: It begins with a child, grows into groups of children, and then the children ‘take over’, reading on their own. Reading one-on-one Reading in groups The more I read aloud, the more … Continue reading →

Posted in chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, Leo Lionni, preschool, reading aloud, reading aloud, School, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , | 98 Comments

Gloria’s Debut, and a Letter to Parents

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Jennie

I’m always a bit nervous with excitement when Gloria makes her ‘debut’ in the classroom.  I know the children will welcome her because every year she is loved from Day One.  Today was no exception.  Frankly, it was wonderful.  She … Continue reading →

Posted in Diversity, Early Education, Gloria, Inspiration, School, Teaching young children | Tagged , , | 79 Comments