Every great teacher over the span of centuries has a heart. That’s what makes learning come alive.
(https://commons.wikimedia.org)
(https://en.wikipedia.org George Romney — Artist)
Every year I make our country’s National Anthem ‘come alive’ for my preschoolers. This is a hard song to sing, especially for children. They know the tune, and thanks to baseball on television and sporting events, “The Star-Spangled Banner” is familiar. Yet, there is so much more they need to know, never mind singing the song. Way back when, I bought Peter Spier’s book, The Star-Spangled Banner. This started my quest, and gave me the perfect tool to teach, inspire, and instill pride.
I remember the day I learned that America did not have an official National Anthem until the 1930’s. What! How could that be? I called my Mother and she confirmed this upsetting news.
What did you sing when you were a little girl?
We sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.”
Really? While this didn’t bother my Mother, it fueled me. It was the “GO” button, and I pushed it.
I had Peter Spier’s book, The Star-Spangled Banner. Every page is a full color illustration of each sentence in the song. When I would read the book to children, instead of reading the words I sang the words. The words were the song itself, so singing them helped children link a familiar tune to what those words really meant. Every page became a lesson in history, and a barrage of questions.
We stopped to talk about costumes, the sails of the ship, the rocket’s red glare.
We found the American flag on every page. We learned that the rockets and bombs illuminated the flag. This is where I always stop singing and tell the story of Francis Scott Key as he wrote the song.
“He was trapped on a ship in the middle of this battle. He watched everything that happened. The only way to know who was winning was to see the flag that was flying. And at night, it was the rockets and bombs that gave the light to see which flag was flying.”
Oh, now they get it! They understand. The illustrations are crystal clear and make perfect sense. More importantly, they understand the words to the song, our country’s National Anthem. Children know far more about this song than I knew as a child. I dearly wish I’d had a visual to help me understand.
Pictures bring words to life. Like a ‘towering steep’.
The book gets better, and so do the opportunities for learning. There is more than one verse! I sing those words as loud and proud as I do the first verse. Again, every illustration gives pause for talking and learning. Sometimes it is sad, and that is important to talk about. Oh, we talk about soldiers and dying, and freedom and liberty, and why. It always feels warm and understanding.
A picture is worth a thousand words. When that happens with our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”, the world of understanding opens and the song comes alive.
Jennie
I travelled with Milly, the master quilter, to the Massachusetts State House in Boston this week. We presented my classroom’s Peace Quilt to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. What a day! This quilt has been two years in the making, yet the roots of our quilting go back much further. Milly is a Fairy Godmother to the children, making magic happen.
This week, it happened like this…
We arrived at the State House, greeted at our car by Tammy with the Governor’s staff, and were walked to the Grand Staircase where the quilt presentation would occur. It is elegant: marble and wrought iron, stained glass, with an adjacent rotunda. Families began to gather, and I was put under the wing of Nick who coordinated how everything would smoothly fall into place. I had a podium with a microphone. A long table covered with a white cloth was ready to display the quilt.
Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito arrived. We shook hands and chatted, and he scanned the room for Milly. When he saw her he stepped forward, then dropped to his knees and held her hands. They whispered and smiled like two long-lost friends. Everyone stood to watch; you could have heard a pin drop.
The event began! I spoke about children, and how peace through their eyes is the real essence of peace, what matters most. I talked about how the quilt began two years ago, with a Peace Book that the children wrote. As I began to read the book aloud to the audience, Governor Baker quickly stepped forward to hold the book for me as I read aloud.
We then presented the Peace Quilt. After a standing ovation, it was the Governor’s turn to speak. He talked about hate, and how children learn hate. He talked about the importance of peace and childrens’ visions, much like the image of the quilt- children looking out the window at peace, their heartfelt ideas: Playing with a friend, a new baby sister, a gingerbread house, dancing, reading…
The quilt was displayed for all to see.
The Governor spontaneously asked all the children to sit with him on the steps of the Grand Staircase. What a great idea!
After hundreds of hi-fives, photos, handshakes, and thank-yous, we slowly said goodbye, not really wanting to leave. Words weren’t necessary; we were trying to hold onto what had happened and make memories. It was that good.
This is not the first quilt Milly has done with my classroom. The first one hangs at the National Liberty Museum in historic Philadelphia. The second hangs at the Fisher House in Boston. The last one hangs at school. Lucky us! You may enjoy the stories of these quilts on my blog, each one an equally exciting adventure.
Jennie
Graduations are over, and it’s a time that I reflect. The school year has ended and children move on. Actually, they move forward. I know they do. Because they come back and tell me wonderful things that are happening in their lives. They walk in with a new book, and can’t wait to tell me stories. They simply show up to say Hi. Oh, how they love that big hug and things I whisper in their ear. “Once an Aqua Roomer, always an Aqua Roomer.”
I don’t think they know why they come back; they just want to return and feel it once again. This year I was invited to four high school graduation parties of former students. Four! I find that amazing for a preschool teacher.
When I first started teaching, I read a story in Chicken Soup For The Soul by Eric Butterworth. It cemented why I teach, and became my brass ring, my shining star, my hope that one day I could be her. Here is the story:
A college professor had his sociology class go into the Baltimore slums to get case histories of 200 young boys. They were asked to write an evaluation of each boy’s future. In every case the students wrote, “He hasn’t got a chance.” Twenty-five years later another sociology professor came across the earlier study. He had his students follow up on the project to see what happened to these boys. With the exception of 20 boys who had moved away or had died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had achieved more than ordinary success as lawyers, doctors and businessmen.
The professor was astounded and decided to pursue the matter further. Fortunately, all the men were in the area and he was able to ask each one, “How do you account for your success?” In each case the reply came with a feeling, “There was a teacher.”
The teacher was still alive, so he sought her out and asked the old but still alert lady what magic formula she had used to pull these boys out of the slums into successful achievement.
The teacher’s eyes sparkled and her lips broke into a gentle smile. “It’s really very simple”, she said. “I loved those boys.”
She loved them and they knew it! It really is that simple. And as Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
People will never forget how you made them feel.
There’s much more. In teaching, when a child feels loved, s/he can open their mind to learning. A closed heart is a closed door and a closed mind. Open a heart, and the world is ready to be explored.
Jennie
I wish I could remember everything important, like the titles of all the books I intend to read this summer. I can recall stories galore of yesteryear, with crystal clear pictures in my head. The present often seems cloudy in comparison. Children remember everything. The tiniest detail is there beside them, for the longest time. Isabelle is a case in point.
My library read-aloud group started the year reading Diva and Flea, by Mo Willems back in September.
It is the story of a dog and a cat, living in Paris. Of course it is so much more, as Mo Willems weaves stories of growing, bravery, and fear throughout the book. He also paints a verbal picture of life on both sides of the tracks. Does having all the conveniences and necessities dictate a better life? Better hold on and read the book!
Since the backdrop for the book is Paris, French words are among the text. Diva is a gardienne’s dog, and Flea is a flâneur. I often stopped my reading to talk about the words. That was fun!
Flea did have a fixed occupation, however. He was a flâneur. A flâneur is someone (or some cat) who wanders the streets and bridges and alleys of the city just to see what there is to see. A great flâneur has seen everything… Flea was a great flâneur.
The children loved the book. Adults enjoy the subtle humor of Mo Willems. Win-win all around. We continued the year reading The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown (a favorite) and The Story of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting. By the time June rolled around, reading Diva and Flea seemed like years ago.
On the last day of our library read-aloud last week, this is what Isabelle’s Mother showed me (it is in two parts):
The school assignment was to write the answer to a question for each day of the week. Monday’s question was, “If you could be a cat for one day, would you like it? What would you do all day?” Isabelle answered:
“I would like to be a cat for one day. I would flâneur all around.”
Wow! Flâneur all around. Imagine that; written nine months after reading Diva and Flea.
In the words of Mo Willems, “The biggest discoveries start with the smallest steps.” I give children many, many small steps- especially through reading aloud. They discover the world in avenues that often surprise me. It is wonderful.
Jennie
My final newsletter to parents. I tell them in a nutshell everything that mattered; the best thirty minutes of the day that made children’s minds come alive and made their hearts beat. And every day, every thirty minutes, it happened. Here is what I said:
Chapter Reading
June 14, 2017
Chapter reading is one of our treasured moments of the day. We bring to life the imagination, the world, and the past. The anticipation of ‘what happens next’ stirs excitement every day. Children listen and think. They ask questions. Ask your child, “At chapter reading where do you make the pictures?” You will hear your child say, “In your head.”
When we finish a good book and then start a new one, emotions run high and low. The end of a good book is so satisfying and pleasant, yet…it is over. That is the wonderful roller coaster of reading. And, with each chapter book we read, we ride that roller coaster again and again.
We are three-quarters through Little House on the Prairie, and it is thrilling; from Jack the dog, to building a house, to Indians in the house. Pa and his neighbor Mr. Scott dug a well, and we learned about the bad gas deep inside the earth (Pa had to save Mr. Scott) that only a candle can detect. Of course, I had to bring in my grandfather’s childhood portrait wearing a miner’s hat with the same candle. Laura and her family had fever ‘n’ ague (malaria), an illness that people thought came from eating watermelons.
We encourage you to finish reading the book aloud to your child. There is much more ahead, from Mr. Edwards meets Santa Claus, to Fire on the Prairie. If your child wants to continue the series, the next one, Farmer Boy is about Laura’s husband when he was a little boy. I recommend the following one, On the Banks of Plum Creek, which begins their next journey after the prairie.
We voted on our favorite chapter books this year. Charlotte’s Web was the winner!
These are the chapter books we have read this year. Good books are meant to be read over and over again. We encourage you to revisit these wonderful books with your child:
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Doctor Dolittle’s Journey by Hugh Lofting
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The fundamental constant that gives children the tools to succeed in school is language. The more words that children hear, the better they will do in school. Reading aloud to children is far more than an enjoyable experience. It increases their language development! In kindergarten through grade four, the primary source of instruction is oral. The more words that a child has heard, the better s/he will understand the instruction, and the better s/he will perform in school, in all subjects. Therefore, we will always campaign to read aloud.
A wonderful guide to book recommendations and to understanding the importance of reading aloud is the million-copy bestseller book, The Read-Aloud Handbook. I have used the book since my children were little. The author, Jim Trelease, visited the Aqua Room and GCS. We are featured in the new seventh edition of the book.
Jennie
I have two stories to tell; both happened on the same day this week, yet they are fourteen years apart. Every year my last chapter reading book at school is Little House on the Prairie. Here is what happened:
Story One: My school’s annual presentation of a college scholarship to a former student happened this week. Martha, the recipient, was a preschooler in my class, way back when. As her winning essay was read aloud, these were her some of her words:
“I have been fortunate to grow up in an environment where a love of learning was instilled in me from a young age. Between my mom and Jennie, adults read out loud to me multiple times a day. They also encouraged me to ask questions and to be a curious learner, which led directly to my success in high school.”
Martha and Jennie…now
Martha was the quiet one, the child who “took it all in”. Questions? Bursting with things to say? Not really. But, oh how she listened! I never underestimate the brain of a child. What goes in builds and grows, like all those words from chapter reading.
I thanked and congratulated Martha. And then her Mother said, “Jennie, don’t you remember? You didn’t finish reading Little House on the Prairie, and you told me I needed to finish reading the book to Martha. I did. That started reading aloud and chapter books.”
Martha is headed to an outstanding college, Trinity College in Connecticut, among the best. She has been a volunteer at school, and in her college essay she said:
“I have always adored children and believe that I am able to connect with them, so for the past few years I have volunteered at the preschool I once attended. As I read to the students during rest time, I love seeing how excited they become to see what happens next. I know how important it is to read to young children, but now I know its value firsthand.”
Martha and Jennie…then
Story Two: Aaryan is not a Martha. He constantly asks questions and has something important to say at chapter reading. He verbalizes all he remembers with great excitement. We were reading the chapter of Pa going to town, close to three-quarters of the way through Little House on the Prairie. Pa’s neighbor, Mr. Edwards, came over to help Ma with the chores while Pa was away. Immediately Aaryan said, “Is he the ‘wildcat from Tennessee’?” My goodness! That phrase to describe Mr. Edwards was ages ago in the book and only mentioned one time. I threw back my head and belly-laughed. “Yes, Aaryan. Mr. Edwards is the ‘wildcat from Tennessee’.” Remarkable.
I told the children we would not be able to finish reading the whole book. What! That did not go over well. I took a positive spin, reading ahead all the upcoming chapters, like Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Clause.
“You can get the book from the library. Your Mom and Dad can read the rest of the book to you.”
That did not go over well, either. Especially with Aaryan. We talked together. My words could not soothe him. He has experienced what all readers feel when reading a good book. I think for those children who hear the words, the feelings are even more powerful. It happens in my class, all the time.
Perhaps fourteen years from now Aaryan’s Mother will say the same words to me that Martha’s Mother said; “Jennie, don’t you remember…?” Perhaps she’ll tell me the same story Martha’s Mother told me. Perhaps ending the school year with an open book is a good thing. An open book is an open door.
Jennie
Open a book, read aloud, and you open a mind.
Mark Twain’s words are full of courage and humor, ideals I teach my students.
Gloria is a dear classroom friend. Well, that’s an understatement. I have a hard time making my fingers type that she is a puppet, because she is the best thing that ever happened to my classroom. She is the kind one, the shy one, and the one who is… well, different and not pretty. She is real. She is the best friend. Gloria spends most weekends with children and their families. From decorating Christmas trees, to attending graduations, going out to dinner… the long list is a testament to Gloria.
This is what happened today:
“Can we bring Gloria outside to play?”
Long pause…
Gloria has never played outside at school. It hadn’t occurred to me to include her on the playground. When the question was posed, I thought this was a good idea. Leave it to children to think outside of the box. They know Gloria far better than I do. She’s their best friend.
So, Gloria was brought outside. At last. She was busy in the arms of children. Then, I looked across the playground and saw her on a swing, being pushed by Lexi. I watched for a long time. This is what friends do, and Gloria is a friend.
A child on the playground who had never seen Gloria before asked, “Who is that?” Aaryan replied,
“She’s just a person.”
Just a person. Yes, she is. She is you and me. She has a soul.
Gloria is different, and that is why I wanted her to be part of my classroom many years ago. If I could help children understand and accept all people, I knew Gloria would be the one to do that. Oh, she has. Ten-fold.
Early on, Gloria lived in a picnic basket on a shelf in the classroom. She came out from time to time at a Morning Meeting. One day I left her out in a chair, and I watched the children hover and clamor over her, desperate to ask her questions. They just wanted Gloria to “be”. She moved from the picnic basket to the couch in the classroom. That was my first wake-up call.
I have had many wake-up calls since then, including Gloria having sleepovers. Today was yet another. I never underestimate the brilliant minds and big hearts of young children. It makes me want to be a child again.
I’m so glad Gloria is a person.
Jennie
A Teacher's Reflections 