Dan (the Tool Man) Antion Visits the Aqua Room

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Jennie

Fellow blogger Dan Antion at No Facilities visited my classroom.  YES!  Meeting a favorite blogger is a big deal.  We connected like we’ve been friends for years.

Well, yes we have.  Lucky me.

Dan is the guy with tools who loves to work on projects, from his shed to furniture. Woodworking is a skill children need to learn. I asked Dan to come to my class and introduce hand tools.  Toys don’t handle the program.  They need real tools.  Real.

When Dan arrived, he walked into the classroom and saw Gloria.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Children were eager to greet and meet Dan.  He was welcomed with high fives and big smiles.  We sat together on the big rug and Dan brought over his bags of tools.  Wow!  They were big and heavy, children were fascinated.  He started with measuring, from tape measures to a very cool and very long wood folding rule.


Dan is the math guy, and he spent time showing children the numbers on the measuring tools.  They recognized double-digit numbers and counted.  Ah, math needs to be accurate, so we saw tools that measured curves, corners, and triangular spaces.  Dan showed children clamps.  Who knew there were so many kinds of clamps?  Then, we brought in a woodworking table, and let children use the tools.

Hammering, nailing, clamping, measuring…Dan was there every step of the way to help children.

One child was excited and wanted to say ‘Dan the Tool Man’.  She forgot and said, ‘Bob the Builder’.  Everyone thought that was so funny.  Dan the Tool Man thought so, too.  We laughed and joked through lunch.  Then, Dan got to pick the lunchtime Jennie Story.  It was “The Peanut Man.”  What a great story.

It was time for Dan to go.  “Aqua Roomers, say goodbye to Dan.”  I think Dan was surprised when many children rushed to give him a big hug.  Children were hanging off his legs.  It was wonderful.

When Dan left school, he stopped by the post office to see the Aqua Room Art Show.  He signed the guest book.  Priceless!


Thank you, Dan.  You have done a world of good for children.  From hands-on woodworking to tools to measuring, you have given children a lifetime learning experience.  Best of all, they had a blast, and they loved you.  You made a difference.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, Gloria, Inspiration, preschool, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , | 149 Comments

Amanda Books at the Public Library!

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Jennie

Thursday is my Read-Aloud day at the Groton Public Library.  When I arrived, the head children’s librarian was beside herself.

“Jennie!  Jennie!  The Amanda books are here!”

And then she showed me all the books.  Wow!  Nine books.

Of course we had to have our picture taken with all the books.


Thank you to the Groton Public Library for carrying the Amanda books.  Thank you, Darlene Foster, for authoring such an exciting series of books for children.  Adventure is always a big draw for children’s books; yet when history, geography, friendship, and conflict are included…well, it doesn’t get better than that.  Nancy Drew, move over!

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, children's books, geography, Giving thanks, literacy, reading | Tagged , , | 77 Comments

The Art Show – the Very Beginning

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Jennie

I told this story long ago, and it needs to be told again, with photos.  There are moments in teaching that make a big difference for the student and also for the the teacher.  This is one I will never forget.  I think the student, Juliet, will also never forget. 

Major pieces of art?  Masterpieces?  Introducing this to preschoolers?  It is not easy to explain to people how and why art can make a difference with young children.  A picture is worth a thousand words, and this picture was just sent to me.

IMG_1024.JPG Juliet and 'Starry Night'

Juliet the fourth grader is beaming at seeing Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.  I have a story to tell.  It’s about teaching art in many ways, and about Juliet’s pathway to art.  As I say in my classroom, “It Happened Like This”…

When Juliet was a three-year-old in my class, she was thoughtful.  She played, loved stories and books, developed friendships, and drew pictures.  The next year things changed, or perhaps she just grew in her interests.  She drew pictures all the time, perfecting people figures and experimenting with color.  Children’s art adorns the classroom walls with the exception of a Starry Night poster, yet Juliet did not seem to focus on that piece of art.  Well, that’s what I thought.

And then Juliet met Milly, the master quilter.  Milly joined our class to quilt a magnificent Peace Quilt (which is now a permanent display at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia).  In the process of designing and creating the quilt, Juliet was a captive audience.  Making this quilt was a big deal, from sketching all the parts to selecting fabrics for each element.  She drew an exact replica of the quilt, which is my blog photo, down to every triangle in precise direction and color.

In the spring we studied France and the old masters, in preparation for our annual Art Show displayed for the entire community.  Juliet was in her element.  She was struck by Starry Night and using real paints from tubes on pallets.  She practiced brush strokes and mixing colors.  She loved simply looking at art, especially Usborne’s Children’s Book of Art.  As we worked on perfecting our pieces of art, we often played classical music.  Vivaldi’s Four Seasons became a favorite, and children would often ask for a specific piece.  “What would you like to hear today?  Winter, Spring , Summer or Fall?”, I’d ask.  Music and art go hand-in-hand.  Together, the results are impressive.  For our Art Show, Juliet drew the Mona Lisa.  It was the central piece in our exhibit.

When Juliet moved on to kindergarten her art continued to flourish.  She visited my class periodically, once to show me a winning polar bear she had drawn.  When her little sister joined my class Juliet visited more often, frequently admiring our Starry Night poster.  Now as a fourth grader, her trip to New York to see the beloved painting seems to be the pinnacle of the journey she started as a preschooler.  Perhaps, though, it is only the beginning for her.

Art makes a difference.

Jennie

Posted in art, Inspiration, museums, Peace, preschool, quilting, Teaching young children, The Arts | Tagged , , , , | 54 Comments

The Annual Art Show

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Jennie

Every April my preschool class has an Art Show on display for the community at the post office.  Every year I say, “This is the best!”  And it always is, year after year.  Why?  Because children naturally love art.  When they are introduced to real art and artists… I’m getting ahead of myself.

The first thing I do is show children art masterpieces and recite the title.  Nothing else.  I let the art sink in, slowly.  They immediately recognize Starry Night, as it is one of three art posters hanging in the classroom.  The other two are a Grandma Moses, and an Eric Carle.

We then talk about styles of art- impressionism, cubism, and more.  Before we begin to paint, when children are comfortable and familiar with art, I show pictures.  I stop at each one and say to children, “John, you could do this!” (John nods his head) or “Carla, you can paint this!” (Carla smiles).

This year we are learning about Italy, so we began with the Mona Lisa.  Children really looked at her portrait, in earnest.  They saw things in the painting you have probably never seen.  We wrote a story about her.

We then began to paint her.  After all, how can you paint the Mona Lisa until you have studied her and written a story?  A child was focused and quiet,  He really worked hard.

We introduced real artist paints in tubes and squeezed them onto pallets.  Children were painting like artists!  After studying major works of art, this was the perfect medium.  A child was taken by one particular work of art, Large Blue Horses by Franz Marc.

He worked so hard on his rendition.  Look at his big smile!

We painted sunflowers and Venice.  We dipped spaghetti into paint and dropped it from high above onto paper to create modern art.  We used a plethora of shapes with different designs and colors to create cubism.

How did we keep this art work flowing, day after day?  Music!  Music inspires art.  I brought in my record player and albums.  I introduced the record player slowly, as if I was figuring out what it does and how it works.  Rubbing my finger under the needle and hearing the sound was like finding the end of the rainbow.  Then, I pulled out a record album, Beethoven’s Symphony No.9.  Putting the record onto the player and turning it on was electric for children.  You could have heard a pin drop.  The music begins softly and quickly becomes loud and bold.  What a thrill for children.

I said, “When you hear the music, it goes into your brain, then into your heart, and it shoots through your fingers like fireworks, so you can create art.”  I made my fingers shoot out.

We played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Handel’s Water Music…and the Beatles.

The final piece was giving each child an opportunity to name their work of art.  Every masterpiece has a title.  This instilled pride and reinforced how important and special all their work was.  Here are a few titles:

The Future
Eighteen Beautiful Shapes
Sun in a Cup the Whole Rainbow
Starry Night in Italy
My Mommy and Daddy’s House
The Sky
Wild Animals
Beautiful Sunflowers

I am so proud of my preschoolers.  More importantly, they are proud of themselves.  Yes, in the words of Pablo Picasso, “Every child is an artist.”

Jennie

Posted in art, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Inspiration, music, The Arts, young children | Tagged , , , | 102 Comments

Make Way For Ducklings – Happy Easter

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Jennie

This is a favorite post from Easter many years ago.


Photo courtesy Universal Hub

Robert McCloskey’s classic story, Make Way for Ducklings, is immortalized in bronze statues in the Public Garden on Boston Common.  Mrs. Mallard and her eight ducklings, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack  are all decked out and dressed in their fancy bonnets, ready for Easter.

This classic children’s book was written in 1941 and received the coveted Caldecott Medal in 1942.  The story, based in Boston, is about two ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, and their journey to find a proper home and start a family.  After the ducklings hatch, there are adventures throughout the city and help from a friendly policeman named Michael.

Make Way for Ducklings has been continuously in print since it was first published.  As of 2003, the book had sold over two million copies.  The city of Boston has whole-heartedly embraced the story.  In the Public Garden where the Mallards eventually settled, the bronze statues of Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings by artist Nancy Schön was erected in 1987 – a tribute to Robert McCloskey.

Happy Easter from the Bronze Ducklings at the Public Garden in Boston.

Jennie

Posted in art, children's books, Imagination, Inspiration, literacy, picture books, Teaching young children, The Arts | Tagged , , , | 57 Comments

Just Another Day in the Classroom… Oh, Boy!

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Jennie


photo from Pixabay 

I often write about the great moments in the classroom, when a spark ignites and learning explodes, or when goodness, laughter, and discovery happen.

Every day is not like that.  Today was was one of those ‘not like that’ days.  By the time I arrived at 10:30 which is playground time, (my late day), enough had already happened.  My fellow teachers jokingly said, “Jennie, you have the children.  We are done.”  Of course they were kidding, but I got a good brief on the morning.  From teacher troubles with activities, to children troubles – no, it was not a good morning.

Back inside the classroom I did our Morning Meeting with the children, and I knew something had happened on the other side of the room.  My co-teacher had spilled paint all over herself trying to set-up the activity for the morning.  It was yet another ‘moment’ to add to the day.

I stood up and yelled to my co-teacher, “Heidi, this is for you.  Aqua Roomers, you will love this song.  Alexa, play “Mama Said.”

The Shirelles belted out the song, I grabbed Heidi’s hands and pulled her over to Morning Meeting with the children.  We sang and danced.

It was wonderful.

We scrapped the planned book for the day and knew the perfect one to read, instead:

Absolutely nothing goes right for Alexander.  Nothing.  When things can’t get any worse, they get worse.  It’s a classic, we haven’t read it in ages.  It was definitely meant to be the story today.

At nap time, we write a daily newsletter to families.  Here is what we said:

Today was one of those days where things were just not working out for the teachers.  Our art materials were in disarray when we tried collecting them, our stamp pads were not working well at first (they needed some drops of water), we spilled bright pink paint, we spilled play-dough containers and the covers went flying (as well as bits of play-dough), we misplaced parts of an activity, and the technology was being tricky.  However, as the song says, “Mama says they’ll be days like this!”  With a wack-a-doodle kind of day, we as teachers could not resist reading a classic and favorite: “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!”  We just laughed at ourselves most of the morning over it all.  It sure is the best being in the Aqua Room and having fun!

Never underestimate the power of a good song or a good book.  Never underestimate all the happens in the day of a child and a teacher.  In the words of Pete the Cat, “It’s all good.”

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Inspiration, music, picture books, preschool, reading aloud, Singing, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , | 64 Comments

The Art of Disguise, “Swimmy” and Snow Geese

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Jennie

Cindy Knoke’s photography cindyknoke.com is nothing short of stunning.  From birds to wildlife to nature, she captures it all in breathtaking detail.  When I saw her recent photo of snow geese flying from a predator, I nearly jumped out of my skin.  Do you see what I see?  A giant fish?

The snow geese are in protective formation, just like the fish in the classic children’s book Swimmy, by Leo Lionni.  If you don’t know the book, stop by the children’s section of your public library and treat yourself to a great story.

This was the very first book I read to my preschool class decades ago.  When my head teacher asked, “Jennie, would you like to be the one read a book to the children every day?”, she put Swimmy in my hands, and my world of teaching was forever changed.


A happy school of little fish lived in a corner of the sea somewhere.  They were all red.  Only one of them was as black as a mussel shell.  He swam faster than his brothers and sisters.  His name was Swimmy.


One bad day a tuna fish, swift, fierce, and very hungry came darting through the waves.  In one gulp he swallowed all the little red fish.  Only Swimmy escaped.

The story continues with Swimmy being lonely and sad, yet he discovers the wonders of the ocean.  He comes across a school of red fish, much like his own.  Swimmy wants to play, but the little red fish are worried that the big fish will eat them.

Leave it to Swimmy to come up with a plan- to swim all together like the biggest fish in the sea.

He taught them to swim together, each in his own place.


And when they had learned to swim like one giant fish, he said, “I’ll be the eye.”

Swimmy and his new family swam in the cool morning water and in the midday sun and chased the big fish away.  This story has everything- adventure, bravery, fear, family, creativity, and persistence.  It will forever be one of my favorites.

Thank you, Cindy Knoke, for capturing Swimmy in your snow geese photo.  Thank you for reminding me of this wonderful book, and of my first days teaching and reading aloud to young children.

Jennie

Posted in Book Review, children's books, Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, Leo Lionni, literacy, Nature, picture stories, preschool, reading aloud, reading aloud | Tagged , , , | 53 Comments

What Would Mr. Rogers Do? The True Story of Sam

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Jennie

Sam was mad.  Really mad.  I watched him on the playground.  He was playing a game that mapped out all the pathways and running areas.  One place, alongside the dinosaur den was a ‘danger zone’, so anyone who ran across was sternly warned that it was not safe, and to find a different place.  No one payed heed to Sam, so things escalated.  It was not good.

A little backstory…

Sam isn’t in my class, but I see him on the playground.  He’s big, he loves physical play in a fun way.  He’s verbal, and likes to take charge with ideas.  He doesn’t always understand when a classmate is upset if he accidentally hurts them.  He is impulsive, yet he has a big and kind heart.  I have watched Sam run and chase, play rough and tumble play.  I have watched Sam dig a deep hole in the sand, collect sticks, find rocks, search for treasure- all with focus.  The outdoors is his element.

I have seen many tiffs with classmates.  The give-and-take of play does not come easy for Sam.  He has great ideas, yet if others don’t want to play the way he wants to, it becomes a problem.

Back to today…

When my kids came to me to complain about Sam, I headed over for a talk, which became less of a talk.

Sam:  They’re running across the danger zone.  I keep telling them it’s not safe, but they don’t listen.

Me:  They want to run this way.  It’s okay.

Sam:  It’s not okay.  They don’t listen.

Me:  That’s hard, but they’re your friends.

Sam:  No.  I hate them.  I have no friends.  Nobody is my friend.

Me:  Well, I’m your friend.

Sam:  Yeah, but nobody in my class is my friend.  I hate them.

This is when I listened, really listened.  Sam needed to talk.  Kids can’t keep ‘stuff’ bottled up inside.  Did you know the best way to listen to or talk with an angry child is side-by-side?  It’s soothing.  Face-to-face is too confronting.

Sam ranted, and I listened.  I never stopped to say “I understand”, or “I know how you feel” because I don’t know.

Me:  Do you have a pet?  They can be great friends.

Sam:  No, and I really want one.  I want an African penguin.

He told me all about the penguin with excitement.  He was the teacher and I was the student.  He talked and I listened.  The more Sam talked, the more I listened.

Sometimes we don’t need to fix everything or solve all the problems.  Sometimes just being there and listening is most important.  Mr. Rogers was the best listener.  That’s exactly what he would do.  He said:

More and more I’ve come to understand that listening is one of the most important things we can do for one another.  Whether the other be an adult or a child, our engagement in listening to who that person is can often be our greatest gift.  Whether that person is speaking or playing or dancing, building or singing or painting, if we care, we can listen.  ~ Fred Rogers~

I will always try to be a Mr. Rogers.

Jennie

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Inspiration, self esteem | Tagged , , | 87 Comments

Early Childhood Literacy & Purple Prose

Posted on March 26, 2023 by Jennie

As soon as I read “Early Childhood Literacy”, I was eager to read Liz’s post, and I was blown away by what I learned. Velma (her grandmother) is my new hero. She had an excellent education, rare for women in the early 1900’s. She studied under Clara Whitehill Hunt, the children’s librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. Whitehill chaired the American Library Association committee that established the John Newbery Medal. That stopped Liz in her tracks. Me, too.

Liz explores much more, from Whitehill’s purple prose book, to emergent curriculum (I champion that), to reading aloud, to Jack McCarthy’s performance. Read on!

Liz Gauffreau's avatarElizabeth Gauffreau

Image: greenmountainwriting.com

*Shaggy Dog Story Alert*

A Confession

I must confess that I have a fondness for purple prose–although not, of course, in contemporary writing. Perish the thought! Writing of the florid persuasion must stay strictly a nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century affair.

A Little Backstory

Toronto, c. 1920 Velma is on the left. Seated on the step below her is her friend Winifred Barnstead. The woman behind them is their boss.

When my mother was writing a family history of her matrilineal line, several years ago now, she made a point of telling me how important education had been to her mother’s parents. They had worked very hard to ensure that both of their children–my grandmother Velma and her brother Fred–had the opportunity for a university education. Unlike some at the time, my great-grandparents wanted Velma and Fred to escape the family farm in Economy Point, Nova Scotia.

Given how important…

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Posted in children's books, Early Education, Inspiration, literacy | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

‘Life is Good’ – It’s More Than T-shirts

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Jennie

The Healing Power of Optimism

Well, that caught my attention.  I know those words to be true.  I’m a preschool teacher; optimism and healing are in my pockets, and in my heart.  It’s what I do with children.

That was the title of the Massachusetts annual conference for preschool teachers whose schools are nationally accredited.  This was their first ‘live’ conference since COVID.  As soon as I read those words, I signed up.

The featured presenters were the guys from ‘Life is Good’.  Think T-shirts?  Think again.

These were the words that hooked me:

Optimism matters.  An optimistic disposition enables us – through everyday and extraordinary struggles – to look for the goodness in ourselves, in others, and in the world around us.  For professionals working with young survivors of trauma, optimism isn’t just a critical tool; it’s the pathway to healing for kids in need. 

Are kids in need today?  You bet they are.  Teachers (that’s me) have to carry optimism, because children learn from us.

Steve Gross is the Chief Playmaker of the Life is Good Playmaker Project.  Yes, they reach out to children with a recipe of play and optimism.  I saw what he does with children in communities that have next to nothing.  It’s simple, inspiring, and the grass roots are optimism.

Here are his words that fueled me:

We’re the gatekeepers of emotional and social wellness.

In the midst of obstacles are opportunities.

Play is about the way you do what you do.  Any activity can bring love and a playful approach.

Then, he talked about Freud.  Yes, Freud.

“Nothing gives a child more pleasure than when an adult gives up their oppressive control and plays with them as equals.”

I often write about making connections.  Here is what Steve said:

It’s all about connection.  Smile with your eyes.

Connection is a primal drive.  Children will not grow if they don’t feel connected.

Find those micro moments and celebrate.

Anthony (Ant) Toombs is the Senior Guide & Outreach Specialist of the Life is Good Playmaker Project.  He says the Life is Good slogan is “Do what you love, love what you do.”  For children, play is their work.  For teachers, you cannot spread what you do not have.  He reminds us:

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

There are four core ingredients for optimism (the roots):

  • Joy
  • Internal Control
  • Active Engagement
  • Social Connection

With those four, a child can find optimism, regardless of where and how they live.  I keep reading these ingredients, and I know – intuitively – it’s right on.

Here is a letter I wrote to teachers on my blog about finding joy:

Dear Teachers,

As you start your new school year there is one word that will get you through the uncertainty and the worry.  It’s the same word that is the heart of educating.  That word is ‘joy’.  No, it’s not the happiness that children bring. It’s the happiness that you bring because it inspires and ignites the mind and the heart of children.  Yes, that’s how it works.

Children come to you with big eyes, looking at you to teach them.  They don’t know what to think.  They want to learn, yet what they really want is to be inspired to learn.  That is where you can make a difference.

What do you like?  Because whatever it is, from math to music, that ‘like’ will become your best buddy, your guiding star, and the foundation to teach all the things that you like.  It will also become a portal to help you teach the things you may not enjoy.  If you know that every day you have some window of time to teach what you love, then you become an educator.  You go beyond teaching curriculum; you teach the child.

Do you like reading?  Does Because of Winn-Dixie or Charlotte’s Web make your heart jump?  Well, carry that book around and read it aloud on the playground, in the lunchroom, or at the bus stop.  If this is your passion, children will know, and they will listen.  They will learn.

Do you like science?  Carry a tuning fork, magnet, magnifying glass or flashlight in your pocket.  Pick up interesting pieces of nature and explore them with children.  This is one of the fundamental constants for learning.  If you are grounded in nature and science, bring your curiosity and discovery to the classroom and the playground; then the world will open up for children.

Do you love music?  Sing your favorite songs, sing the words to a book, sing poetry, or just sing the words that you say.  If this is your passion children will know.  They’ll listen and learn.  Introduce children to the music you love.  I bring my record player and old albums into the classroom.  Some years they love Beethoven, other years the Beatles.  The point is, they will love the music because you do.

Do you love art?  Don’t be afraid to use real artist’s watercolors when introducing art.  Children enjoy learning about famous pieces of art, too.  If you treat a child like an artist and treat the work s/he creates like a masterpiece, the results are remarkable.  When a child has created something and is incredibly proud, ask the child to give the art a title and record that to the work of art.  This simple affirmation has done more for the confidence and character of children than most anything I have done.

You may only like one thing, but that alone will open the door to help you teach the rest.

We all know that the emotional and social pieces for children need to be ‘there’ before effective learning takes place.  Well, flip-flop that fact from the child to the teacher.  If you the teacher are not grounded in an emotional and social component of educating, then how in the world can you get your message across to children?  You have to share your love and passions.  That’s your joy.  In that way, you are sharing you.  And, all that children want to know is that you love them and love what you are teaching.  If they know that, the floodgates will open to learning.

Maya Angelou was right when she said, “…people will never forget how you made them feel”.  The children I have taught for decades often return to school to visit.  They can’t put a finger on what it was in my classroom, but they come back.  Joy is the magic word.

Jennie

Optimism is the ability to see the good.  Choose to focus on the good.  This is what I do.  Every teacher needs to follow this path.

Thank you, Steve and Anthony.  Thank you, Life is Good.

Jennie

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Giving, Inspiration, joy, Kindness, Teaching young children | Tagged , , | 66 Comments