When the sun goes down in the late afternoon,
the light and shadows on the white house across the field
remind me of an Edward Hopper painting.
I love his art.
I love this house along the way.
This coming week at school we begin to prepare for our annual Art Show.
I’m ready! Thank you Edward Hopper.
Jennie
“Little House in the Big Woods”,
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This is our new chapter reading book at school. When I introduced the book to the children, I talked about all the chapter books we have read up till now – fiction books. We talked about the difference between fact and fiction, real and pretend. “Charlotte’s Web” is pretend. So is “Mr. Popper’s Penguins”, and so on.
And then came the fun part, telling children our new book is not fiction. “It is a true story! It happened nearly 160 years ago!” Yes, I was up on my feet pacing, as if I had found the last unicorn. Frankly, introducing this to children was better than that.
While “Little House on the Prairie” is by far the most popular book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, I am especially fond of “Little House in the Big Woods”, the first book in the series, before the family packs up and heads to Kansas in a covered wagon. This is the story of Laura and her family. It sets the groundwork for life in the 1870’s. The story is told through Laura when she was a little girl.
I stop reading all the time to ask children questions, such as “Why didn’t Pa just go to the store?” We have many conversations about the lack of cars, refrigerators, light, and electricity. There were no roads, and the big woods went on for miles. Laura and her big sister Mary had never seen a town, nor a store. As you can imagine, it takes some time to read! I’m giving children some understanding of life back then- history and geography.
My favorite parts in the book are Pa’s stories, interspersed throughout the book:
Did you know there were panthers in Wisconsin back then?
Children had jobs. When Pa neglects what he’s supposed to do,
he is alone in the woods at night. He is scared!
Children love scary adventures.
I have included a video of me reading this at the end of the post.
Doesn’t that tree look like the profile of a bear?
Pa thought it was a real bear.
These stories within the book are the flavor, the excitement, and just what children love. In some ways, when I read them aloud, I feel like I’m telling a ‘Jennie Story’. They are much the same. I guess I enjoy them as much as the children do!
In March of 2020, we closed our doors at school due to Covid. The first thing I did was set up a YouTube channel so I could continue to read aloud to the children. They needed normalcy. They needed their teacher. They needed me to read to them. Every school day, from March to June, I posted one picture book and one segment of chapter reading. We had just started this book, so I jumped in and picked up where we left off at school. Here is my reading the part with “Grandpa’s Sled and the Pig”:
After we finished this book, I was able to read aloud the entire “Little House on the Prairie” book. If you ever want to hear Jennie read, go to YouTube Channel and type in Aqua Room.
Jennie
P.S. My grandmother was exactly the same age as Laura’s daughter, Rose, and Rose was her name, too! Her life in a log house in West Virginia was much the same. Stay tuned…
As many of you know, my preschool children love the robots from Boston Dynamics. Last year it all started when I accidentally found this video:
Children were over the moon. We watched this video every day, and children began to identify with the robots. It grew, with so many questions about science and technology. Boston Dynamics engineers Katy and Justine Zoomed with the children to talk about science, technology, engineering, math (S.T.E.M.), and of course the robots. We connected!
Then, they were on 60 Minutes, and a parent sent this adorable photo of their child watching robot Atlas:
Because the interest in robots was so strong last year, we decided to have a unit on robots this year. The children fell in love with robot Atlas, and they are just as curious and interested in the science and technology as the children were last year.
S.T.E.M. is a big deal! This is how we build future engineers and scientists.
Thank you Boston Dynamics for inspiring the next generation.
So, we built our very own robot and named him Atlas. He was bigger than the children, and made from boxes and recycled items. Children wanted to write their very own Atlas story. Boston Dynamics loved the story, and we mailed it to them.
From Natalie, the Product Marketing Manager at Boston Dynamics:
“Hi Jennie, we did receive the letter and Katy actually presented it as part of a company all-hands meeting. Everyone loved it! Thanks for all that you do to teach your kids about robots :)”
Oh My Goodness! Katy the engineer presented the children’s letter to the company at an all-hands meeting, and everyone loved it. I am overwhelmed, proud of my students, and very thankful to Boston Dynamics.
Jennie
P.S. On a side note, here is their Super Bowl commercial. If you’re from Boston, you’ll love it. The yellow dog is Spot. My children love Spot as much as Atlas.
Thank you, Steve, for another wonderful example of the importance of reading and reading aloud. Clearly, his school classroom was just as rich in educating and understanding children as his Curbside Classroom.
Sometimes, the simplest reward can motivate kids. Take the 1 cent Pixy Stix…
A Chrysler assembly plant and Green Giant packing plant were the chief employers in the small northern Illinois town where I began my working career fresh out of college, an elementary school teacher for five years before transitioning into a life long sales position.
I had 32 students at a time when classroom size was not a high priority, especially in this rural blue collar town. The work was hard, fun and challenging. It’s teaching!
In elementary school, you teach the gamut of subjects: math, social studies, language, handwriting and reading. Specialists visited weekly to teach art and music. There were no computers in the class, nor the school, nor anywhere except big, temperature controlled rooms in office buildings.
Lesson plans were followed, accordingly, as we covered ‘new’ math, old history and the wonders of science. But…
View original post 328 more words
Norway has dominated the winter Olympics. Yet, the story behind how their athletes got there is fascinating. Is it rooted in childhood? You bet!
A recent article by Reuters, “Fun and Friendship Fuel Norway’s Gold Rush” hits the nail on the head. Tore Oevreboe and the Norwegians measure success in different terms.
“The main objective for us is to make the athletes have fun all the way through the Games,” he said as Norway won the men’s cross-country team sprint for a 13th gold at the 2022 Winter Games, one medal shy of the record jointly held with Canada and Germany.
The Norwegians put their winter sports success in recent years down to a three-pronged approach.
“One of them is to have a very high quality of daily training, which is the main thing to do to achieve development over time, and we are also very specific in the work with the competitions, preparations and execution,” he told Reuters.
“But there is a third area that we are very, very eager at working with – it’s to establish and develop good and safe relationships between the athletes themselves and also between the athletes and their coaches and the staff around.”
“We are very occupied with creating a good environment, a stable environment, a safe environment, an environment full of fun, so they can really enjoy life when they are doing sport at a high level,” Oevreboe added.
Creating those conditions for success begins long before Olympic champions get to the elite level.
Here is the really important part:
“This is part of the Norwegian sports model, all the way from the start from childhood – it should be physical activity based on fun, many types of activities, variety, different sports,” the 56-year-old former Olympic rower said.
“Lots of small competitions, but we do not track the results of the athletes.”
Stay with me on this, because all fun and no competition is NOT the answer. In the 80’s and 90’s where kids were forced into games at school where everybody wins, was a disaster. Competition is natural.
Oevreboe prefers an approach whereby youngsters can try as many sports as possible before specializing at a later age, rather than hand-picking talented children for specific events.
He believes the aim should be not just producing great champions but also good Norwegians at every level of society.
“Many of the kids have good opportunities to realize their potential in a variety of fields, and sport is one of them … and then they will develop their potential as humans and citizens,” he said.
Clearly, Norwegians encourage sports. They let the child find his/her way. They develop a bond among athletes. No wonder they dominate the Olympics.
As a teacher, I do the same thing. When a child is learning how to put on shoes, I cheer them on, step by step. I don’t do it for them. When a child is learning how to pump a swing, I shout out what to do with their legs, “Tuck them in, kick them out!” Other children are there, they see it all. It creates an athletic bond with peers.
I have to say, my thoughts immediately go to Finland. They have the same attitude and philosophy as Norway when it comes to school. I could go on! They’re among the top countries in education.
Jennie
Excellent quotations on teaching from Charles French!
View original post 11 more words
Today was the kindergarten’s “100 Day Museum'”display in the library at school. When children reach the 100 day milestone, they make a project at home, something that contains 100 objects. Classes are invited to the ‘museum’. We even had tickets in order to attend. Yes, it’s a big deal. We were at the museum, admiring every 100 Day display. Then it happened.
“Jennie, come here! Come quick! Now!”
That’s what I heard from Harry. He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to a corner in the library. He was beside himself at what he saw:
No, it wasn’t the picture on the top shelf. It was in the lower right hand corner, a box collection of the Little House books. The front picture is exactly the book we are currently reading, “Little House in the Big Woods”.
What a wonderful discovery! Other children immediately came over. Harry’s discovery now became their discovery. It was a moment. Three cheers to libraries and all they do to open so many doors for children. Harry made the connection that our chapter reading book was a ‘real’ library book.
Jennie
My beloved childhood dolls
It started last week. Dolls. It is growing in ways teachers hadn’t imagined. We rotate our dramatic play area frequently, and it’s been a while since it was our traditional housekeeping area with a play kitchen and dolls. Hey, we went to space and turned dramatic play into the inside of a spacecraft. Then, we had an Indian market with beautiful gold items and peacock feathers. Then, we had a robot building area.
Out of the blue, Lachlan asked about the dolls. He wanted a doll. As soon as we brought out our two dolls, everyone wanted to play with them. We had to use a timer and give children turns. Two dolls were not enough. Even adding Gloria to the dolls didn’t solve the problem. At lunchtime I told Lachlan about my dolls at home- my childhood Raggedy Ann and Andy, and my daughter’s Cabbage Patch dolls.
“Jennie, If you bring them in, I can take care of them.” My goodness. Of course I brought in my dolls! I can’t remember the last time children were so engaged.
As I showed children my Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy, James said, “Jennie, Gloria has the same socks.” Yes, she does! Harry said, “They have the same black eyes as Gloria.” Yes! Children always notice first.
Lucy and Maya were the first to reach out and embrace the dolls.
Then, the classroom became a school for the dolls. It started as Lucy School. She pulled chairs over to the easel for the dolls to go to school. She used the pointer. Other children wanted to go to Lucy School, too.
Teachers stood back and watched what was happening. Give children opportunities, and the world becomes their oyster.
Hannah wasn’t at Lucy School because she was loving the dolls.
Love. Dolls. Lucy School. Isn’t it wonderful?
Jennie
 | Carla on Mamma Mia! |
 | Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
| Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
| Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
| Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
| Carla on Mamma Mia! |
| Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
| Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
| Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
| Jennie on Mamma Mia! |
A Teacher's Reflections 