Now, this was not a trick question. Rather, it was a ‘PSA”, Public Service Announcement, for the kids I cross as a school crossing guard. I thought that I was just reminding them of the date.
“Yes, it’s Pi Day!”
“Pie Day? No, it’s March 14th!”
“That’s right, ‘Pi Day’, 3.14…..”
They had me. They were teaching me, turning the tables from our usual morning exercise. And, it was fun, lots of laughs.
These kids are sharp!
The mathematical ‘Pi’, of course, is the ‘ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter’. No, I didn’t know that. At one time, maybe, but years ago. One of the kids, a high school student, told me. I had more questions, but we were across and my ‘source’ was heading for her building, probably to a quantum physics class.
We are learning about Italy, which is just perfect as we prepare for our annual Art Show. It’s only a few days into the learning, and already we are bursting at the seams in the best of ways. Here is what happened today:
Our first art activity was fun. Nothing serious, just combining Italy and art. We glued tissue paper circles onto paper, and then dropped cooked spaghetti dipped in black paint on top.
The children know that pasta doesn’t come from Italy. It was invented in China (ice cream was, too). Still, it was fun to drop and throw spaghetti. We learned about pasta and much more in a favorite book from a series, Look What Came From Italy.
As we read the book today, we also discovered that Italy is the home for inventing pretzels, the radio, the fork, lock & key, and the cookie. How cool is that? And then I turned the page in the book to discover that the concept for a symphony orchestra was from Italy.
I showed children the picture- the big curvature on a stage with instruments grouped together. They had no idea about a symphony orchestra. Of course not, they’re three and four years old. I talked about instruments and music to fifteen blank-faced children. And then I knew I had to do something. This was too important. This was music, and a symphony. Children needed to learn and hear.
Can you tell I was passionate?
I grabbed our iPad and typed in ‘symphony orchestra performance’. What came up couldn’t have been a better introduction. A ten minute video of the Symphony Orchestra of India had every child spellbound. They saw and heard each instrument, including a banjo and a djembe. We watched the video twice.
The best was yet to come. The picture book I read aloud before lunch, No One Saw, showed important pieces of art.
This is what I did:
I showed children the book cover and just waited. I said nothing. McKinley’s face lit up. She pointed above the loft and said, “We have that!” Yes, we have a Starry Night poster hanging on the wall. Then we looked carefully at the picture on the book. It showed van Gogh’s brush strokes in greater detail.
“How do you think he did that? Do you see the colors? His brush strokes went this way and that way.” I moved my hand in circles and curves.
Ah, I had planted a seed.
It was time to read the book. I opened the book to this page:
I acted surprised. Actually, I acted startled. My big, booming voice said, “Eddie! You could do this! Look!” I put the picture in front of him. Eddie’s saucer eyes stared at the painting, and he shook his head ‘yes’ over and over. I could have said that to any one of the children. All would have had Eddie’s response.
“Eddie, what colors would you need?” We talked about the colors. Children had to really look at the painting.
I moved on to the next picture in the book:
“Mia! You could do this!” In the same manner that I did with Eddie and Monet’s haystacks, I repeated the process with Mia and Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers. I continued with other works of art, like Sunday, by George Seurat. We had to look closely to see the many, teeny-tiny dots that he painted.
When I turned the page to this painting by Mary Cassatt:
Emmett nearly jumped out of his skin. Before I had a chance to say anything, he said, “We have that in the blue bathroom!” Yes, we have that hanging in the children’s bathroom. Emmett recognized it immediately.
Here’s the thing. Before children begin to create art in earnest, they need to feel art, feel that they can do this. They need to see art with all its colors and brush strokes. They need to be empowered.
Today we begin our month-long journey of creating masterpieces for our annual Art Show.
“It took me a lifetime to learn to draw like a child.” -Picasso-
“I would like to paint the way a bird sings.” -Monet-
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”
-van Gogh-
“Color is a power that directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard. The artist is the hand that plays.” -Kandinsky-
“There are flowers for those who want to see them.” -Matisse-
Jennie
P.S. There really is a red house in Starry Night. Thank you, Snoopy. And thank you, Liam, for pointing this out to me years ago when you were four years old. I never saw it, but you did. Children catch far more than we do.
There are teachers, and there are remarkable teachers. Steve the Crossing Guard is one of the remarkable teachers, and he doesn’t teach in a classroom. He teaches on the street at a school crossing. The children at his crossing will often learn far more than they learn in the classroom.
I got an email from Steve the Crossing Guard at 6:39 AM. It was titled, “Boston Massacre 3/5/1770”.
The text simply said:
Yes, you bet we’ll discuss it, within the hour…
Have a great day!
Steve
WOW!
This is exactly what Steve the Crossing Guard does. He is so excited for what’s to come, because he has planned questions and challenges for the students. The anticipation of knowing and then wanting to pass it on is the greatest feeling. Really.
At 8:01 PM that night, he emailed:
Jennie,
So much history tomorrow: Michelangelo’s bday; fall of the Alamo; Dred Scott case. But, I’d be remiss if I didn’t focus on a huge event, Nabisco’s introduction of the Oreo cookie in 1912. I bought 2 pkgs, 72 cookies, to pass out tomorrow morning. Isn’t history wonderful?
Steve
Happy Birthday, OREO cookie March 6, 5:37 PM
I mentioned Michaelangelo in the afternoon, the kids were pretty much aware of his. But honestly, OREOs won the day.
If I remember, I’m going to talk about Michaelangelo again tomorrow morning and ask, “what do we need to do to be remembered almost 450 years later.”
This is becoming work, I have to prep at night for the next day.
Have a great day, Jennie!
Steve
March 6, 9:51 PM
It was pretty good. A few mentioned that they had studied it in middle school, so, there was some familiarity. However, some were impressed, or surprised, that it was J Adams who defended them. I didn’t tell them the outcome of the trial. I suggested they find out for themselves. I’ll follow-up on that.
Jennie, if you were at my crossing, you would be so enthusiastic that we’d all be mentally tired listening to you saying, ‘more, more, ask me more’. I would be drained trying to satisfy your appetite.
I’m beat. Gnight, my friend!
Steve
They Teach Me March 7, 8:24 PM
Such a good laugh starting the day with a high school brother/sister. I asked what Michelangelo would have tweeted when he finished the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, if Twitter was available. The boy, Lewis, said “LOL, It’s Done!” We had good belly laughs.
But another boy, a Senior, informed me that Michelangelo was made to do the ceiling by the Pope and it took 15 years. I was ignorant about that but loved the info.
A few minutes later, a high school girl started educating me on the ‘radium girls’, a fascinating story of corporate cover up and courage. It’s the play this Spring but I’m getting the book. Check it out on Wicki.
Any day that begins with a laugh is a good day.
Have a great Friday, Jennie.
Steve
P.S. Friday’s word is PETULANT
March 9, 7:18 PM
These kids are anything but ‘petulant’, and I told them so. Also told them to use the word in a sentence 10 times and they’ll remember it forever, or, until they get old, like me.
They listened (and I have to go fast to get it in) and I’m sure some will remember it. But, they were interested and that was rewarding.
Thank you, Steve. Beam me over to your crossing. I want to be there, too.
In Part 2, I shared some of Mister Rogers’ words of wisdom from my treasured book, The World According to Mister Rogers. Important Things to Remember. I also included the words to one of Mister Rogers’ best songs, “It’s You I Like.”
Part 3 I will have the good fortune to attend the Massachusetts chapter of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) annual early childhood teacher conference later this month. The keynote speaker is the head of the Fred Rogers Foundation. He was prominent in the outstanding documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (available on Netflix. Highly recommended.) I am beyond excited!
Mister Rogers’ words of wisdom (I call them pearls) are among the best. I share with you some of my favorites from my book:
No matter how we change on the outside, we’re still the same on the inside.
The gifts we treasure most over the years are often small and simple. In easy times and in tough times, what seems to matter the most is the way we show those nearest to us that we’ve been listening to their needs, to their joys, and to their challenges.
You bring all you ever were and are to any relationship you have today.
How great it is when we come to know that times of disappointment can be followed by times of fulfillment; that sorrow can be followed by joy; that guilt over falling short of our ideals can be replaced by pride in doing all that we can; and that anger can be channeled into creative achievements…and into dreams that we can make come true.
Development comes from within. Nature does not hurry but advances slowly.
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.
Play does seem to open up another part of the mind that is always there, but that, since childhood, may have become closed off and hard to reach. When we treat children’s play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that’s to be found in the creative spirit. We’re helping ourselves stay in touch with that spirit, too. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.
These pearls of wisdom are far beyond childhood. They are life lessons.
Our dear classroom friend, Travis, comes in with his guitar and sings with the children. The children adore him. And, the first song he always sings is, “It’s You I Like.” Children need to hear this over and over again. Mister Rogers knew that. Thank you, Travis.
The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.
George Washington
From the Preamble to the Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Oath to Uphold the Constitution
For members of Congress
“I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to…
A Teacher's Reflections 