When Teachers Tell Their Stories – Part 5

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Jennie

In Part 4, I talked about adventure stories.  A cliffhanger ending holds  the attention in children, and that means more language and words are pouring into their minds.  Teacher bonding is an added bonus.  I told a Jennie Story with plenty of adventure, “The Raccoon Story.”

Part 5
The thrill of adventure stories continue.  Children are now connecting words and scenes with other stories we read aloud.  For example, when  Wilbur the pig was frozen with fear in Charlotte’s Web, a child asked, “Like Steve?”  Yes!  (You will understand after reading the story below.)  Making connections with stories across multiple avenues means critical, divergent thinking is developing.  Wonderful!

The Spider Story

“It happened like this.”  When I was first married we lived in Virginia, which is pretty far south.  The farther south you go, the bigger the bugs are.  Bugs are so much bigger in Virginia than in Massachusetts.  One evening after dinner I brought the dishes into the kitchen, and in the middle of the kitchen floor was the biggest spider I have ever seen.  We’re talking gigantic.  The spider was not moving at all.  I didn’t know what to do, so I yelled for my husband, “Steve!”  He came running into the kitchen, but when he saw the spider he froze.  I mean he totally froze.  He couldn’t even speak.

I asked him to do something, anything, but he just stared at the spider and never moved.  The Spider didn’t move either.  I had to do something, so I opened the cabinet under the sink and got the can of Raid.

At this point in the story the children have no idea what Raid is, or why it would be under the sink.  What should I do? 

I was so scared.  The spider still wasn’t moving.  I had to be brave.  It was up to me to get the spider.  I took a deep breath, shook the can of bug spray, and with trembling fingers I sprayed the Raid on the spider…. and instantly wooosh hundreds of baby spiders burst forth!  They were everywhere.  So, I used my feet and stomped all over the kitchen floor, getting the spiders.  Whew!  To this day, my husband is still afraid of spiders.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Nature, preschool, storytelling, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 81 Comments

The Eagle Scout and the Castle

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Jennie

Achieving the rank of Eagle Scout

Attending an award ceremony for an Eagle Scout is a complete experience.  The event is full of tradition, with Boy Scouts as flag bearers and candle lighters, reciting the oath and honoring their fellow scout.  Speakers include Scout Masters, State Representatives, and leaders in the community.  As I listened, the words and ideals centered on character.  Leadership, being humble, and giving service to others stuck with me.  That’s certainly Wesley.

The ceremony was quite moving.  Did you know that there is only one group of people, all of whom were Eagle Scouts? One. That group was the astronauts who landed on the moon.  I learned that only 4% of Boy Scouts of America have earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

When Wesley was in my preschool class, his favorite toy was a large castle.  He was obsessed with that castle.  He begged his mom and dad to buy him one.  He cried when they said, “No.”  So, I often had the castle available for Wesley to play with.  He never tired of this toy.  Never.

Fast forward ten years.  Every so often teachers do a major cleanout of our school’s attic.  Yes, there was the castle stored away in a far corner.  It was designated for the trash, as it was “well loved.”

“Wait!  You can’t throw out that castle!”

“It’s broken in spots and has some sharp edges.  It’s gotta go.”

“I’ll take it.”

And I did.  It went to my basement.  My grandchildren loved playing with it when they visited.  In the back of my mind I was saving the castle for Wesley.  It would make a perfect graduation present.

Four years passed, and I got the invitation to his graduation.  The event was outdoors at the new football field, so bringing along this gigantic castle was not an option.  As I pondered the best way to deliver the gift, I received an invitation to his Eagle Scout ceremony, at the local church.  There would be a reception afterwards, downstairs in the church reception hall.

I could make this work!

My husband and I arrived early, and I slipped downstairs to put the castle in the kitchen.  It was wrapped in a huge black trash bag, covered with bows and ribbons.  Done!

When the ceremony was over we all headed downstairs for the reception.  After many hugs and best wishes and congratulations, I said, “Wesley, I have something for you.  Can you get your mom and dad?”  He looked confused as I dragged out this large trash bag.  It stirred much curiosity to those close by, so there was a group looking on as Wesley opened the bag.

“The castle!  It’s the castle!!  I remember this.  I loved this castle.  How did you get it?”

And I told him the story of rescuing it from the attic years ago, and saving it for him.  His mom cried.  His dad thought surely this wasn’t THE one.  Wesley couldn’t stop touching.  He was beside himself.  Of course we all had to relive the story of the castle when he was a preschooler.

It was wonderful.

No words needed.
-Jennie-

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Giving, Inspiration, joy, Kindness, Student alumni, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , | 102 Comments

Bridges, Old and New

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Jennie

Bridges

Along the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut

where every bridge is different,

and old.

Art Deco at its best.

The Tappan Zee bridge

over the Hudson River in New York.

Newly constructed.

Modern architecture at its best.

Being surrounded by by these beautiful bridges today, old and new, gives pause for beauty.

Jennie

Posted in art, Inspiration, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , | 49 Comments

When Teachers Tell Their Stories – Part 4

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Jennie

In Part 3, I talked about telling scary stories.  Children love that anticipation of being scared.  One of my most popular Jennie Stories, “The Bat Story”, is just that – being scared.

Part 4
Adventure and ‘cliffhanger’ moments, when they really happened to your teacher, are gripping stories for children.  Every word becomes a thread to hang on to.  That means language and literacy is at a peak.  Bonding with your teacher is an added bonus.

The Raccoon Story

“It happened like this.”  Many years ago when my children were little, we lived in an old stone farm house in Ivyland, Pennsylvania. In the summer it often got very hot and we had no air conditioning.  Our house had three doors, two on the front and one on the back.  They each had a screen door, and those screens went all the way from the top to the bottom of the door.  On hot days we opened the doors wide and just used the screen doors.

One night in August it was so hot!  The doors were opened wide and the screen doors were latched.  I was upstairs in bed reading before I turned off the light to go to sleep.  Oh, no!  I could tell that I’d left the kitchen light on.  So, I climbed out of bed, went downstairs to the kitchen… and there in the middle of the kitchen floor was a raccoon!  He was huge.  The whole bottom of the screen door had been ripped open by his little paws.  And, there in the kitchen was our dog, frozen, and staring at him.

We kept the dog food bowl by the kitchen door.  On that hot summer night the raccoon must have smelled the food and torn open the screen to get it.  I didn’t know what to do, so I yelled for my husband, “Steve!”  A few seconds later I heard his feet running down the stairs.  He ran into the kitchen, saw the raccoon, and like the others, he froze and stared.

Then he said through gritted teeth, not really moving his body, “Jennie, get me the broom.  Please.”  I did.  With fear and bravery he scooted the raccoon out the door with the broom.  Whew!

Then my husband said, “Jennie, I want to make sure the raccoon is gone.  I’ll just open the door and have a look.”  I wasn’t so sure about this.

I said, “Well, I don’t know…” but he cut me off to reassure me everything was fine.  He opened the door and looked to the left.  No raccoon.  Then he looked to the right.  No raccoon.  So he closed the door and we headed back up the stairs to bed.  Then he said, “You know, I really should make sure that old raccoon is gone.  I’ll just step outside and have a look.”

This is where children’s eyes grow big and they shake their heads ‘no’.  The anticipation of something big happening swells.  They know it’s coming.

I said, “Steve, I really don’t think this is a good idea.”  “Jennie, don’t worry”, he said.  “It will be fine.”

He opened the door and looked to the left.  No raccoon.  Then he looked to the right, and there was the raccoon!  The raccoon started to chase him.  We had a root cellar in the yard, so Steve started running around it in circles, hoping to make a dash back inside.  One, two, three times he ran around that root cellar with the raccoon chasing him, yelling, “Jennie!”  And guess what?  He was wearing his underwear!  Peals of laughter!  After that night, we made sure we never kept the dog food bowl beside the kitchen door, especially on hot summer nights.”

That story brings howls of laughter from all the children.  It is a favorite, along with “The Bat story”.  Then, there’s “The Bird Story”, “The Spider Story”, “The Tree Story”, “The Halloween Story”, and at least ten more.  I’ll post as many as I can this summer.  They’re all true, and I hope they inspire you to tell your own stories.

Jennie

Posted in preschool, storytelling, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 101 Comments

Last Night

Posted on July 16, 2019 by Jennie

The Last Night

Jennie

Posted in geography, Inspiration, joy, Mother Nature, Nature, wonder | Tagged , , | 46 Comments

Sunset at the Cape

Posted on July 14, 2019 by Jennie

Together with friends at the Cape.

Every year for the past 25 years.

Life is good.  Feeling blessed.

Jennie

Posted in Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, joy, Nature, wonder | Tagged , , | 62 Comments

When Teachers Tell Their Stories – Part 3

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Jennie

In Part 2, I talked about language and words, and how the more words a child hears, the better s/he will do in school – in all subject areas.  I told my first-ever story, “The Peanut Man Story”, and how true teacher stories, ‘Jennie Stories’ have become beloved by children.

Part 3
Children like to be scared.  To be exact, they like the anticipation of being scared.  I think that might be why “The Bat Story” is a favorite.

The Bat Story

“It happened like this.”  When I was a little girl, I loved riding my bike. It was red. Every morning after breakfast I’d pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a brown paper bag and hop on my bike for a ride. I’d go to Ritter Park, stop in the Rose Garden, and then head up the long, windy road to Whitaker Hill. That was hard!  Then I’d ride back to the Rose Garden.  When the sky turned pink, and I knew it was time to go home.

One day, after riding my bike, I came home and rode my bike into the driveway.  I remembered what my mother told me,

“Jennie, be sure to put your bike into the garage and put the garage door down.  All the way down.”

Now, there were no garage door openers back then.  Nope.  There was a handle at the bottom of the door.  So, I had to reach way up and pull the door down. But, I had to be careful to hold the handle all the way down, otherwise the door would bounce back up, just a little.  I put my bike in the garage, pulled the garage door down, and did not hold the handle all the way down.

I went inside and my mother asked,

“Jennie, did you put your bike in the garage?”

I shook my head yes.

“Did you put the garage door down?”

I shook my head yes.

“All the way down?”

I shook my head yes.

“Good.  Wash up and get ready for dinner.”

We had dinner.  The whole family always had dinner together.  After dinner I played Go Fish, and then Monopoly.  My brother always wins.  My mother finally said,

“Time for bed.”

I walked to the stairway to head up to my room.  But just as I was ready to go up, I thought I saw something…black…go wooosh.  And then it was gone.  It happened so fast.  I must have been mistaken.

I went upstairs.  That was the second floor.  Then I went upstairs again.  That was the third floor.  My bedroom was on the third floor.  I washed my hands and face, brushed my teeth, and put on my nightgown.  I climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, and turned out the light.  I was tired.  I fell asleep.

This is when I get ‘scared’ as I tell the story. Sometimes I grab the hand of a child.  I breathe hard. You could hear a pin drop.

And then it was 10:00.  And then it was 11:00.  And then, and then…it was midnight. Suddenly I heard the two sounds that I was afraid of, the two sounds I hated more than anything in the world.  One sound went flap, flap, flap, flap.  The other sound went shhhooosh, shhhooosh.

It was a bat!!!

I pulled the covers over my head and yelled, “DAD!”  Two seconds later I heard thump, thump, thump- my dad running up the stairs.  He banged my door open, and jumped in my room holding a tennis racquet.  He went everywhere and swung the racquet.  He bopped the bat.  And…

I lean in, smiling at children like I’m telling a secret.

He was wearing his underwear!

Every child bursts out laughing.  I do, too.  The scary story has turned into a funny story. Throughout, I thump my feet when running up stairs, wave my hands to do bat flapping and soaring, and reach up high to pull down that garage door.

After the story, I always ask, “How did the bat get into the house?”  Of course we talk about the garage door and putting the red bike away.  Often this leads to even more questions and great discussions.

This story and “The Raccoon Story” – stay tuned for Part 4 – are children’s all-time favorites.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Inspiration, Nature, storytelling, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Mason and the Rainbow Song

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Jennie

Yesterday I filled-in at my school’s summer camp.  When I arrived at noon, children were at lunch.  After all the hugs and hollers, they begged for a ‘Jennie Story’, especially Mason. Interestingly, Mason has never been in my class. He was a kindergartner this past year. Like many children, he has heard my Jennie Stories through the school grapevine.

Later in the day, I was in the bathroom with Mason as he changed out of his wet bathing suit.  Bear in mind that the mind of a child is far more brilliant and fascinating than we realize.  The recall of a moment or a story or a song can be spontaneous.  And that’s exactly what happened in the bathroom with Mason.

The conversation went something like this:

“Jennie, I wish we could sing the rainbow song at camp.”

“What is the rainbow song?  Can you sing some of it for me?”

“Okay.”

Then Mason sang a few words, “Red and yellow and…”

“Mason, I know that song!  I love that song.  You sang it at your kindergarten graduation.  I remember.  Can you sing it again for me?”

“Yes!”

Mason puffed up his chest with pride.  Yet, he had a somewhat worried look.  I could tell he was missing kindergarten and this song, and he wanted to be able to sing it to me.

“Mason, can I sing along with you?”

He smiled and nodded at the same time.

Together we sang “I Can Sing a Rainbow.”  It was joyous.  Mason was terrible. I was worse. We barely remembered the words.  But, that didn’t matter at all. Mason needed to sing and remember, and I was lucky to tag along and be there for him.

After singing, we smiled and headed out to the playground.  Mason stopped.

“I love you, Jennie.”

“I love you, too, Mason.”

And that was that.  Five minutes in the bathroom can be the best teaching, and an even better giving.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Inspiration, joy, self esteem, Singing, summer camp, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | 69 Comments

When Teachers Tell Their Stories – Part 2

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Jennie

 

In Part 1, I talked about storytelling, true stories, “It happened like this” stories.  I had always read aloud to children, but telling them my stories was different.  It turned out that I had discovered another pathway to language and literacy, with a bonus of children bonding with their teacher.  Children then began to tell their own stories as well.  This was big!

Part 2
Storytelling is important to young children because oral language is the key to reading readiness.  It’s also a key to academic success.  Think about it; in early elementary school the primary source of instruction is oral.  At school, I tell stories every day at lunchtime.  They are true stories from my childhood and adulthood.  Everyone knows “Jennie stories”.  Decades after children leave my class, they still remember those stories.  Over the summer, I thought I would share some of those with you, and perhaps encourage you to tell your own stories.  Yes, it matters.  This is the first story I told to children:

The Peanut Man Story

“It happened like this.”  When I was in first and second and third grade, there was a man who lived in my town, Dr. Tyler.  He was really old.  He was short, heavy, and he had white hair and a white beard.  Who do you think he looked like?  Yes, Santa Claus.  I thought he was the real Santa Claus.

But, Dr. Tyler was not Santa Claus.  He was a peanut farmer.  His peanut farm was quite big, and over the summer he grew plenty of peanuts.  I’ve never seen peanuts growing.  Have you?  In the fall, he picked them all.  He had hundreds and thousands of peanuts, all in shells.  Then one day he would come to school.  No one knew when he was coming.  The principal didn’t know.  The teacher didn’t know.  He would just show up.  We could hear footsteps in the hallway and the classroom door would burst open.

This is where I stand up, pretend I have a big sack over my back, open it up, and then begin to make grand movements of scooping up and throwing giant handfuls of peanuts.

There he stood, saying nothing, carrying a big sack of peanuts over his back.  Now he really looked like Santa Claus!  He dropped the heavy sack onto the floor and the teacher yelled, “It’s the Peanut Man.  Duck”.  Everybody dove under their desks.  Then he took his big hand, scooped a huge handful of peanuts, and threw them across the classroom, hard.  We covered our ears and closed our eyes.  He did this again and again, throwing peanuts everywhere.  It sounded like pelting rain.  The peanuts were hitting the desks, the chalkboard, the lights…everything in the classroom.  Suddenly the sound stopped.  Everything was empty.  We heard footsteps, and the door slamming shut.

The teacher said, “Boys and girls, the Peanut Man is gone.  You can come out now”.  Wow!  The whole room was covered with peanuts everywhere.  The floor was so full that you stepped on peanuts wherever you walked.  They were in the lights on the ceiling, too.  We spent the rest of the afternoon picking up all the peanuts, putting them on our desks in a big mound, cracking the shells, and eating them.”

Storytelling bonds teachers, parents and grandparents to their children, passes down interesting and funny stories, and creates memories.  It’s important!  My next few posts will be the favorites of children in my classroom, such as “The Bat Story” and “The Raccoon Story”.  Summertime fun for me to tell you my stories, and for you to read them.

Stay tuned for Part 3.

Jennie

Posted in Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Inspiration, preschool, storytelling, Teaching young children, wonder | Tagged , , , , , | 59 Comments

Happy Birthday, America

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Jennie

Happy Birthday, America.
This flag was flown over the Navy Memorial
in Washington DC.
Proud to be an American,
one nation, one people,
with freedoms I will never take for granted.

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Jennie

Posted in America, American flag, Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, patriotism | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments