A Tribute to The Early Childhood Educator

Here is a tribute to the Early Childhood Educator.

The hopelessly optimistic.

The peace maker.

The negotiator.

The round peg in the square hole.
The one who will always see things differently.
And welcomes spontaneity.

Parents  love them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as those square pegs,
many see genius.

Because the people who are unique enough to think
they can change the world,
Are the ones who often do.

~Adapted by Barbra The Bloggess from Apple 1997 (Ad)

This is the Way Preschoolers Say Thank You

I get so many thank you notes and drawings from the wonderful preschoolers I work with. It's just another one of the perks of being a teacher and a friend. I found it interesting that our preschoolers have themes to their thank you pictures sometimes.

The Five Little Pumpkins (sitting on a gate)

"This is 'aposed to be da five little punkins on the gate. I didn't drawed the gate. The punkins are wondering where it went, too. That is why they look surprised. I drawed this for you a'cuz I like you."
~ Jared
The Rolling Pumpkin

"He was rolling and fell into the graveyard thing. He said, "Hey! I'm gettin' outta this joint!" and rolled away. I don't think pumpkins like to be scared. I don't like to be scared, either. I don't blame him, ya know."
~Marrissa
Halloween Thank You Picture (Untitled)

"The cat came to sniff da pumpkins. They smell good. I drawed a lot of pumpkins because I am good at it. The other stuff is Halloween decoration for your house. Oh, and I drawed a lot of pumpkins  because I am good at it."
~Kayla

Joy

 "The best vitamin for joy in my life is B1"

One of the kids asked me a question after we sat down for a pizza party. The room was buzzing with parents and families and we were having a great time. She whispered in my ear. Ear whispering means it's a very important, yet private question. I leaned in carefully to hear.
"Ms Barbra?" Her breath smelled sightly of Hawaiian Punch.
"Yes?" I whispered back.
"My mommy and daddy are here."
"I saw that. What do you think?"
"Well...um, well. We will eat pizza now and I thunk-ed something but I don't know what it is."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, uh-huh. It's that feeling in my tummy I get when I eat pizza. It's like that to see my mommy and daddy, too."
"Hmmm-mm......... Joy?"
"Hey!" She smiled. "That's it!"
Amazing.
Amazing how such a three letter word look so small printed on paper. But by simply being appreciative for what we have  in our lives, we find out what a great and precious gift it really is.

Friendship

"A true friend reaches for your 

hand and touches your heart."

~Attributed to Heather Pryor

I really appreciate the friendships I have formed though out the years. They has taught me to be a better wife, sister, friend and teacher. I'm don't know what I would do if I didn't have good friends to lean on...
I know that's why I enourage forming friendships with the children.
The best time to make a good trusted friend is well before you need them.

Investing in People

 Quality early childhood programs not only help develop the next generation but know that the family is a vital part of a child's education. It's nice to know there we are working toward a better brighter future for our families by investing in them. People that understand there are no 'small things', just small things done with great love that will make a difference. Small really is big after all.....

Total Recall

 “Now that it's all over, what did you really 

do yesterday that's worth mentioning?”

~Coleman Cox

I often do what is called “Recall Circle” with the children. It is a time of reflecting on work the children did before we gathered. They often say with whom or where they played…what they did, how they did it…as the year goes on their language gets more intricate and detailed. I love to take dictation during this time.
“What about you, Ms. Barbra? Tell us what you did!” The children questioned me. As I looked at their happy hushed, smiling faces I told them where I worked and who needed me. After we’re done we all clap for each other.
Every now and then I take a tally of my day…and imagine their sweet little faces asking me that question.
If I can’t think of anything, I definitely find something worth clapping about.

Even Stephens

 "I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”
~ Lao-Tzu

It seems like the quote is a contradiction.
I suppose it depends on how you look at it….where you have been and where you perceive you are going.
I finished eating myself sideways with holiday leftovers sitting in a comfy chair with a family that loves me. I have no lack for anything….
As far as teaching goes I learned more than I was taught, I received more than I gave, and I was loved more than I loved…
I wonder how I could ever make up the difference for all the blessings I have received this year. I could never come close to even….but then I realized….no one ever asked me to make it even.
For that, I am thankful.
Thank you…and
I love you, too.

Anything but Small

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

~M. Kathleen Casey

I had the honor of working with a little girl with Spinal Bifida. At the time I was a director of an after school program and she came in with the school aged kids after school.
Sometimes the kids would turn their noses up at the healthy snacks the teacher’s provided. I would hear ‘Winnie’ stand up for the teachers explanations while I was at my desk.
“Yeah, guys…come on, even the doctors tell me I have to eat right. If you ever have as many surgeries as I do-you will heal faster and feel better.”
All the kids liked her. Winnie walked with crutches and frequently had pins put in her hip. She was small in stature...petite. Her favorite shirt was pink and had pink rhinestones encrusted on the front saying, SMALL BUT MIGHTY. It’s difficult for me to write about it now…but all I really remember about her was her strength and courage. She was always smiling, laughing and quick to cheer someone up. She once told me that the surgeries she went though were hard on her parents…
“I ask them if they are going to be okay.”
Why are children like Winnie called, ‘special needs’? The ‘special’ part I understand….so selfless and courageous.
I stub my toe you would think I have squirrels juggling chainsaws in my head for those few seconds….did we get it wrong? I mean…who really are the ‘special needs’ people?

The Honorable Mention: The Early Childhood Education Blog

“Millions and millions of years would still not give me half enough time to describe that tiny instant of all eternity when you put your arms around me and I put my arms around you.”
~Jacques Prévert

“Ms Barbra?”
“Yes?”
“Alex coughed his amoeba’s on me and now’d I’m sick.”
“I’m sorry to here that, Lisa. What’s wrong?”
“I have H1MTV.”
“What was that, my friend?”
“I said- I have H1MTV.”
Alex walked over, “Can we give you a hug?”
“Hmmm…. would you like a hug?” I offered.
“Yes, please.” Lisa smiled.

I really love being in early childhood education....

The Thank You Song

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
~G.K. Chesterton

Children are so precious…words just can’t tell you how my heart goes out to them and their families. I know the choices I have made within the classroom setting will impact the future generations. I am not one to cut corners, take the easy route…I take education seriously, in the sense that I am about focus. Am I perfect?…PPPPht, no…but I sure try.
What good is learning and creativity without depth?
Depth=Volume /(length x width).
A child can develop creatively “long”, and not be wide enough.
A child can be very “wide” in their learning but, still- not be long enough…something is lacking.
I added an ingredient to my preschool curriculum long ago that I found can only work through constant repetition. It must be put in the forefront of their mind, and mine…sometimes; I suppose…it’s easy to forget. Something so very needful-is so easy to forget…what is it?
Thankfulness.
That missing piece gives us volume...and gratitude mixed with joy gives us depth.
Here is a song we sing before snacks and lunch-
It’s to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

The Thank You Song

Thanks for the snack (Lunch) I like it fine,
Thanks for the drink it’s a favorite of mine.
Thanks for the things we share today,
Thanks for the wonderful chance to play.

Why I Love Teaching Young Children

 “Working with young children is like having a job description carelessly scribbled out for you in a box of bold colored crayons-you’re free to explore, create, think outside the box….you just don’t always have to ‘stay within the lines’.”
-Barbra Stephens

Appreciating Teachers

"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child."
~Carl Jung

Encouraging Active Participation in Preschoolers

 “Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.”
Eddie Rickenbacker, World War 1 hero

I love positivism. It comforts me like a warm blanket. Within the preschool learning environment, one way to inject it immediately is through applause. Yes, applause. In my classroom we clap and cheer for one another constantly and for everything. We also take it a step further. Within the curriculum we will clap for the heroines in the stories we read, the coats we have managed to put on, the sticky little hands we have washed…The children are learning to notice and to respond to one another in positive ways. Individually and as a group.
I recall a little boy in my three’s class. He’s name was Marcus, and he loved ketchup. He elected on his own not to speak at preschool, but today was the day he decided to talk. One day we were all sitting at the snack table and he let out a low soft whisper, “Please, I have ketchup, please”.
Everyone froze. Some children even froze with spoonfuls of cheesy mac still in their chubby cheeks. Finally, Mei-Mei broke the silence, “Wow! You talk! Let’s clap for the man!” We all began to clap and cheer. Marcus smiled a big Cheshire Cat grin as he stood up and bowed. “Hey!” I suggested, “Marcus, may we show you how happy we are for you by giving you a ‘standing ovation’?” Marcus nodded in approval. I explained to the children that when you stand up and clap for somebody that means you think they did something great. They all agreed, and it was the start of something wonderful! At our circle time gatherings, we had children regularly report accomplishments that needed ‘standing ovations’. It built such a sense of community in the classroom; to see children so young learning to encourage one another to overcome heartbreaking obstacles in their lives. For children so small, it is such a great and wonderful thing!

Humorous Gift Ideas For Your Teachers

“Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.”
-Garrison Keillor


We do love getting gifts. Here is a really cute idea a parent sent me in a small decorated box from one of the kids. I thought it was a great gift idea to share and pass on.
There was a card attached to it that had this written on the inside.

What’s inside the box:
1 candle-Because you always burn it at but ends.
1 bag of Sun Chips-You know how to brighten everyone’s day.
1 bag of marbles-Just in case you lost some of yours.
1 small bag of sugar-You know how to sweeten sour faces.
1 bag of rubber bands-Your so flexible and know how to keep it all together!

The Honorable Mentions

"There is always one moment in childhood when the  door opens and lets the future in." 

~Graham Greene, The Power and the Glory 

 

Something my father told me really helped me as I became a teacher.
I came home from school one day with my third, 'Honorable Mention' ribbon. I was really disappointed. I never quite seemed to make first place, or second or third place....I was always mentioned last.
"Why do you complain when you are given such an honor? He questioned me with concern,"Look up, 'honorable' in the dictionary and you tell me what it means."

Honorable; Of high rank, dignity, or distinction: noble, illustrious, or distinguished. Upright.

I went back to my father and smiled.
"Why does my teacher always hand out the 'Honorable Mentions' last, then?" I sighed as he put his arm around me.
"Good question," He said smiling back at me. ( I really liked it when he said I had a good question). "This world is backwards sometimes, first is last and last is first-remember not to forget."

I was eight-years-old.

I still strove to be the best I could be...but when my name wasn't called it wasn't always so bad.

I suppose as we get older there is depth to what we learn and remember as children. I remember the comforting words of my dad...back then, and that being last is okay.

Now as an adult I can see what it means to truly give of yourself. To sacrifice of your time, energy, and to love and not expect anything in return. 

I guess if you do stand still in life you wind up walking backwards....

Building, moving on, success.....for all us Honorable Mentions out there.

That's progress.