The beginning of the end

Returning from spring break has made me realize that the end of the school year is fast approaching. We have eight more weeks of class here before the summer holiday begins, and I feel like there is so much more I wanted to do with the children before the year ends.

We have completed one real project this year, I feel. The forest project engaged all of the students and lasted for about two months. There are some small things going on right now, but we are not "studying" one thing in particular.

Project-based learning is not frowned upon here, but it is not necessarily encouraged. I am lucky that I have the flexibility teach our curriculum through projects. We have broad "units of inquiry" that we do during the year, in no particular order, and so I can let the children lead me in my planning and link their interests to the "unit". I'm grateful to not have a set curriculum.

After a meeting with the other PreK teacher today, we are going to pick a unit and then see where the children take it from there. The unit is "changes" -- thankfully it leaves the door wide open for the children to take charge. And I always love seeing how the same thing can look so different after being presented to two different groups. I'm looking forward to tracking and journaling what happens in this space.

I have to remember that things pop up when you least expect them. I forget that and I look and look and look for answers, when I really have to encourage the children and wait. I'll call it proactive waiting.

Bye-bye classroom...

One of the first grade teachers just dropped the Sunday edition of the London Times into my lap after reading this article. The information isn't new, but it is good to see the concept becoming more popular. The article mentions the Secret Garden Outdoor Nursery, where I attended a workshop in January.

It is an interesting article...I will disagree with the "bye bye classroom" title, though -- It may not be your traditional classroom, but there is no less learning going on.

Right back to where we left off...

After a long break, it feels really good to be back. We had a wonderful day!

Project Learning in Public Schools

It is really interesting to see how project learning can look with young children in public schools -- this video from Edutopia is a nice example.

Teachers are often trying to imitate what they see in other classrooms - topics, projects, environment...when that really doesn't bring you to the right place. Teachers (and parents) need to watch and listen to see what is going to work, and read and watch for inspiration from other educators. And in this age of testing and standards, it is wonderful to see a school supporting and promoting project work as a means to learning.

Rest Time = Story Time

We have a rest time everyday in PreK. After lunch the children get their mats and blankets and settle onto the floor for a 45 minute rest. Some sleep, but many do not. And (in my experience) there is nothing greater than audio stories to keep the ones who are wide awake entertained.

I use recordings by Jay O'Callahan often. My husband listened to his stories when he was young, and he really is a magical storyteller with wonderful original stories.

Our school library has a collection of Winnie the Pooh stories read by Jim Broadbent that we use also -- he does all of the characters just right.

The kids love Peter and the Wolf, too... I've been meaning to pick up the David Bowie version.

You have to change things up sometimes, though -- the same stories can get a little repetitive, right? So I was happy to have stumbled across StoryNory while searching for an audio reading of The Owl and The Pussycat by Edward Lear. I ended up downloading quite a few stories that we'll be trying out next week at rest time.

Do you have rest time? How do you feel about "making" kids rest?

My Favorite Places, Part Two...

Well it has been quite the week of traveling. I will be dropping my film off when our visitors leave and I'm looking forward to sharing some of the inspiration I have found around France and Belgium when it all comes back!

I hope you have been reading these...they really are wonderful. And to fill in a little more of my absence, I thought I'd mention a few more great places to go.

The Living Classroom is about a multi-age classroom in Seattle. The work the children do is inspiring.

Book By Its Cover is a great collection of books and sketchbooks. Some are for children, but all can be appreciated by adults as well.

And Playful Learning is a wonderful resource - the posts often include great links to other wonderful things, too. I believe that is where my addiction to little games over here came from.

Happy week-end...

My Favorite Places, Part One...

Well, I am officially on spring break, and my in-laws are here. It is not looking likely that I'll be writing much in the next two weeks, even though I would love to...so how about some other things to read? Here is the first part of some of my favorite places to go daily.

Urban Preschool...This inspired me to start writing about early childhood education. It is a fabulous place to be inspired by ideas and design for young children.

Camp Creek Blog...Lori is a wonderful resource on all things project based. Another great inspiration!

Leaves & Branches, Trunk & Roots is something that I have been reading non-stop. It really feels like you are right there in the classroom with the children working on some amazing projects.

Read up, have fun!

Outdoor Classroom Links and Inspiration

I have gathered some inspiration for outdoor learning spaces. I just can't stop thinking about the possibilities for ours! Some of my favorite photos cannot be posted here, but you should go visit Imagine School Design for some really lovely photos and inspiration. I love the Auroville Kindergarten in India, especially the gymnasium type room with no walls.

The Pen Green Centre has a sand area that is much more beachy than boxy; and

The Covolo di Pederobba Nursery in Italy has an indoor/outdoor courtyard that would be ideal for meeting and conversing and trying out ideas.

We may not be able to hire architects, but at least we can look and think, and then rearrange a few things in our own spaces and look at the environment in a new light.

As of tomorrow at 3 pm, I am officially on my two week spring break! I'll still be writing and sharing, but a little less frequently due to visitors. But I'll have a special announcement about a giveaway at the beginning of May!

Happy weekend!

Slides and Negatives

I am losing my light table mojo, I think. I have a big light table in my classroom that thrilled me at the beginning of the year, but some days I just feel like hauling it out.

My last good moment of light table inspiration came when I brought in some slides and negatives to put on the light table with magnifying glasses. For the first time in weeks everyone visited the light table to look and explore. The slides were the most fascinating because it is a positive image. The children were looking closely and noticing details like flowers, dogs, houses, and "Allie!" The negatives were harder to recognize shapes and objects in. But it was a hit for a whole week!

I think I would like to take photos of the children using slide film and use that on the light table -- that would be an exciting hunt for them.

An Outdoor Space

Have you ever had an idea one day that is so incredibly obvious you should have had it long before? Because everything was just sitting right in front of your face, not being used, waiting for you to notice it?

Last Friday when just a few children were up from rest time, working purposefully at the writing table, I thought I would go get the unit blocks that I put outside to dry out some tree stumps in September. Those unit blocks were rotted and black, and I could see them sitting there through the large glass door in our classroom that opens up to a narrow cement walkway about 40 feet long and five feet wide. A door from the other PreK class also opens onto that walkway, and opposite from the classroom doors is a four foot wall. Between the two classrooms, the walkway widens to about eight feet, and there is a small table weathered from being outdoors.

I hope you see where I am going with this.

I have an outdoor learning space attached to my classroom.
I did not notice it until April.
I am excited beyond words.



I immediately took the tree stumps off their rotten block stands and put three at each end of the walkway. Boundaries and seating and something to explore as well! The children came out the door to see what I was doing and began running back and forth between the two sets of tree stumps. One of my four-year-olds stepped up onto a stump and could easily see over the wall -- the view is a wooded area between the main road and school. It is brillant!

height assistance:

the view:

I used to be jealous that the two nursery classes have doors that open directly onto the playground. I thought of how great it would be to give children the freedom to choose between indoor play and outdoor play during choice time. The idea of a free flow between our classroom and the outdoors was appealing as well. With this space now, the children are within view, they have more choices, and can choose a new, engaging environment. Right now I honestly feel like I could write about this for hours. And hours. So I think I should switch over to my journal and maybe fill you in with more concrete thoughts at another time. Visions of sensory tables and planters are dancing in my head.

I am excited to brainstorm abou this environment. Do you have an outdoor space that is not specifically for "outdoor play"? Would you like one? How do/would you use it?

Grown Up Block Play

It's good to see blocks outside of the classroom...I saw them here.


I see the kids so engaged with block play - I'd like to settle in and build for an hour or so myself sometimes. Do you ever feel like that? Perhaps the block area should be included in classroom environments for children older than PreK...I'm thinking about how children in high school could benefit!

via fine little day

Words of Interest

On Tuesday, we reflected on what has been happening lately in our classroom by drawing and writing in our journals. We provided some words to go along with popular interests...

They Quickly Ran from the Enormous Finger

This is on my wish list. So simple, so funny. I can see a one of my students in particular doubling over with laughter on the last page and then running to the writing table, inspired.

The Rainy Season looks amazing, too. It appears to be sold out on the website, but I just happen to be going to Paris in two weeks and will definitely be swinging by Colette...they are supposed to carry them. Each book is silkscreened by hand and a limited number are available.

I'm inspired to do some drawing myself, and I'm thinking about wordless books now!

*from andy smith via book by its cover