Stick it to them

Hello everyone!
Sorry for the delay in updating this blog. It’s been a hectic few weeks what with the end of school, exams, grading papers, etc. So, enough with the excuses. Let’s get down to business.

I want to tell you about a great short article a friend gave me the other day, “Lessons that Stick with a Child,” by Paula Spencer. She writes from a mother's perspective about the wonders of – get ready – STICKS. Yes, Sticks.

Sticks are a natural and fun tool for children useful in developing many skills. I can think of developing gross, fine motor, social, language skills. Most of all, creative thinking! Next time you are outside with your children, listen to how they play. A simple stick can be a fishing pole, a magic wand, a water blaster, an ant finder, and much more.

True, many of us in the adult world worry about a stick becoming a "weapon" or an opportunity to hurt someone or hurt oneself. But we must think more openly about this, use the moment to teach safety, to talk about weapons and not deprive the children from this tool for human growth.

Let them play with sticks, lots of them, and you play too!
Enjoy the summer!
N.

The magic of a simple light table

Have you ever had the chance to experience the wonder of a light table with your kids at school? Wow, it is quite an experience. What a fantastic tool to set the creative mind free! It's fun and an interesting, non-controlling way to develop math, science, fine motor, language, and creativity. Imagine getting down all these skills in a divergent frame of mind and hands-on. The aesthetic possibilities are countless.

For a while I thought of the light table as just a cognitive tool, but suddenly I got lost in it's magic. Some days ago the light table was out with glass gems, colored plastic sheets, translucent buttons, black cardstock shapes, x-ray cards of sea life creatures, and I saw how my kids went to town with these items. I was amazed at the creations that were being created before me. So I decided to take photos of these pieces and blow them up and display them in our next Art Show this coming April.

As you can see, the aesthetic value is BEAUTIFUL, almost magic. Several people in the center asked me what that was. They were surprised to learn it was "light table" art. This is a great way to wake up the aesthetic, divergent thinking, and creative sensibilities in your preschooler. Go for it. You will find yourself lost in the whimsical world of the light table.

The children will see colors move, interact with each other, patterns expand and contract before their own eyes. In the spring go for a nature walk and collect signs of nature, and bring them back to the light table. I just got a huge piece of honeycomb and can't wait to see how it looks like on the light table.

If you don't have a light table at your school, get them to purchase one or go online and find information on how to make one. You and your children will be ever so happy you did. Another wonderful, fun and meaningful way to develop all these skills and comply with "the no child left behind" deal...

Let's get creative and give our children a chance to really express themselves in their own way.

Yes! Spring is here!

First order of business? Got out to play!

It was a VERY windy day in the Midwest, however it did not stop us from taking advantage and explore the mysterious forces of the wind. The parachute was taken out of the closet and the adventure began.

The children felt the wind's strength firsthand, some got a little bit scared as their bodies where pushed and pulled by the wind and parachute. Just imagine how much effort we all had to put in, in order to keep the parachute under control. We definitely got in a great work out.

After playing for well over forty minutes and talking about the colors moving and guessing in what direction the wind was blowing from, we went inside and talked about storms, tornados, hurricanes, lightning and much more. Some children made drawings and stories. So, not only did they exercise their gross motor, science and social skills, they also got language and literacy.

Take advantage of the weather and come up close and personal with mother nature. She's great, and loves children! N.

Nature and the creative spirit

Last week here in Central Illinois we had some nice weather. Needless to say the kids and I spent most of the time outdoors. It had rained and there was plenty of mud out there. As soon we got outside the children ran directly to the mud. Sticks, and even tree limbs, where immediately gathered and construction was on its way. I saw a magnificent beaver house unfold before my eyes.

Wow! How awesome to see the children working together, using their imagination, looking for branches, rocks and kneading that soft, cool mud in their hands to make a beaver house. Not to mention how boys and girls worked together as a team to reach their goal.

Who says children need to be inside in a room with "teacher" teaching them all there is to know? Those kids talked about animal habitats, worked together and developed their gross and small motor skills, language, social/emotional and cognitive skills and sure got creative. Just by going outside and letting nature be their teacher.

Each year that goes by I'm more and more convinced that we "teachers" provide the atmosphere and inspiration and the children do the rest.

Please don't stay in. As the weather in your area gets better, GET OUT!!!!!!
Be healthy and happy.

See you soon, N.

Small gratifications from the trade

As you all know, last Friday many schools celebrated or tried to tone down a bit St. Valentine's Day, or maybe didn’t celebrate it at all. We went with the flow. Some children had been cutting hearts and parents asked for name lists to bring Valentine messages to teachers and children. We suggested to just write their child’s name; that way it would be easier for the children to pass the Valentines out. We talked about friendship, but that’s a topic we talk about all the time. No big deal.

However I had a pleasant surprise last Friday: one of my kids had a shirt from Puerto Rico. He wore a sweat shirt on top of the "T" shirt. Mid morning this child walked up to me and took off his sweat shirt. Imagine what a shock! I'm from Puerto Rico. I screamed in surprise. I took a photo and thanked him and hugged him for that great shirt. On Monday I'm bringing photos from back home (Puerto Rico) to show him and the rest of the kids.

Now, what really got me was when I mentioned it to his mother and she replied that he had been waiting all this time to wear the shirt for me on this special day. That melted my heart. It made me think of the bond between this child and me. Definitively it's one of those moments that pay off for "those days" we have from time to time.

Maybe this can lead to a social studies project about some aspect of Puerto Rico? The rain forest, the ocean life, the food, the music, animals, who knows…

I was happy to go with flow and allow this to happen.

Smile!
N.

Jambo!

Last Friday the children in Room A went to see a noon concert at the College. We saw the Jabali Afrika group frown Kenya. The children had a great time listening and dancing to very uplifting music. They also enjoyed and asked questions about the traditional native musical instruments, the clothes the performers wore and the language in which they sang.

I was delighted to see some of the parents who were close by arrive and take time to share this moment with their children and teachers. Nice way to break the winter blues. We all danced and had a good time. We were even late for nap time!!!! It was worth it.

Now let’s break this down: What did the children get from all this, besides the fun?

Well for starters: the children were exposed to something different. Music, language, dress, and instruments they don't see every day in a live context. The children participated in the performance. Now, when I play Kenyan music or read a book about Kenya or any other country, the children will have an experience to relate it to. Needless to say, the children will be much more interested and aware of any "ethnic" clothing I might wear to school or include in the dramatic play area – same as with other items around the room. Socially, the children had an opportunity to open up in a big and loud place and had a chance to express themselves. This, of course, leads to a healthy self esteem, a stronger sense of self; makes them feel closer to their peers, brings down any existing bias they might have heard.

I believe the event gave the parents an opportunity to be part of their preschool experience, in a "hands on" way. It brought closer the parents and staff. Hopefully coming together through this activity strengthened the parent's trust in their child's caregivers – not to mention all the other developmental areas that were touched upon, like, language, large motor, cognitive and so on.

So keep your eyes and ears open to any kind of cultural performance in your area and try to make it happen. This is just one of many opportunities.

Hope to hear from you.
Don't forget to smile.
N.

Today's economy and our children

Hi everyone!

Have you ever thought about how this troubled economy is affecting your children and their families, or even our co-workers; The loss of jobs, decrease in hours, less time to spend at home because a parent might have had to take in an extra part time job; Moving from a comfortable space to a smaller space or even to a crowded space with relatives or friends; having to leave the daycare to be at home or with a sitter; possibly a risky change in the food diet and a reduction on the family's health, social life?

All these factors can be real at one time or another in these tough times. Are we ready to provide sympathy and help to show our concern as professionals in the field?

Take a minute to reflect on that.

Even if no one is directly affected, the children are hearing about this on TV, morning radio news, maybe a family member or family friend is going through some difficulties or the parents are simply talking about it. It is a good idea to see if children bring it up, if not... you can. Talk about people who must get by on very little. Use books, newspapers, and magazines. Ask them questions, and be ready to provide some simple answers.

Same with the parents: write a newsletter and address the current issue and say you are planning activities and ways to expose children and help them understand to the best of your means this whole situation. Encourage sharing, recycling, nurturing and caring for others. Help them value what they already have, to be grateful. At school you can have children bring food, clothing or toys to donate at a shelter in the community. Set up a clean-up team to clean up around your center on a warm day. The children can be taken to the library, on a bus trip to keep their social levels active. Suggest play dates to the parents. Brainstorm!

In your newsletter give some tips to parents on how they can approach their children about this subject. What can they do to make things better? Reassure them that you are aware of what is happening and you are ready to listen and help. If there is anything positive we can get out of these times, it is to learn to live wisely, responsibly and caringly.

The main message should be: Everything will be all right, we love you, we will be together, and other people are worse off; let's work together and help others.

See you next time.
Remember to SMILE!
N.

Kids in the age of Hope

Hi!
Well let me tell you what happened during and after Inauguration Day.

We watched the inauguration at our Center's multipurpose room. The children were free to play as usual and those that were interested in the event were allowed to sit and watch. I had seven children that stayed tuned pretty much the entire time. When PRESIDENT Obama was officially sworn in, two of my 4 year-olds meet each other in a joyful embrace. I had wonderful pictures depicting the tenderness of the moment.

Later we sat and asked the children what they had enjoyed most of the inauguration. Here are some of the answers:
"I liked the cello and the violin."
"President going up the steps, president's helicopter."
"To see the president on T.V."
"The parade."
"I like Obama's daughters."
"The dinner."
"When Barack became president."
“I liked the drums."
"His speech."

As you can see, the children do pay attention to these things. We can help them to better understand what is happening and put it into perspective for them. Indeed a teachable moment for all.

Another child made a drawing and said it was a letter for me. When I asked what the letter said, he replied: "Nilsa, I love you on this special day of Barack Obama. We're going to the gym right? To see him be president, like the boss?"

Another child made the White House out of Legos. He said to me: "The White House has an antenna so Obama and the girls can watch t.v. Also Michelle. Obama has a car and a driver to keep him safe."

So I hope you keep this momentum going. Do the right thing and tell me and others your stories.
Remember, keep smiling!
N.

Politics and the classroom

Hello again!

With just one day left before Inauguration day, I must confess that I feel a rush of emotions. The excitement is everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you are for or against the ideology of our new leader.

I don’t know about you, but I feel empowered to do more not only in my personal life but in my work field as well. I feel the need to be truly accountable for the wellbeing of my preschoolers. It is my responsibility to instill in my room a deep sense of what I’m feeling today, such as respect, trust, and hope of better changes to come, changes that will affect our field for the benefit of our young generations. A change of personal values that will make me reflect constantly on the kind of impact I have in my preschool room.

Definitely this is a great time to jump on the train and enjoy the ride to Unity, Love, and hard work in the name of a better country for our children. Surely after tomorrow some of my children will be at school talking about our by then President Barack Obama , and I will be ready to seize the moment as a teachable one. What will you do?

See you soon,
N.

Oh, the photo credit for the above image is available at: flickr.com/photos/51035766351@N01/400464603.
Thanks for sharing.

Bond with your preschoolers the fun way

I hope your first week back at school was as pleasant as mine. It was great to see the kids and how just a few weeks can make some of these children change, I mean mature in their character. Some of my kids just seemed to have really grown up during the holiday vacation. I think the trust in parents and teachers have much to do with this change. Knowing that their feelings of security, nurturing, and love will be met as soon as they enter the classroom.

For example, this past weekend I took the Amtrak train to Chicago to see a relative of mine. I took photos of snow falling on the frozen Chicago River, on the sandy shores of Lake Michigan, on the mascot lions of the Chicago Art Institute, on the silver cloud structure of Millennium Park (the silver jelly bean) and on people ice skating in the park. Also more photos of places I went to eat, like Giordano’s pizzeria and Down Town Chicago Hot Dogs place, and Ghirardelli chocolate shop. Of course lots of photos of the sky scrapers.

A slide show was set up today, and the children loved to see my photos. They were interested in the snow, the lions, the people ice skating, the icy river and more. These picks had us talking about food, transportation, weather, art, sports, animals, geography and family. What I value most of all is that I got to share with them a little more about me, made the bonding between us stronger. So next time you do something fun bring back a little of it to your kids at school. They will feel closer to you and you will surely have more material to develop your lesson plans!

See you soon!

The serious side of Good Humor

Happy New Year to all!

Yes it is time for a new start in our goals, life resolutions with others and ourselves. I say, start the year off on the right foot. What better to make of your preschool room a safer, more comfortable, interesting and fun place to be?

Research shows, (and to me, common knowledge) that children perceive the emotional state of adults and react to it. This reaction can be positive or negative depending on the emotions. If you go to work overwhelmed by personal conflict in your life, the children can perceive it and feed off it. Chances are you will be snappy, and send a message of rejection to a child or children you are with. Also you can include the child’s family and your co-workers.

I know it is not easy at times; children and circumstances can make things difficult, but it is in our best interest as professional caregivers and teachers to provide a nurturing environment to all the people in our center.

One strategy that has worked for me for over thirty years is GOOD HUMOR. I swear by it. Having a positive, relaxed and fun outlook on life has saved my skin all these years. Even when dealing with parents or staff I keep things light and I try as much to be FLEXIBLE and find a common ground.

So this year, think about it, you’re just in time to begin a fun year for your kids and families, and what’s best, a fun year for yourself. See you soon and don’t forget to comment, suggest, and send information to this blog.

Remember: SMILE, LAUGH, AND BE HAPPY!!!!!