Are you having a tantrum?

It was time to get dressed for the day and she insisted on wearing yesterday's dirty pants and her blueberry-stained pink nightshirt, which was now soaking wet due to her post-breakfast sojourn washing dishes.

Frog is 2 1/2 years old, so "insisted" is very evident - you see it on her face, hear it in her voice, watch it explode throughout her body. 

I set out some clean clothes choices on my bed, for her to choose from. This was a bit of a 'redirect' move on my part - she loves to jump on my bed and hide under my pillows, so if I could get her to the bed, perhaps she'd stop digging in her heels about the clothes.

Ha.

She ran around the bedroom in circles looking for the dirty pants of yesterday, while yelling "I want those pants!"

I moved to the bathroom, prepping her toothbrush, knowing if I just moved ahead with the next thing on the agenda, we might lessen her wrath and dispel the impending tantrum. Frog enjoys brushing her teeth. Completely ignoring the pants request, I cheerily called out "Let's brush our teeth!" 

She runs to the bathroom door, glaring at me, and yells "YES, PANTS! YES, PINK SHIRT!," as in I WILL NOT ABIDE ANY OTHER IDEA THAT YOU MAY HAVE, NANA! and I turn to look at her, instantaneously taking in the full beautiful roaring picture -

• not quite three feet high
• not even thirty pounds
• that precious, beautiful face 
• head full of brown hair
• wearing nothing but a pull-up and that soaking wet dirty pink shirt

Have I ever seen anything sweeter? I want to smile, she's so adorable, but I don't want to minimize the frustration she is obviously feeling. Then she throws in a STOMP of her foot. This stomp was obviously quite new to her - it looks more like an old lady exercise for the hips, where you raise your knee wide to your side. Yes, a stretch not a stomp. Seriously.

How was I supposed to keep composed? 

I couldn't help it, I couldn't hold it, I burst out laughing - she was just so darn cute! 

I said, "Frog, are you stomping your foot? Like this?" and I mirrored her move, throwing in an additional sound effect as I raised the knee to the side, "woo HOO!" 

She took one look at my move, and started laughing, too - finding me oh so silly. She said, "Yes! Stomp! See!" and then she repeats her wide stomp again, and I do it, too, and I dared to repeat the move with my other leg, alternating back and forth, leg to leg, and she laughs more at how funny this looks and stomps more and we are dancing together and laughing. 

I said, "You are so funny and amazing and I love you so!," as I gently pulled the pink shirt off. 

She chose new clothes without protest.

That was the most unexpected and delightful way I have ever diffused a tantrum - and it's made me chuckle so many times, thinking of that sweet image of her. 

What about a picture walk?

How about a few photos of some of the fun we have enjoyed during March, without any extra words? A photo journal, if you will, of Frog's explorations!

What is another perspective?

There it is, in the distance!

As we walked through the townhouse parking lot, on our walk to the creek, we heard loud, unexpected hammering. Frog didn't like the surprise noise, and wondered what it was and where it was coming from. We stopped and searched, and I held her hand, reassuring. Frog is not a fan of loud noises. 

Poppa found the source of the noise - "There! Look up high on that building, Frog," he directed, "see those workers up there, hammering?" Alongside the townhouse complex is a very tall, twenty stories or so, apartment building. Way, way, way up on the roof, we could see some workers with hammers, making some sort of repair. It took awhile for Frog to follow the direction of our pointed fingers; we squatted down next to her, trying to see the action from her perspective. "Follow the sound, look, look, up high!" She was very excited when she finally saw them, exclaiming "They have hammers!" Her find was immediately followed by more questions, "Why workers up there? Why workers hammering?" and her own opinion, "Too loud." It is surprising how loud the sound's echo was.

The view from the creek

Ever since that day, Frog calls that building "The Hammering Building." She talks about it regularly, especially when we head to the creek. She knows exactly where it is located and now announces authoritatively, mid-walk, "We're going to see The Hammering Building." The Hammering Building is really the only high-rise building in our neighborhood. (We taught Frog that word, too; sometimes she'll add that new word - "The Hammering Building, high-rise.") As far as I know, she associates it only with our house, our neighborhood, though I should ask her parents and make sure - I wonder if she imagines she sees it anywhere else? 

There it is, behind that house!

One day when we picked her up at her house and drove her to ours, we decided to show her The Hammering Building from a new perspective, driving up from a new approach. She was delighted! Being in the car, we were able to drive around the whole building, a "360-view" we laughed. Now, whenever she is with us, she asks, "Will we see The Hammering Building?" 

It's become our own little game - we now try to find a new perspective of the hammering building for her to see. We have found it looming in the distance from a nearby street. We have found it behind some houses on yet another street. We have seen it in the distance from across an athletic field at a nearby middle school. Yes, Poppa, Nana, and Frog enjoy this new game very much!

 Will we see The Hammering Building? 

Should I wash dishes?

 

Is there anything more fun than water for children? Frog's loves to play at the sink, to 'wash dishes.' Throughout the years I taught preschool, I searched for ways that children could just play with water. Certainly, it was a frequent find at the sensory table. I always included children in the washing of things at the sink, at clean up - and even in the midst of projects, there would often be a child or two just playing at the sink. But, nothing beats home for this kind of play - the ability to just linger there, playing in the water, making bubbles, filling cups, emptying, back and forth, fill it, empty it, over and over. This is where my children often were when I was doing prepping dinner, and now my granddaughter has this fun pursuit.

There is such learning in this simple joyous play! This last time, at the sink, Frog poured water out, ever so slowly,
slowly slowly slowly
she poured from a measuring cup, with a pour spout, directly into the sink, 
all the while, watching closely, and she narrates:

"this is like a waterfall, it has a pour, that's where the water comes from here"

These words tell me, she is connecting her play to the small waterfalls she sees all the time in our nearby creek, she is trying to figure out how water works, where it comes from, and more. So much to learn from water!

She is tireless at the sink. 

I am reminded of that colleague - they are in every work environment - who volunteers for extra work and never quite follows through, "Let me do that for you! Sure, I could take that on. Why not let me?" Frog says, over and over, "Want me to wash that for you?" (so polite!) and she'll name a new thing to have in the sink - mixing cups, a saucepan, a spoon. It's so funny to me that nothing ever really gets cleaned, there's just a lot of commotion! 

She is at peace with this play. And so am I.

What if we head to the creek?

We love exploring Sligo Creek park with Frog. We have a ritual where we collect a few sticks, leaves, and/or rocks and toss them into the creek from the bridge. We listen for the sound they make when they hit the water, we watch to see if they float, and, if they do float, we often wander down the path along the creek, watching their progress. 

Frog is curious about everything. We have studied footprints in the mud - is that a dog's? a person's? a bike tire? what is that? We have listened for birds and tried to spot them in the trees. We were very excited to see a woodpecker on a nearby tree. 

For quite awhile, Frog was captivated by berries and we would notice them everywhere - now, nearing the end of winter, berries are pretty much gone. I'm wondering if they will catch her eye when they are back in season, or will this prove to be a passing fancy?

Being out in nature is perhaps my most favorite activity with young children! 

 

What is new?

Two year old Frog is full of questions, and one reins supreme these days - "What is that?" Nothing new or different seems to escape her view. Often, what is new or different is purposefully planned by me - I will set out something playful for her, maybe hiding it in a special box or container first, and leave this near the spot(s) of my house that she most enjoys playing. These provocations always excite her; "what did you find for me?" she asks, "what is new?" 

In recent weeks, I have been madly culling and cleaning and rearranging my home, and this means that there have been many "new to her" things for Frog to notice. When her Nana is a newly-retired preschool teacher, the rewards are many for this youngster! I have created a writing studio for myself in my basement, setting out many of my school journals and photos as inspiration. My days with children are definitely my writing muse; my grandchildren are, as well. The basement is now also a more welcoming space for Frog to play and explore, with all my picture books on bookshelves, and a variety of toys included. We have been spending more and more time in the basement in recent weeks.

The other day, Frog pointed to something at the top of a bookshelf - "What is that?" Hmm. What had I moved there? Oh! It's a catapult! Immediately, she was intrigued and wanted to see it; immediately, I was transported back to my time at a conference at Bev Bos' school, which I had the delight of visiting in the summer of 2011. TEN YEARS AGO. Wow. Has it really been ten years, already?

This little wooden catapult was made especially for preschoolers, and it uses ping-pong balls - there's no one getting hurt by this play! I was excited when I saw it, and bought one on the spot, thinking it would be a fun thing to explore in my classroom. Bev Bos believed passionately in joyful, exploratory play, letting children be curious and figure out things through doing. She (and I) liked to sit back and observe what children did with things - How might they use them? What are the children wondering about? What do they think to do, as they play?

I never ended up bringing that catapult into my classroom. I began teaching at a DC public charter in the fall of 2011, teaching a minimum of 22 preschoolers every year. Although I believe firmly in the whimsical play of the catapult, I couldn't figure out how to bring in this one gadget and share it successfully with so many students, without many of the children feeling left out a good deal of the time. That was NOT an experience I wanted my students to have. Yes, truth is, these early learning years require materially-rich school environments, where children play freely and effortlessly, without fear of there not being enough, without threat of not being included.

That little catapult sat in a closet at my house; I suppose, waiting for grandchildren? I moved it to the top of a bookshelf in the midst of my decluttering and cleaning, and there my dear Frog noticed it.

I got it down from the shelf and placed it in front of Frog, along with the small bin of ping-pong balls, and I said "It's a catapult. What do you think it can do?" There ensued such a happy, laughing time. Frog roared with laughter when the ping-pong ball went sailing into the air over her Poppa's head. Over and over again, she repeated the performance. She had a little trouble keeping the base of the catapult steady, and soon realized that these shifting positions seemed to send the ball into different directions - this cause and effect fascinated her. Frog began to hold the catapult in one place, and then to aim it in certain directions. This is what I love about such discovery - it is ripe with natural, organic learning. Balls flew far and wide, with Poppa and me racing to collect them for her. So many laughs! This fabulous play did not last just a few minutes; in fact, Frog played with the catapult for more than an hour of play, ending only at her nap time. I am awed by how long a young child's attention span really is, when they are engaged in play.

What was her first question upon waking up from nap?  "Catapult, Nana?" 

A few days later, Frog - who is a very verbal 27 month old - reflected on the experience, hoping to play with the catapult again:

"We're going to get the balls and I'm going to push the button and then the ball goes everywhere and we were laughing. That's a catapult. Balls go on when you push a button, it will go. Wanna collect that one ball."

I am reminded about how important it is for children to DO - to discover, tinker, stretch, wonder, figure things out on their own.

I am grateful for Bev Bos and her wisdom about children's play.

I am grateful for Frog and catapults and laughter.

Why are we skipping this?

Earlier this month, a teacher friend called me to check on their read-aloud of the marvelous Martin Luther King, Jr. book, Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappoport (and beautifully illustrated by Bryan Collier), and wondered

Is this appropriate for three and four year olds?  

Short and easy answer - YES!! 

What makes Martin Luther King, Jr. unforgettable, 

always revered, and celebrated,

is his message of 
love conquering hate, 
solving problems with nonviolence, 
equality for all regardless of skin color, and

taking action to make this world a better place. 

There can be no better message for our youngest learners to hear, I think. And not just around the third Monday in January! I hope these precepts are woven into all our early learning programs, throughout children's education.

What about the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. - should this be shared? Yes, you should read the book as is, honor the writing and the beautiful images. I wonder if tension about this is something only White teachers experience? Am I right? We should ask ourselves - why do we want to gloss over Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death? Are we protecting our children or protecting ourselves? Why would we skip it? Remember, the goal of the book is not the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The point is to not make his death the story, though it cannot be denied. His life was shortened, taken by another in anger; he died before he should have. Yet, there is extraordinary beauty and hope in what continues to live on, what Martin Luther King, Jr. shared with us - what is his legacy.

Black families and educators have long taught Black history to young children, to all children. White teachers and families need to get on board with this same approach. It is OUR history. We need to love our kids, protect our kids, and share in developmentally appropriate ways about our history. Yes, there are difficult things to share, and there are many positives, many true heroes to tell about. 

One simple tip - it is always a good practice to read books to yourself before reading them aloud to someone else, even if it's just your child, to be certain that you are comfortable and familiar with what is written. (I still wince about my unprepared reading of the book Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, alongside my eight year old son - oh my! How I fell apart when a character died unexpectedly!) There are times when I have softened language in developmentally appropriate ways, or emphasized certain words, cut sections short, and even paused some books and continued them later, when I sensed that I lost children's attention.  

There are so many great books to share! Here are some excellent book ideas and resources, from Teaching for Change.

Let's be honest with our children.

Let's cultivate caring citizens.

Let's create a better world.  

This week is Black Lives Week of Action (February 1 - 5, 2021) and I am missing being in the classroom, sharing special activities in celebration of this week. I hope that early childhood teachers and families are embracing this call. Our recent history, with the Capitol riot, shows how we can no longer afford ignorance.

How do we go on?

Yesterday, 

when our nation seemed to fall apart at its seams,

when an angry mob stormed the U.S. Capitol,

so many horrifying images flashing across the screen,

my granddaughter Frog was here for her ritual Wednesday at NanaPoppa's, sound asleep for her afternoon nap.

I am reminded of the blessing of children, the extraordinary gift of their presence.

When she woke up,

in the midst of the insanity,

we turned off all the news and gave 100% attention to this sweet two year old child. We kept her world safe and tender, we renewed ourselves. 

Yes, it was time to turn on music, get out the playdough, and make muffins. We found a big piece of scrap paper and drew pictures, everything Frog loved ...she directed me to draw a Christmas tree, a jack-o-lantern, holiday lights, an angel, a dinosaur. We read books. Soon we noticed that the sun had set, so we went for our 'night walk' - a tradition that has evolved since the days have become shorter...coats and hats on, camping lantern in hand, we hold hands and walk our neighborhood block, to see what we can see. Yesterday was FREEZING, despite our warm jackets, and we didn't last long. We noticed that some holiday lights were no longer up - but we saw our neighbor's silly dragon with the Santa hat and that was fun. Back inside, it was time for dinner, a slow and meandering buffet of her favorites, including of all things, frozen blueberries. What is it that delights her about these? So funny! Then, it was time for a long bubble bath, reading books, and saying our good nights at bedtime. Frog fell asleep easily and joyfully. That's all that really matters to me.

Guess what, the news was waiting for us.

We didn't miss any of the horror.

It's always there.

Children are life-giving. To be in their midst, to truly hone in and escape through their magical presence, is to take the very best care of oneself.

I am reminded of a wall plaque my mother-in-law gave to me when our first child was born, which says:

Babies are God's way of saying the world must go on.

How does vocabulary grow?

Frog* loves to talk. She has been sharing her voice with us since she was very young, making so many beautiful sounds. As she approached 18 months of age, a true vocabulary emerged. I love hearing it grow! Frog is, in many ways, a natural learner of language, listening closely to the many loving adults in her world and absorbing the words. I do a lot of narration when I play alongside her and I have noticed that Frog is becoming quite the narrator herself. 

We currently go around in circles with personal pronouns. I'll say "Do you want to me to color with you?" and she'll answer "me color you" - which leaves me slightly confused. Another favorite is when she declares, "hold you!" and she'll lift her arms towards me. (I remember my boys making this same gorgeous verbal goof!) She wants me to pick her up, and is simply echoing my ask of many times, "Would you like me to hold you?" These are common, classic errors of this developmental stage, and I have no doubt that they will straighten themselves out in time.

In high school foreign language classes, I remember how challenging I found it to take the risk of talking, to dare to share a new word. Young children do this with abandon and we have so much to learn from them. Truly, to grow a vocabulary, you have to take it for a walk - you have to use words, to grow your understanding of these new words. I have been amazed by how Frog plays with words, how she tries them out in new situations. Let me give an example or two . . . .

Frog is very interested in how things change - she notices every cabinet door that has been left open, every object that falls to the floor from the table, every item that appears out of place. She greets these new states with a surprised "Oh, no!" In recent months, she follows this exclamation of "Oh, no!" with a descriptive word about the situation. I first noticed her experimentation with the word "ripped" - as in, 'yes, the book page is ripped.' It is a shocking turn of events! Frog is learning not to rip pages in picture books, but at two years of age, she is not always able to control the impulse and she is absolutely obsessed with the fact that it has occurred. A book that had a page ripped more than three months back will have this flaw pointed out every time you read the book to her. Every. Single. Time. So, here's what has caught my ear in recent weeks - Frog has started to use the word 'ripped' for other broken things. She saw a pothole in the road on a recent walk and said - "Oh, no! Ripped!" Just thinking about this makes me smile. She is noticing the change, noticing that it isn't 'right,' or as it was, and she connected this change to the ripped page of a book.

Yes, I love this! I feel as if I am seeing her brain grow and stretch. She is applying what she knows in new ways. 

The same thing has happened with the word "leaking" - a word she LOVES now, after watching endless rain pour out of a downspout during a rainstorm, and hearing us describe this as 'leaking,' 'draining,' and 'pouring out.' She held on to the word "leaking" because she had heard it many times before in relation to her sippy cup, which I have the darndest time closing tightly, and here the word appeared again vis-a-vis the rain - imagine! She absorbed this new word. A day or two later, eating oatmeal at breakfast, she ate too quickly and some oatmeal smeared onto her chin, and she declared "Oh, no! Leaking!" Again, just thinking about this makes me smile. Isn't it fascinating that this more soft, amorphous, free flowing material was 'leaking' and the harder cracked stuff (the road) was called 'ripped' ? Yes, I think her word use is inaccurate, but it is also really close. I get it. 

It's two year old code. 
It's two year old language explosion. 
It's lots of fun for this grandmother.

Thinking about her growing vocabulary, I have been working on a very special photo album for Frog. Or is it for me? Yes, I am trying my best to document this time, and so much happens every day, I must really work to keep up. I looked through photos of Frog at play and thought about all the new words she has recently acquired, and decided to connect action photos with these words. I've started a sweet little photo book with pictures of her:

closing, opening, dumping, digging, pouring, looking, hiding, finding, messy, soft, gentle, ticklish, loud, quiet, moving, walking, running, falling, jumping, spinning, dressing, wearing, helping, washing, cleaning, sweeping, raking . . . .

Oh my, the list goes on and on, and reads like the life of a happy youngster. Which Frog is!

 

"If it's in the hand and in the body, it's in the brain."

                                                 - Bev Bos

*In order to keep as much privacy as possible for my family, I try to use nicknames. Frog is the nickname for my oldest granddaughter, who is two years old. Her younger sister was born in Fall 2020; I've nicknamed her Bird.

COVID means - What should this blog share now?

As another calendar year draws to a close, I find myself musing about this blog. I started it so many years back, when I was teaching preschool, and it was the perfect place to capture my reflections. I haven't written very much in recent months, and I should explain . . . .

This past spring, I proposed scaling back to part-time teaching, searching for that ever elusive "work-life" balance; I wanted to devote more time to writing, which, inexplicably, just calls out to me right now. I made a delightful proposal to my school for this part-time work (imagine - a maker's space for early childhood!) and my school was receptive to this idea...when...

drumroll...

this crazy pandemic usurped this possibility, and 

I found myself suddenly without a teaching job at all. 

It has taken some time to get used to this, to adjust to this new normal. 

In recent days, I have gone back to read some of my earlier posts, and I am fascinated by the details recorded. I am immediately transported back in time, surrounded by these beautiful children. I am so glad that I took time to write about these precious moments. I am reminded of that Reggio adage:

If it's not documented, it didn't happen. 

Reading through these past posts, I realize - I must keep writing this blog. Just as I have had to change my sense of purpose these past many months, I believe it is time to tweak this blog a bit. I will write from my new lens. I will write as a former and "seasoned" preschool teacher, an early childhood advocate, a passionate grandmother, a reflective mother, an engaged bystander. Although I won't have any stories from my classroom, I still have so many early childhood stories to share. Let's see where this leads me!

COVID-19: Anti-bias early childhood

 This morning, we kicked off the 2020-2021 school year's 

Anti-Bias Early Childhood Working Group, an initiative of D.C. Educators for Social Justice (DCESJ).

I am proud to be a part of this group of educators! 

Early childhood educators work to meet the needs of every child, to ensure that no child is invisible or left out of learning. Anti-bias is inherent and integral. We are working with humans, we are working with CHILDREN, we are building the future. 

This work is particularly challenging during this time of COVID-19. Virtual learning requires many new skills and so much additional planning and preparation. Teachers of young children are working with parents and caregivers in a much more intimate way than ever before, with families right at their child's hip for learning. Although technology allows us to personalize education for children, it is extremely difficult to create some of those generic and fertile preschool experiences that foster so much social thinking for young children - you know, playing together in dramatic play and struggling over who gets to play with what, creating a block tower together and learning how to respond when a classmate accidentally makes it fall over, or sharing space when painting and drawing together on a class mural. So many of these experiences feel impossible to create virtually....

...and yet, teachers are trying! Oh my! I am in awe of today's early childhood teachers!! 

The teachers I met in today's working group session have anti-bias, anti-racism, and social justice at the core of their practice, and work hard to weave these essential ideals into lessons. We spoke of ways that the working group might best support teachers during this very challenging and difficult year. We are looking for ways to share resources, especially "low prep and practical" virtual anti-bias lessons. We are sharing ideas to support teacher wellness and self-care, during such a stressful time.

Book and music choices can go a long way to introducing social justice ideas. Visual art and storytelling can provide amazing opportunities for children to wrestle with big questions. Our close and personal work with families during this time - this, too, is an asset, an opportunity to create a true community, with teachers taking time to explain the why behind certain lessons, including parents in our thinking, and seeking their support. 

COVID 19 - What is there to savor?

Here we are in the middle of week eight of shelter-in-place. I am finding that my phone calls with preschoolers and families are taking a little longer than they did those first few weeks...perhaps we are all seeking a deeper connection?

Truly, we seem to have shifted from
fearful and overwhelmed
into
acceptance tinged with sadness,
open to joy.
This is our life now.

These preschoolers - honestly, what a gift they are to the world! My prescription for sanity in this time: reach out and converse with a young child. Build that connection. Prepare for a journey somewhere magical! What do I mean? Let me share a few [anonymous] tidbits from my families' worlds:

- dragging t-ball equipment to a local school's baseball field and playing an impromptu game of baseball with your family,
- building a marble run on your wall, using cardboard rolls,
- using found objects and magnetic numerals and exploring math with Dad,
- putting on lipstick and having a fashion competition with your whole family,
- celebrating the find of insect larvae in a rotted tree stump, on a family nature walk
- building a hiding place for stuffed animals and Mom's high heels,
- whole family re-enactments of favorite picture books,
- driving to the airport (which is empty, of course) to have lunch; sitting in the bay windows, looking at airplanes and other transportation,
- building boats with your family, to float in the wading pool, and testing them in different ways.

It's obvious that families are becoming very creative, playing deeply with their kids. One preschooler was excited to tell me how they burnt a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and cut off the burnt edges, "I eat them but not the burned part, some parts are not burnt."

That beautifully describes this time of COVID-19 - it is possible to find something to savor. We must look for joy.

"some parts are not burnt"

COVID-19: What do you know how to do?

We've been asking the children,

what do you know how to do, all by yourself?

This has proven to be a very fun conversation starter. The children have a fun range of "I can do!" -

turn on the hose
I am an engineer
play mancala with Mommy
coloring
playing balls
play Legos
building Magna Tiles out of stuff
open snacks
grow plants
water plants
count to 20
paint on sprinkles and rocks
look at the funny hat I made
biking
ride my balance bike
play in sand box
commanding "SIT!" and "STAY!" and having your dog do this!
make rainbows

COVID-19: What do the parents say?

Here's what we're hearing about virtual learning:

"We love the read-alouds!"

"My child does not like the read-alouds."

"It is hard for us to commit to the once-a-week Zoom."

"Why can't we have more Zoom meetings each week?"

"Where are the academic tasks?"

"Why are there academic tasks?"

"You have sent a lot of lessons. Do we have to do them all?"

"Please, could you send more lessons? There are not enough."

"My child will not sit for more than five minutes."

"How can my child play independently, so that I may get work done?"





UGH.



This is hard.

COVID-19: What is tough?

There is so much that is
so tough
about virtual teaching.

This old gal is hoping that learning all this new technology -  group chats, FaceTime, shared google files, linking files, data entry for new schedules and spreadsheets, and so much more - will serve to prevent Alzheimer's. A girl can dream, yes?

I am drained.

Things are simultaneously

faster - instantaneous even,
think:

• talking to a child and seeing them in person!
• opening a video, and hearing your teacher talk!
• you can use the mute button and no one is interrupting!

and slower,
think:

• waiting for the other party to read your text,
• or enter their information,
• or respond to your email;
• creating videos of books and morning meetings;
• figuring out the nuances of uploading and linking files
• things that must be done in a particular order, in order to be done right (and so there's more waiting and more 'do overs' as you learn)
• it can feel as if you are repeating the same steps, over and over

and overwhelming,
think:

• so many emails in the inbox
• so many 'stakeholders' - parents, administrators, colleagues, specialists, and more
• it feels as if everything must be done at once
• how to have good collaboration in this virtual world?

and complicated,
think:

• do you need to get permission to do this?
• is it appropriate developmentally to expect this from a child?
• are we burdening the families by asking for this?
• what is most helpful right now?
• so little body language, so many fewer clues (did this written message mean what I think it meant?)
• it can feel as if you are repeating yourself, over and over

and hard,
think:
everyone is in a different emotional place, dealing with their response to this crisis; some people have family members with the disease, others know no one and feel very removed, still others know someone who is an essential worker, on the front lines...we don't know what anyone else is carrying on their shoulders...we must give grace and love to all, and, especially,
to ourselves.

Deep cleansing breath.

COVID 19 - How have things changed?

Truly,
I should be writing more in this blog, during this new normal.

My teaching days are now filled to the brim with new experiences - working through technical challenges to produce some clunky video for preschoolers, having virtual meetings with colleagues, FaceTime conversations with families and preschoolers, on and on. It's all new, and I think I am still trying to find my footing.

It feels as if the world is trying to find its footing.

So here we all are, figuring this out as we go.

Something kind of sweet though - we are building stronger connections with families. We are having rich one-on-one conversations on a regular basis, striving to be in contact at least twice a week. Each of us on the teaching team is taking turns to chat with families, and we share these stories with one another. This brings me great joy! I am particularly fond of FaceTime and the ability to see children's faces...I know it helps the preschoolers, too, to see mine (though, geez, I am shocked by how I look, every single time that camera pops on). I delight in preschooler's use of FaceTime - I have seen so many ceilings!

My friend Hannah's home routine for her preschooler

My role as teacher has changed. I find I am listener, supporter, and counselor, shoring up the family. I am touched by the confidences that have been shared - families needing to vent, to hope, to understand, seeking insight, perspective, affirmation, or just an ear. Over and over again, I am awed by the strength, wisdom, and love of all these families, how they are meeting the demands of this wild new time. We are a resilient species, we human beings.

It is perhaps not surprising that each family is succeeding a little differently from one another, no two alike. Couples are finding new work-life rhythms, these were made up on the fly and continue to be re-adjusted. Children have clear routines, no routines, and somewhere-in-the-middle routines; everyone is finding out what works best for them. I try to share what we did in school, just to let families know of what was once possible...in a very different setting.

Things are always going to be different at home.

COVID-19 How might we help parents?

What a shock to families, to be home full-time, around the clock, with your energetic preschooler! As we continue to build our virtual learning as we go, with little to no beforehand planning, I am striving to know what families need. We can change our materials to match their needs.

Our school's approach has been to offer families the same daily framework as we had in school - we are sending daily plans that more or less resemble the school day, with a morning message/intention for the day, a core lesson, a read-aloud, plus special extras such as dance and music links. Some families find that these are not enough materials; others have insisted they are too much. I, for my part, insist that families not feel obligated to do any of it - these are meant as supports for families during this new normal. Though, I continue to tweak the materials to meet the emerging needs.

There are so many resources available on the internet. The early academic information is almost daunting! There are math and alphabet games, scavenger hunts, and videos galore.

The real work is in behavior management. Families have never had to deal with their little ones day in and day out like this before! All of us, sheltering in our homes, in isolation. How do we get along?

I've reminded families - when the going gets rough, keep their outlooks small and immediate. Just get through the next little bit of time as patiently and kindly as you can.

Behavior management skills are built over time...there is no panacea. However, children thrive on routine...it is good to try to follow a similar pattern each day, and, ideally, even provide a visual for your preschooler about this routine.

One small yet effective tool we keep at the ready at school: "First/Then" This simple, direct lingo can often lead a child into more positive choices, rather than spiraling into tantrums. Basically, it goes like this - preschooler really wants to do x, whereas you really need/want them to do y. Simply say, "First y, Then x." When you use this on a regular basis, you will build your child's ability to do less-preferred activities...and they will always have the happy reward of doing something fun right afterwards.

Believe me, like every behavior idea, it doesn't always work - but it may well be worth trying.

COVID 19 - What happens when we Zoom together?

We had a very special Zoom call yesterday afternoon, initiated by one of our families. This was our first time connecting with one another through this tool. I loved seeing everyone's faces, and hearing the happy pandemonium of all the children's voices. I've been on a few Zoom calls in recent days, having needed to connect virtually with a variety of groups of people during this health crisis. I think this was the first Zoom call where there did not seem to be anyone "administering." There was no one turning off and on the various mics from afar, no one helping participants to take turns in their talking. It was a glorious free for all!

My noticings:

I loved seeing all the families together...many of the children have siblings, either younger or older, and there everyone was, together, making faces, laughing, and talking.

I thought the parents looked remarkably relaxed and happy. This new normal started back on Thursday, March 12, 2020, when the President declared a national emergency and schools were closed that very next day. Relaxed and happy, on your 11th day home with your children in this surprising, unforeseen way? Go, families! You rock!!

I heard so many caring expressions from the children -

• "I want to hear ____ talk; isn't it ____'s turn?" said one preschooler; 
• Another showed a page from their new journal and a classmate responded, "I like that!!"
• "How about I try to talk to everybody?" one preschooler asked, diplomatically.

There was so much love and affection between all the kids and their families - sitting on laps, sharing snacks, stretching and moving while being held by a loving parent, squeezing closely together...so dear!

There were a series of unexpected and absurd conversation topics -

• why do people kill alligators and crocodiles?
• these are the lovies I sleep with at night.
• do you know Darth Vader?

All the children had things to share: Legos, costumes (lots of princess dresses!), journals, drawings, paintings, and stories. There was an impromptu book sharing, with preschoolers leaving their video feed to search their homes for favorite stories, to show these to their classmates. So cute! They see themselves as readers, wanting to learn more about everything.

We were so charmed by this exuberant time together, we are thinking that weekly "Zoom gatherings" would be a fun routine to add to this new normal. More to come!

COVID - 19: How to explain to kids?

I made a short video for my students, to explain this coronavirus pandemic in terms that they might understand. I have long admired Fred Rogers' advice:

If it’s mentionable, it’s manageable. 

If we talk about tough issues, we can handle them; we’re not as scared. I believe it is really important to convey this courage to children, to let them know that we are here for them, we are keeping them safe. Here's the text of my video:

I want to talk to you about something that is on everybody’s minds these days.
 You’re probably wondering why we’re all at home, why we friends can’t be together in the same classroom, playing together.
 Maybe you’ve heard this big word:
 Coronavirus.
 Maybe you’ve wondered about it.
 Coronavirus.
 Would you clap it with me?
 [Clap out the syllables of Coronavirus]
 See it’s not too big. We’ve got this!
 It’s a big, big word with FIVE syllables – yet, here’s something surprising, Coronavirus is very, very, very small. You and I can’t see it. It’s practically invisible – unless you have a very strong microscope.
 Coronavirus is a very powerful germ that can make people sick. And, because we can’t really see it, we’re not always sure where it is.
 I don’t know a lot about it, but I know there are lots of scientists, lots of adults, who are working very hard to keep us safe from Coronavirus. Lots of people all around the world are thinking about this, working on it. We are in a whole big community of people asking questions about this.
 And we know how to stop it!
Oh, yes, we do!
We have good ideas about not spreading this virus.
n  need to wash our hands thoroughly - you can sing along while you wash your hands, a song makes the soap bubbles last longer, as you clean your hands all over.
n  You can be sure to cover a cough or sneeze with your elbow
n  If you hear someone cough or sneeze, you can move away from them, give them a little space...maybe go get the box of tissues for them
n  And, we have to spend time apart. That’s why school is closed.
 If we can spend time apart, we won’t pass Coronavirus to others, and we won’t grow it, in our world. That is a very kind thing!
 It’s pretty strange to not be in our classroom together,
But,
Here’s the good news:
We get to be with our families during this time.
There’s lots of things to do at home, too!
And we get to be resourceful.
 We need to see each other through the computer, through pictures. We can talk on the phone together, too.
 We have always been thinkers.. We can think of fun and interesting things to do at home:
 Building.
Drawing.
Writing.
Tell stories!
 You could also think like a scientist. What do you think we could do to make Coronavirus go away faster? What if you get out some paper and give it a think, draw and write what you imagine. I wonder what it looks like! What magic can you create that makes this virus go away, stop making people so sick.?
 Also, what is something kind that you can do? What is something you can do to help your family? Show your family what the we do every day!
 We’re still going to have lots of fun together, just like we always do. For a while, we need to be together separately!
 We can share our fun ideas with each other, too. Send me a picture of what your are building, what you are drawing. Tell me a story when I call you on the phone. We’re going to make this time apart be a time when we are still together in our hearts.
   If you start to feel worried or frustrated about it, remember the rule of three – Three Deep Cleansing Breaths! Let’s do that now.

[Take three deep breaths together.]

 I care about you.
  

COVID 19 - What should kids reflect on?

We plan to make frequent phonecalls to the children, sharing the responsibility for these amongst the team. What should we talk to the children about? What should we get them thinking about? Our school routine of "Question of the Day" was such a big hit ... is there a way to make this happen, virtually?

We've suggested that each preschooler have a journal. Wouldn't it have been great if we could have created these for the students before this time apart began?

We've begun a list of ideas for children to reflect, draw, and write about, during this pandemic:

• What is something kind you have done? 
• How are you helping your family?
• What do you plan to do today?
• Tell me a story.
• What is the most fun activity you have done with your family?
• Do you miss school? What are you missing about it?
• Have you been outside? Have you noticed any signs of spring? What have you noticed?
• Are there shapes in your home? What is a rectangle in your home?
• What is different about home than school?
• Do you have centers at home? How might you create these at home?
• Do you have a calm-down place? Where is it? What does it look like?

 Creating community virtually - that's our challenge.