How to make the world better?

This is a Tuesday
Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day. 

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity
for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

At closing circle, a three year old calls out,
"Ms. Ingram, President Trump does not like people who wear scarves."

My heart aches. Where has she heard this? Has my student Farid, whose mother wears hijab, heard what she said? Why must this be something a preschooler knows? How would you ever begin to discuss this with preschoolers?

Ugh. These are ugly, ugly times.

Petula Dvorak, in today's Washington Post,  "We have become a nation that detains a 5-year-old with dual citizenship, keeping him from his Iranian-born mother for hours to ensure that he isn't a terrorist threat."

My heart aches.

Senator Kamala Harris at the Women's March in Washington, D.C. just ten days ago entreated us to answer this question about America, about our country -

Who are we?

I refuse to believe this mean-spirited executive order is us. I refuse to approach the world so fearfully. I refuse.

And, I am so lucky to spend my days in the company of young children, who exude hope, love, joy, and kindness.

In the Big Cats, we are hard at work making huge signs about love and kindness. Each child is creating their own sign, cutting out one enormous shape and then adding all sorts of process art layers. This will be the backdrop for our special messages - which we will write over the next several days.

    


At gathering, we brainstormed messages for our signs. What's important? What do we want our friends to know? How do we make our community better? What is our message of love and kindness? We repeated each message together, aloud - first, in a whisper, then in a shout, and then we clapped each syllable.




"I love you."

"Share."

"Pick up your toys."

"Build together."

"Make a rainbow."

"Don't get sick."

"Be nice."

"Make a loving card."

"Eat together."

"Go to a sleepover with each other."

"Paint a picture."

"Thank you!"

"Be kind and you need to be good to your friends."

"Make a heart sign."




Perhaps we'll march through the school and share our love and kindness with all...maybe we should march out the door and down the streets...the White House is less than two miles away.

A young child protesting at the White House this past Sunday.

SOLSC #14 What happens when we put it all together?

During the month of March, I am participating in
the Slice of Life Story Challenge.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days. My slices will be primarily about teaching preschoolers.

Check out the Two Writing Teachers website for many more reflections on teaching.

Our school partners with the Phillips Collection each year, creating an exhibit of our students artwork for their Young Artists Exhibition. This year, the preschoolers made their own paper and then they did a variety of art processes on this homemade paper. Our art processes included:

• embedding found objects in the paper,
• painting with watercolors,
• rolling toy cars through tempera paint, and
• stamping found objects with black ink.

The preschoolers had so much fun with this exploration. I believe they made close to a hundred sheets of homemade paper, and this allowed for many mornings of process art. I stayed at school this afternoon and created a paper quilt of their artwork, featuring one special piece by each child. I think it looks beautiful! I am excited for the families to see this work at our Learning Showcase this Friday evening. 

Tuesday SOL Summer musings

This is a Tuesday Slice of Life for Two Writing Teachers. 

Check out their website for many more reflections on teaching.

Just this week, in the midst of summer, I was sorting through my photos on my phone, collecting my favorites from recent travels. (We traveled to Oregon for the wedding of the daughter of my best friend from college; we had a great time sightseeing and hiking.) I was delighted to see not just these vacation photos, but many fun photos from the last days of the school year...and I find myself smiling in memory. 

Let me share a few with you....

The Bucket Truck

Rain didn't stop us from heading outside to play on this day. But the showstopper was this repair truck - the children were riveted, studying every move. Children call us to be present, so curious about the world, finding joy in their surroundings.

Water Play Day

Our traditional "splash day" was also an overcast, rainy day...and our location was the crumbled surrounds of a community center behind our school (scheduled to be renovated and revamped this next year!). But that didn't stop the children from having such a great time outside, enjoying the hoses, buckets, spray bottles, sidewalk chalk, and more.

The Tablecloth

We created a process art tablecloth/dropcloth for our Teaching Resident (Ms. Kim) as an end-of-year gift. The children used found objects and nature items to stamp prints all over the canvas, choosing their favorite colors. They also used fabric markers to sign their name on the cloth. We're hoping that Ms. Kim will use this cloth for 'messy' activities in her new classroom, and remember this sweet class of preschoolers every time she does.

Marble Art

The first art activity the children experienced in the Big Cats was doing marble art on a nametag. At the beginning of the year, this was a teacher-led and supervised project. Here, at the end of the year, the children ran the project themselves - selecting paper, paint colors, dropping marbles into the paint, and rolling these onto paper. Everyone had a grand time and even enjoyed cleaning the table and supplies at the end. I got to marvel at how much everyone had grown during this year. 

Balls, Cars, Blocks, and Ramps

There was incessant creativity in the block corner these last few weeks of school, as if the children were well aware that they would no longer have access to these open-ended building materials. I was amazed by the teamwork, how well the preschoolers worked together, sharing the materials and ideas.

The Family Book

This was our favorite book to read - with individual pages about each child and family, created by the families themselves. Here, the children are helping me to stuff these pages into their portfolios, so that the pages are returned home at the end of the year. But, these boys are transfixed - not wanting to take the pages out of the book but seeking to re-read the pages about each other, noticing who's who. It is amazing how much we learn about one another during a school year.

Engineering with Recylables

We had a "free for all" with the recyclables, with me issuing an open invitation for children to create and invent with abandon. 

Helping Clean the Classroom

We had created a train track out of tape on part of our classroom floor and the children worked diligently and tirelessly to remove it, to help Mr. Thomas (our Building Manager). Again, I am awed by the focus and tenacity of young children when they desire to accomplish something.

Field Day Fun

I think we had the hottest and sunniest day of the school year for our traditional field day - but that didn't stop these preschoolers from running non-stop.

Signing the Goodbye Board

They had helped us clean the room and put away all the toys, supplies, materials. Now it was time to practice their writing skills one more time, using the whiteboard markers.

I really enjoyed this past year of teaching...I worked with a delightful group of preschoolers and their families, I had a strong teaching team, I love the physical space of my classroom in our new and permanent school building. It is fun to go down memory lane in the midst of summer!

SOLSC 2015 #12: What if we worked large?

Each day during March, I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days. My slices will be primarily about teaching preschoolers. Check out the Two Writing Teachers  website for lots more reflections on teaching. Thanks especially to Stacey, Tara, Anna, Beth, Dana, and Betsy for hosting this writing challenge. 

*******

Start with a plywood board,

perhaps one that once covered your classroom door window,

when the school first opened back in the fall, and

construction was still going on and the windows were delayed?

Let the children paint.

So fun to work large!

Add those small cut pieces from book jackets,

get out the glue, and 

let them collage, all over.

Isn't it much easier to do on a flat surface?

So fun to work large!

Add another layer; 

this time, their own paper pieces,

newspapers that have been dipped in watercolors,

papers with pastels,

small pieces that have been cut or torn, and

lots more glue.

So fun to work large!

Why not add more paint?

Bring out more purple, 

more blue,

more white,

what might happen?

So fun to work large!

How about a layer of 

silver watercolors?

What might happen?

A magical rectangle.

So fun to work large!

What did we do for the Phillips this year?

This week, we are celebrating the conclusion of our arts integration project with the Phillips Collection. The children worked very hard throughout the month of February on this effort. I thought I'd share some photos and documentation of their work, so that you might see the fun that they had.

Though in previous years, our work has been displayed for a few weeks at the Phillips (in their basement level educational wing), this year our school's population has grown too large for the Phillips to display all these works. As a result, the preschool classes and several other grades will not be included in this exhibit; however, we will display our work at our school's Learning Showcase later this month. When I first heard this plan (last summer), I was disappointed. I have enjoyed working with the children to create art pieces for the Phillips display - typically, the whole class works together to create 2 or 3 panels. (I've blogged about these efforts in previous years.) Over time, I realized, there are some real benefits to this new plan - hey, I'm not limited to 2 or 3 panels! I can take up as much space as I want…we can create any type of art that we desire!

So, what did we create? Let me share.

First, did a field trip to the Phillips…the big thrill being the ride on the yellow school bus.

At the Phillips, we did a couple of art activities...on the floor, in front of masterpieces of art. I love this. Preschoolers in an art museum! The children's (and my) favorite activity this year was related to George Braque's painting Round Table.  This painting depicted many different objects grouped on a table. 

The children were given paper versions of their own Round Table, and separate pieces representing the objects that they were free to place on their table. This was an ideal lesson for young children, allowing them hands-on work. 

We teachers realized that the children share Braque's fascination and love of  the physicality of objects. We decided to create art with this masterpiece in mind.

It is not enough to make people see the object you paint. You must also make them touch it.—Georges Braque (1882–1963)

In our preschool classroom, we work a lot with found objects and recyclables. We love to imagine and re-purpose small, inconsequential things from our homes in many different projects. The children love touching, exploring, counting, sorting, painting, and creating with these found objects.

Additionally, we are crazy about storytelling. In recent weeks, for our read-alouds, we have been immersed in folktales and fairy tales. I often dramatize parts of the books with children (they love to use their bodies - and I know this movement helps them recall the story), I have many felt board and other story pieces for them to re-tell the tale, and I often use story "containers" with small figures and objects to represent the story. The children have become very interested in "characters" and beginning, middle, end of stories. Of course, I also work with the children on their own stories - "How does your story begin?"

All these curriculum tangents were pouring through my mind as I searched for a Phillips artwork idea. Then, of all things, a friend gave me some coffee cans she had saved...imagine this, she had 21 to share with me! Exactly the right amount for each child to create something special...

So, for our Phillips artwork, the preschoolers created story cans, with clay characters and special found objects from our classroom collection.

We spent several weeks creating a decoupage exterior for the cans... a process that involved a great deal of trial and error. For example, the preschoolers spent several mornings cutting out small pieces and images of scrap book jackets. Then, it was time to glue these onto the cans. It turns out, it was nearly impossible for the children to adhere glossy, heavyweight scraps to a cylindrical metal surface. I stepped in to help them and I couldn't do it myself. I began to wonder if I had imagined the very worst project idea. But, of course, I'm all about modeling persistence....

We used a variety of other special papers - tissue papers, cut up easel paintings, and even created special effects on old newspapers and discarded scraps of paper by dipping them in watercolor paint.

We layered the papers around the sides of the can, over and over, using lots of glue.

Our decoupage work became an on-going center in the classroom for several weeks...children worked on their cans whenever they desired, as much as they liked.

With our cans complete, it was time to think about our individual stories. What objects would represent the stories the best? The preschoolers searched through the found objects, trying to find five treasures that would fit into the can. 

I also introduced Model Magic for the children to create characters - though, in the end, I wasn't excited by the quality of these figures...the 'clay' was not easy for the children to mold (sometimes, it seemed to spring out of the desired shape); the final 'air dried' pieces broke quite easily. But, the children had no complaints...they loved working with this clay.

Ms. Kim worked with each student individually, listening to their story and writing it down. This week, at Storytime, in addition to our daily book read-aloud, we are sharing the children's own stories from their story cans. This has been very special.

To help you imagine the final artwork, here is one story can. This one is made by Ellis. 

And here is Ellis' story:

His name is George (clay). He is a monster. The monster put the girl (blue) in a tank (yellow). He put them into the trap (purple). He trapped him with a rope. Then, then, there was  four monsters coming. Then the mommy didn’t ask because he didn’t have mommy. So, so he just came out. Then he asked his mommy for help. Then, then the monster put him in a trap. Then the monster’s mouth broke. He force him away so he couldn’t get passed. So, so, so he just put the girl out of here. He just put them in a jail. The girl is made out of the glass. So, he, he putted in then. He didn’t get stuck. Um, so, he (blue) just put it in like but he couldn’t because he didn’t fit. So, so it just got away but he couldn’t because he was just made out of the glass. So it was squeezy but he couldn’t get out so he went out so he get passed. Bristick came to help. Then then he smashed in then cut it out. That was a good idea. And he took him to his mom.

I'll share all of the children's work in another post...but, I thought it was important to share one here so that my description of the story cans made sense. I know it is a rather unique "artwork" - a far cry from a painted panel, such as my previous preschool classes have made. But, I love that the children will each go home with their own individual treasure. I think it is exciting that our art is "repurposed," taking something and changing it. The story cans are each so 'robust', so 'sturdy' - I see the children filling and re-filling these cans with special stories for years to come. 

I love how much work they put into these!

Tuesday SOL What about snow?

This is a Tuesday "Slice of Life" for Two Writing Teachers. Check out their website for lots more reflections on teaching.

*******
Happy New Year!
Today was our second day back at school and, much to my surprise when I woke up this morning, it was snowing! I had heard that we might get a dusting, but unfortunately this 'dusting' came during the morning commute…I struggled to get in to my classroom, my typical 30 minute commute tripling in length.

Yes, I was late to school.
I don't think I have ever been late to school.

That slog of a commute gave me so much time to watch the falling snow and plan a snowy extension to today's learning. I always find nature so engaging for children - and isn't it particularly magical when nature is a fresh snow?

After gathering, I took a small group of children outside when it was still snowing, to collect fresh snow for our classroom. We had so much fun!

Back in the classroom, one large tub of snow was dumped onto the sand in the sensory table - snow on a beach! The children were surprised and elated by this combination…making snowballs, trying to build a snow man, watching the sand and snow mix together, surprised by how cold the sand became.

Snow in sand. It was so cold, it started melting... you can make an outside snowball

 (Evan)

There were still three more large containers of snow…and these I added to the art table. The art table had been readied for a process art activity with found objects and paint. What if we used the paint and the found objects with snow? Why not? What might happen? Let's see!



I added a few extra tools - tongs, eyedroppers, tweezers, stirring sticks, spoons. I watered down the paint so that it might be useful with a dropper. Then I stepped back and watched the children explore...

immediately seeing






Excited preschoolers,

touching and squeezing the snow

filling eye droppers with paint, squeezing paint onto the snow

making dots, speckles on the snow

adding spoonfuls of snow into the paint

picking up snow with tongs

I love pink

I love purple

I love blue

Curious preschoolers,

dropping found objects in the snow

retrieving them with tongs

stirring them into the snow

dropping found objects into the paint

adding in more snow, to the paint

I'm making soup

I'm making spaghetti

Look! I got it all gone!

Focused preschoolers,

picking up tongs full of snow,

plopping the snow into the paint,

watching, watching, watching

as the paint moved up the snow ball,

the snow slowly filling with paint color

not melting but growing in color,

Stirring, stirring, stirring

meticulously removing every bit of snow from the containers

We are making snow!

It's turning to dark red

My snow is all pink

This is cold

Feverish preschoolers,

rapid questions, incessant demands

I need tongs!

What about tweezers?

I need another tray!

I need more water!

I need a clean squeeze thing! 

I want pink, too! 

What are those? 

I need something to mix!

Where did you get that?

I need a spoon!

Alert, excited, restless, engaged.

Me,
I was the guide on the side,
moving quickly to support them,
all things at once,

taking pictures,

making notes,

asking questions,

pointing them towards supplies,

encouraging them to resolve problems themselves

Where are they kept?

Has anyone seen where those are kept?

Where did we put them?

What just happened when you did that?! Wow!

What if you ask a friend where she got hers?

How might you get the paint out of the eyedropper?

What happens to the snow when you do that?

Did you ask her if you can have some?

Where might we get water?

Will that fit in there?

What happens to the paint when you put snow in it?

What do you think will happen?

I, too, was alert, excited, restless, engaged.

This is my favorite kind of centers work!

And it sure helped me to forget about that horrid commute.

Tuesday SOL What about the Art Center?

This is a Tuesday "Slice of Life" for Two Writing Teachers. Check out their website for lots more reflections on teaching.

*******

I am loving the art center in my new classroom. It is an ideal space, with a beautiful big window right nearby, giving such great light to all that we do here. Plus, it is equipped with a sink, cabinets, and counter, allowing me to set up and clean up with ease.

This area includes a table for small group work, a clay station, and two easels. There is a place to hang art that is drying. There is a small shelving unit, filled with art materials that the children have learned how to use through various "guided discoveries" this school year - glue, paint, scissors, collage materials, oil pastels, yarn, recyclables and other "junk."

I am slowly but surely making it into a space where children have total flexibility with their creative explorations.

We make sure there is paint set up at the easels at the start of each day. I love the way children wander over to the easels, sometimes grabbing a smock from the bin, sometimes not, and they just begin painting. The easels are in almost continuous use from the moment the classroom door opens each morning. 

The clay table has ample room for three artists but I've noticed that it is often home to just one artist at a time. How nice this is for the artist! Here, the children enjoy pounding and cutting the clay, making designs with clay tools, and rolling and patting it back into balls…I think it is a very nice corner for solitary exploration. The children are also intrigued by how to take care of the clay, enjoying the responsibility of adding water to it, keeping it moist and pliable. 

At the small group table, we set up a variety of process art activities, with materials for the children to create and explore with abandon. There aren't specific rules for this work - children consider what they want to do with the materials at hand and begin creating as they desire. It is magical and free-flowing work. 

Typically, we'll do the same exploration all week long. 

The children love this area of the room and it is in constant motion.

 

I love how they are free to choose between so many creative activities on a daily basis…

paint? clay? glue? cutting? three-dimensional? mixed media? 

The choice is theirs. 

I know this area of our classroom is working well when I watch the children…

• Simona, lost in concentration, with the perspective of a scientist on the brink of a new discovery, holding a length of yarn in each hand, dipping the center into paint, pulling the strand taut, seeing her paper instantaneously covered in speckles; she greets this discovery with sheer delight and dares to repeat the process over and over, seeing nothing but beauty in the speckles that also cover her face, arms, and table. 
• Naima and Evan, together at the clay, mashing the clay with hammers, over and over, and then realizing that, rather than using the tools in the manner intended, it would be much more fun to puncture the clay with tools, creating a 3D sculpture of these; this pursuit unfolds and they laugh out loud at their funny creativity, begging each other to see what the other has done - "Look at this!" 
• Paxton, discovering the table set up for four potential artists but empty of children; he works quietly on one piece, using 'junk' (various wheels, balls, small cars, other) to stamp and press paint onto the paper…still no one else has arrived at the table, so he moves on to create a second painting, and then a third, and then makes his way to the fourth and final, delighted by his find, delighted by this exploration, delighted to have the place to himself.

This is the concentration that I love seeing in preschoolers, a direct challenge to textbook notions of preschoolers having fickle, "less than ten minute" attention spans. 

It is essential that our classrooms provide them with time, possibility, and choice. 

Yes, the art center is becoming a place that echoes my goals for my early childhood classroom. And, the best thing - the sink is right there for them to clean off those messy, creative hands when they decide they want to do something else!