no doubt fearless

Children just ARE who they are - absolutely - even at a very very young age. They already have that sense of self, somehow, that brings some attitude, some "of COURSE I can do that", some leadership and charisma.

It is one of my favorite parts of my role as an early childhood educator - to meet 4-year-olds who just "get it" already, can socialize, have opinions, have plans and questions and don't want to miss a second of school life.

Didn't matter to Ava that supplies were high - she always got what she needed!

Here is one such girl. I will call her Ava [yet I change all the names of students in my blog for their privacy].

Ava was a Go-Getter, a Do-It-My-Selfer, and a Nothing Is Too Hard For Me kind of girl.

However, I didn't know that Ava at first.

When her family first visited our school to consider applying, I met with them and with Ava. I loved the family, loved Ava and certainly thought they could be a match for our school.

My concern was that I was a teacher of young-fives at a school where we were the youngest and everything in our school was set for elementary-AGED children and, accordingly, elementary-SIZED students.
Ava was not petite - she was strong and a fast runner and capable - yet her height was far below a typical range for height for 4 or 5 year olds.

I was fearful she would not be able to participate in some things, that she wouldn't be able to climb on the big playground climber, that all the stairs and steps at our big school would wear her out everyday.

However, none of that was a concern for the family. Ava was talkative, busy and full of energy. She was a great match for a young-fives program and would be a great addition to our class culture. We discussed that time would allow us to see how Ava would adapt to school and that we would make adjustments on her behalf if necessary.

Nothing was needed. No changes were necessary. Ava embraced her school environment and it embraced her.

In the classroom, Ava had no issues that kept her from doing what she wanted to do, used materials as she needed, and navigated her way around independently.

Ava was NO DOUBT FEARLESS. 

Teachers and families often have concerns for their children that are grounded in the right ideals of wanting children to be safe, capable, successful. 

Yet, we often don't realize that we equally must give credit to the child that they can adapt and meet the challenges or expectations of whatever [school, a sports team, a transition]. 

Ava reminds me that each person is THEIR OWN PERSON. 

Ava has been herself HER WHOLE LIFE and never considers anything impossible.

Ava knew she could do school before her family or myself knew she could do school.

OF COURSE Ava could do school...of course.
 

How many NO DOUBT FEARLESS children have you met?

"way too fancy for preschool"

Maybe "Too Fancy" is just right?

Maybe planning for one's return to preschool requires Something Shimmery or Twirly? Perhaps Something Super-Hero-Like or Purple Striped?

Oh, yes, I am talking about a 4-year-old - yet - perhaps teachers go through the same indecision?

Some schools are starting up already in mid-August. Friends on Facebook and Twitter made comments about their children, their summer being over, the surprise that it was August already.

And then there was "K" - a soon-to-be 4-year-old who had a wardrobe dilemma yesterday while planning for her own return to her preschool.  

Here is the story straight from K's mom, Gretchen:  

                             Twas the night before school started and all

                    through the house,

      all I can hear much more loudly than a mouse,

"I don't have anything to wear to school tomorrow!"

Gretchen:  "What about the "new school clothes" I just bought you?"

Says the almost 4 year old with a sigh ... "Those are way too fancy for preschool."

The story that Gretchen shared made me smile and then laugh out loud with a knowing & understanding teacher-of-young-children-laugh.

The story made me think of other children I have met over the years that have a sense of "style" at an early age, who really coordinate and have opinions about their clothing or how they present themselves:

Natasha's Hair: I remember Natasha who liked to do her own hair each morning. Her father would arrive at school with Natasha and in she walked - sometimes 7 barrettes and 3 pony tails in surprising directions dancing atop her head. 

Natasha would skip happily into class and her father couldn't have been happier, either. He was one of the most supportive parents I have ever met. He knew that Natasha doing her own hair was a gift on many levels. He allowed Natasha to BE Natasha - bold, confident and self directed. Ironically, Natasha's different hair styles each day really did make her personality shine exactly as it should. She would not have looked fully like Natasha with just one barrette pulling her hair back. Natasha loved school.

Ryan's Capes: My 4-year-old friend Ryan loved capes. Arrived in one everyday - sometimes kind of like Superman, or another super-hero, sometimes just a beach towel attached to his shirt. He was comfortable and happy with the flowing item trailing behind him. He didn't always play super-hero. He didn't always fly around. He just loved capes. Ryan's parents allowed him to wear what he needed and wanted to wear.

I also had capes in the classroom that my mother had made  for the students - silk capes, with gorgeous patterns, lined on the inside, and hooded with fur on the edge (I know, right, my mother is amazing!). So, sometimes, Ryan would even add an extra cape to his existing one. Who can capture a double-caped super-hero four-year-old? Not a chance. Ryan loved school.

Kia's Colors: Kia would arrive at school in more colors than I could imagine. She would have layers of clothes in order that she would have more colors. Long-sleeve blue striped shirt, short sleeve red flowered shirt over that, with perhaps a cowgirl vest. She'd have polka dot leggings and a multi-colored skirt. Kia would still wear socks - perhaps yellow - and shoes that she decorated with pen. And perhaps orange laces. Perhaps.

How can you not admire someone who knows what they want to wear - "Hhmm, where is my ______ because I need it over my  _________ then I will add my  ________ and, oh, maybe I need a Hat!" Fantastic. Kia loved school.

I admire when children have an opinion about Themselves, 

about Who I Am, about How I Want to Present Myself,  about How I Feel When I Step Out into The World.

Maybe it is "too fancy" ? Yet maybe it is just right?

Surely YOU know a child that has that certain flair, that certain something that makes their personality come to life even at a very young age? 

Perhaps YOU are that child? Perhaps you still have that flair to be fancy, or have great hair, wear that great accessory or glow in great color...?

Please share in the comments below a favorite "must wear" item for yourself, your child or a student you can fondly recall.  

Thanks to Gretchen, "K" and purple skirts - not too fancy... just right.

"I am beautiful"

I was looking for these two photos for my  "Mirror That!" post from a few days ago.
I discovered them and had to share...

This student had been one to love to dress up and create scenarios for herself. At the beginning of the school year, she didn't play much yet with other students, preferring to play her own games on her own time.
She did, however, use a lot of private speech - sometimes an actual conversation with herself, sometimes just commentary on her own actions.

Here she is admiring herself in the MIRROR after having put on a pink flowy dress, a purple star-studded cape (handmade by my mother, by the way!) and a sparkly necklace.

"I wonder IF I am beautiful..."

"Oh, yes, I AM beautiful...!"

Private Speech in the classroom is not always as 'private' as the word implies - it is a different kind of speech for an independent child and a different kind of listening by the teacher.
So lovely to overhear such an amazing sense of self.

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

I SPY moments

balance, balance, balance.

Do you ever wonder what a child is thinking when they are in their own private world of playing or inventing?

1,2,3...7...numbers, bowls, space on the carpet.

I am amazed when the camera can freeze the experience and help me examine the intensity or quietness of a child's individual work.

how does this apple peeler work...?

watching the water pot fill with blue water...drip, drip, drip.

practice, practice...this cartwheel is tricky!

truck and shovel and wet sand...something might get buried?

the joy of big big shoes...!

a fresh drink for the alligator...pouring so carefully !

maybe a calendar? maybe a countdown? maybe a birthday coming?

starting with two very tall blocks...steady, steady hands.

quiet moment to water paint the outside play surface.

hmm...maybe I will go in here...

I think I would like to sit inside a hula hoop and swirl these twirlers around and around.

pink sparkle dress and straw hat...and a look in the mirror.

ready to have my own theater performance with my newly made puppet.

I hope you can uncover moments at school of children working, inventing, and re-inventing their day...in their own beautiful extraordinary way.

choices turn into "I NEED to do THIS"

I NEED to use this camera to take photos of friends.

I am an advocate for lengthy Choice Times every school day for young children.

No matter what curriculum or pedagogy your school follows, there is ideally room in the day for Choices. No matter if perhaps your school has some academic, structured times; or teacher-directed experiences; or specific standards that you are attempting to tie into open-ended authentic learning experiences.

I NEED to use the hole punch - punch - punch.

Ensuring that there is dedicated Choice Time for children everyday is a gift not only for the children, but in turn is a gift to educators who come from a perspective of wanting to partner with children in the learning process.

I NEED to use rubberbands and this GEO board.

During Choice Time, the children direct themselves in or out of the classroom, engaging with peers and materials and teachers. During Choice Time, teachers have the opportunity to listen and observe, photograph, document... and uncover the interests of the students which can help guide your planned experiences or projects for the next day, weeks, and longer. 

I NEED to use this squirt bottle to water this plant.

WE NEED to get some water in our cups.

It is stunning to observe
as childrens choices are motivated by their needs to engage
in a certain way,
with certain energy,
with certain kinds of materials.

WE NEED to roll our friend around the floor!

WE NEED to dig this hole together.

WE ALL NEED to work at the writing table.

WE ALL NEED to listen to Big Pumpkin at the listening center.

Their choices turn into 

"I NEED to do THIS" which is valuable and necessary at that exact moment...

Teachers cannot plan those exact moments - children NEED their own time to follow their own choices.

I NEED to dance to make my kite fly.

I NEED to take a rainbow, tiara-wearing break.

WE ALL NEED to have fantastic parachute fun!

"There is a big difference between having many choices and making a choice." (anon).
I hope your school can offer Time for Choices...
a Time for Choice Making...
a Time for "I NEED to do THIS."

what if you had a pen?

the monster made of circles, squiggles, zig-zags, & curves.

The having of a pen.
Swirls. Numbers. Colors. Shapes. Books.
Letters. Words. Airplanes. Trucks. Monsters.
Invitations. Celebrations.


Children experiment with writing and drawing tools throughout the school day... PERHAPS during early morning time before many other students arrive at school.
PERHAPS during a small group experience to try out a new technique or new drawing surface. PERHAPS during the open work time where students choose where they wish to explore for long periods of time.

the swirls, the dots, the letters...this penned piece even has a handle for flying.

friendship book all in purple...sometimes you just need one bright pen.

yellow 'space stations' and black-penned monsters...the having of your own idea

.

numbers are the most challenging shapes/lines to form when you are four.

making her own maze to follow in pen...well done.

Most of the children who have created the drawings, invitations, books, and designs in the photos today are four- or five-years-old.
The purposeful-ness of their work indicates that they have been able to explore and invent with pens for years leading up to these works. 

this boy started the school year uninterested in drawing or writing...voila!

can you tell that this girl named Sophie R. wrote a note to herself?

this boy had incredible hand-eye coord...he could mimic the fonts from different print sources!

these girls were hunting for words around the classroom for their 'word collections'.

one page in this boy's 'book of words' -  written in rainbow.

Their work indicates they value their own efforts on paper.
Their work indicates that the 'having of a pen' has given a voice and life to their explorations.
PERHAPS you will see the joy, the colors, the humor, the friendship, the focus, the calm, the intention.
The having of a pen. Is. A. Gift.

a program made by children for our performance play (credits written by the teacher).

 

the umbrella hat

If I could be a five-year-old story writer, THIS is the story I would dream of inventing. There is mystery, intrigue, child-power, adventure, kindness, religion, quirkiness, truth, joy and cleverness.
It is a story that I had the privilege of documenting many years ago.
This is the story that made me say, "Oohhhhhh, so THIS is how a story can be told by a child. Oh, so this is how a teacher should LISTEN to a child to get the story told. Oohhhh, now I got it."

Ironically, for many of you who are familiar with Vygotsky's ZPD (zone of proximal development) - "scaffolding" - I realized that on the day that this story was created, Hillary, the author, was the one who scaffolded my technique of how to uplift childrens multi-page stories. 
Being a teacher means always being a learner. Thank you Hillary.

Lilly's Umbrella Hat, by Hillary.

Page 1.
This is a girl with an
umbrella hat.
Her name is Lilly.














Page 2.
Lilly went to her garden and wanted to plant a flower, which was a daisy.

Page 3.
She went to the beach then. Here is the shovel she used to scoop up the sand off the beach and she could make a sand castle. 
You cannot see Lilly because she is swimming underwater. Lilly knows how to swim.









Page 4.
Lilly was inside the rainbow because she found the ladder that goes up there and she climbed up.
She was o.k. up there.
You can see a little brown - that is Lilly's head - because she cleaned the black window a little to see out.

Page 5.
Lilly had dug a deep hole in the front yard. This tulip grew.
Then Lilly dug another hole and climbed underground.
So, you cannot see her again.











Page 6.
Lilly saw a low cloud so
she climbed up a flower to the cloud and then to this cloud and then to another cloud and then
to the sky.
Through the cracks in the sky,
Lilly could see God.








Page 7.
This is a baby flower that just got planted. Lilly is underground printing on the computer.
You still cannot see her because she always goes a lot of places.
Sometimes, she swims through puddles.

Page 8.
The End.

Things to note about Hillary: She was the daughter of a single mom. Her mom had her own gardening company. Hillary and her little sister were both spirited, happy girls who were allowed to experiment on the computer, help in the garden, and express themselves. Hillary's mom was warmly protective yet encouraged the girls to be independent. Hillary's world at the time - her family - was the culture that she incorporated into such strong elements in her Umbrella Hat story.

"If there is a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet,
then you must write it."
Toni Morrison.