a work of [robot] art

Wow. 

Sometimes that just sums it up. Wow.

Please admire the tremendously creative, talented, fuzzy-soft work of Wendy Tsao of the ever-fabulous Child's Own Studio . Wendy has a gifted eye for taking a child's art or drawing work and allowing it to come to life via her fabrics and sewing talents.

I had put in a request for one of her one-of-a-kind productions by sending her a drawing of a Robot Monster done by 4-year-old Cole. I let Wendy know that Cole loves friendly things and he loves Where The Wild Things Are...and then Wendy did the rest.

Thank you to Wendy for making me smile when I think of adults living a life that is full of the joy and invention that is Childhood. Wendy's work is just that.

drawing of a friendly robot monster by 4yo Cole

Wendy of Child's Own Studio invented this softie model

Don't you love that the robot has 4 arms? Wendy posed him with 2 arms crossed :)

The details and furry fabric chosen by Wendy are perfectly suited for Wild Things!

Arrived at our house and ready to be gifted to the artist!

Talent talent talent

to make a Robot Monster look friendly and cheerful.

What do you think of the drawing turned softie?

hey T-Tom: learning is no accident

Teachers who plan amazing environments for children are absolutely influencing learning.

Here's the thing:

I adore Teacher Tom.

I admit it. His photo on his blog with his fabulous red cape make me think that he wears it everyday. He IS a sort of Super Hero for early learning educators - at least via the blogosphere. Tom is a rebel in the field of early childhood, an inspiration to help us think about This Rule and That Policy, and a never-to-be-questioned supporter of children being allowed to BE children.

One of my favorite posts of Tom's is when he wrote about 2-year-olds using hammers:  

Click here to read all about 2year-olds and Hammers.

However, in Tom's post today, I don't know that I agree with his theory that a play-based teacher steps back and lets children "learn on their own." Here's the full read of Tom's 'Teaching a Play Based Curriculum' [Tom's posting was in response to Emily at The Natural Playground who posted 'Is Free Play Teaching?']

Tom offers that he and his Co-op parents prepare the environment -  "Every day, I strive to make sure we have some way for kids to build stuff. Usually that means some sort of blocks. I also want there to be a sensory exploration going on, an art project, a couple fine motor activities, something over which to puzzle, and at least a few conversation starters. I try to make sure there's a place to learn with one's whole body, a way to get messy..."

This sure sounds like he and his parent group have intentionally planned for what they deem as important for young children to experience on a particular day or over a period of days.

This sure sounds like Tom & Parents have thoughtfully supplied - or taken away - materials and explorations that would provoke open-ended or creative interest and inquiry.

Tom writes that in his daily work with children, he thinks of himself as "an artist...a shopkeeper...a mad scientist...a game master...an interior decorator."

This sure sounds like he is intentional in what he is doing, preparing, and availing for children.

The role of the teacher is so very significant. I believe that this sort of Intentionality is one of the richest, most respectful gifts to offer to children in their play spaces. Teachers have afforded the environment and materials truly a central role (that 3rd teacher in Reggio doctrine) and in turn allow the day to mysteriously unfold with children engaged by choice and self direction.

My point to challenge what Teacher Tom was writing is that when the environment and materials are so thoughtfully offered as they have done, that learning  - in essence - IS planned.

What I mean by that specifically is that YOU KNOW that amazing engagement, curiosity, and invention will happen:

YOU KNOW that children will explore color at that art project, or explore speed and distance at that ramps with balls area, or use descriptive language like Squishy or Gloppy or Super Cold at that sensory table filled with glue, cornstarch + water.

So, sure, the exact learning is not planned as teachers look forward to children using materials in unexpected ways. Maybe children want to use pinecones or branches to paint with at that art project, or use aluminum foil hand-made balls at that ramp area, or add mud to the sensory table. Maybe.

Sure, I get what Teacher Tom was saying. The exact learning is not planned. The exact math concept of one-to-one correspondence is not taught, the exact science concept of examining the properties of liquids is not taught, the exact small motor concept of writing the letter A is not taught. However...

In the most wondrous play-based schools like Teacher Tom's - learning is no accident.

"thinking about sharks"

maybe painting about the word HAPPY makes this child happy.

What

makes

a child

happy?

[pause...tilt your head, squint one eye, twist your mouth...ponder.]

Now, let me pose the question in a different way:

Ask a child to explain to you what makes them happy.

And Then, tell me the answer.

LIKELY ~ what YOU think makes a child happy

might be quite different than what THEY say.

LIKELY ~ your child might answer right in the moment, right then,

and tell in their own colorful way what makes them happy.

[quite likely.]

So, certainly, what YOU think makes them happy might well be true, no doubt.

sure looks like happiness to me!

YOU KNOW your child loves soccer or ice cream or all-things-glitter...

Yet, isn't part of the joy of happiness how each person can have their own sense of it? Their very own version of how life feels to them, tastes, quiet, loud, big, bright, funny, purple?

Young children know very very early on what makes them happy.

They really do know.

My former colleague, Megan, a dear friend and mother extraordinaire to 3 year old Tavo, was my inspiration for this post. She had shared on a social network about Tavo and his musings to her about what makes HIM happy. Here is the short - yet so very sweet and insightful - exchange:

Mom Megan: "Tavo, what makes you happy?"

3 year old Tavo: "Thinking, drinking hot cinnamon, and relaxing."

I imagine Tavo sitting next to Megan or maybe looking right up to her, offering this answer in a way that surprises her in a charming way and yet probably doesn't surprise her as these 3 things are likely very dear to him in his life. Likely, the relaxing or the thinking are part of his personality already. Likely, the hot cinnamon is something Megan and Tavo share occasionally (I don't know what that is, but it sure sounds good on this rainy California night!).

I imagine how wonderful that a 3 year old has a sense of "relaxing" and that it is something that he seeks out to do.

I imagine how powerful that a 3 year old has a sense of  "thinking" and that he is the boss of his own thoughts.

Makes me happy just thinking about Tavo's response.

I asked my Zella friends on FB about what makes their child happy.

Some shares included the parents' ideas about what they know their children enjoy: play time, cheese, Dora, basketball!

Hmmm, maybe the boy would also be happy swimming with alligators?

Another reader who is an early childhood teacher shared a child's answer from a class discussion [which became the short title for this post]: "The boy said he felt happy when he was swimming in a cool pool thinking about sharks."

wow. who could have known this? only the boy.

ask your child. 

and then, please share their response - you'll be happy you did :)