teaching from the empty swing

Have you ever NOT been in the classroom during a normal school year? Put a giant PAUSE button on your teaching life?

Without children in my days, it is like lacking a food source.

I am afforded the opportunity for reflection on my blogging life and my teaching life.
This opportunity comes in the form of some recovery time at home after having wrist surgery last week. I will be out of my classroom position for at least one month, and we'll see from there how I am doing and when I can return.

The irony in this break from teaching is that I get unbroken time to appreciate the journey of this blog.

I actually started Zella over 3 years ago on a recommendation from the director of my former school who knew I was home recovering from - then - ankle surgery. She offered the idea of a blog, that maybe while I lay at home with my leg elevated, I would maybe give myself something to do with my photographs and learning stories of young children.
Hmm. Interesting idea.

As it turns out, it was an idea that literally changed my professional life.

My blog has connected me with amazing people from around the world, from
Teacher Tom to
Jenny at Let The Children Play to
Anna at The Imagination Tree to
Rachelle at Tinkerlab,
and around the world a few more times.

The blog has given me a voice to share the authentic learning of young children as they engage in their own choices of play:
Following Emily 

The blog has given me a voice to say Teachers, you are the force of change and for knowing what is the healthiest learning for young children. Teachers, tell your families that choices and time and natural materials are right, absolutely right : 
Be That Teacher

The blog has given me connections in real life to uplift and encourage social networking for schools as a real, valuable form of communication. Real. Valuable.
This was my most wide spread post on how to be inspired by pedagogy yet how to be grounded enough to commit to the school and culture where you truly teach:
My Break-up Letter With The Reggio Approach

Currently, I am formatting a blog for my school and doing some social networking for them. It is exciting work to be at the beginning of something. To know an amazing school will soon share about their amazing [simple] work of dedicated play with young children.

So, the swing is empty for now yet the stories runneth over.

100,000 views for clay, paint and dirt

Cheers to 2014.
With it, a landmark milestone was passed for Zella Said Purple: over 100,000 page views over the last three years. 

1.CLAY: My Break-up Letter with the Reggio Approach

I must say, while I had a small grin across my face when I discovered this number rolled over my page, I am a blogger with a different intention.

I started my blog as a way to have a reflective voice while I was out of the classroom for a year recuperating from ankle surgery. My public narrative of children's learning processes was a joy to write and actually changed my life as an educator.

2. PAINT: Be That Teacher

The weaving of these stories are the fabric of my teaching life.
I am lucky enough to blog when it strikes me, sometimes quiet for a length of time, sometimes writing in bursts.

With that said, it is cool to see what posts have been the Big Reads that resonated with or were shared by the masses. I don't write with that hope in mind, so it is a surprise when a topic or photo captures the attention of readers.

3. DIRT: For the Love of Dirt

When reviewing my most read posts, I had another grin on my face because surely only in early childhood could these three focuses be The Top 3 Posts: Clay, Paint and Dirt. The lead photos for these posts were absolutely highlighting young children's engagement with these elements. 
Please click on the photos or captions to go to the full post!

gotta love clay paint dirt.

"the hug came flying at me"

"The hug came flying at me. All I saw was thin blue and white stripes and a flash of brown hair. Then, there he was - attached to my side, grappling to me like he belongs there. This is the daily ritual of one 4 year old boy named Alex. He loves people like that everyday, not just me. He loves people with his whole heart and full body. Often, he has some extra wisdom to share while wrapped to me. Today, I learned about snake venom and also candles that super-heroes use at night time. I wish I could live like Alex for one glimmering moment yet I am most grateful to not only be witness to it but be a recipient of that kind of life power joy. All bundled in 40+ pounds of happiness."

If this energy could be harnessed, we could change the world in a blink.