Convention on the Rights of the Child

Fact Sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child 

Simple

Imagination blossoms when you kep it simple and just let the possibilities fill in the blanks.

This is me...

...as well as many of the children in my care. As a teacher I listen and observe. Being an introvert I am comfortable with the silence that happens when meeting a new person, especially when that person is a young child. When I know it is safe for me and the people around me I can be the loudest, chattiest person in the room.

Frederick Douglas

Not me!

What if money were no object?

Alan Watts poses the question in this beautiful video. I hope that this is what we do as teachers of the very young, help to guide then to the understanding that it is possible to do what they desire, what makes them happy.

Tim Minchin has a few words to say.

I have seen this man preform his comedy...it is colourful of language. His speech to a graduating class is something, I feel, should be heard. Listen and take note.

Barbara Colorose

Mixed messages

Knowing when to just give a hug...sometimes it is hard to remember when a kid is a whirling wall of anger and calling you names...this is code for: I am scared, protect me, I just need a hug.

Why Finland's public schools are so successful.

The Sunday Edition CBC: Micheal Enright speaks to Finland's education guru, Dr Pasi Sahlberg, about how the country's egalitarian, low-stress model has helped Finnish students reach for the top.

photo: Teemu Vehkaoja

Dr. Pasi Sahlberg, "...children's job is play...to be good in play means that you have a mind, you have an imagination, you have power that you can use through these things, you also have to have time to practice these things...Early Child Development Services be...non educational or non instructional, it is filled with music, and play, and drama...learning to be with other people rather than learning letters and numbers and school like things..."

Cookie and self regulation.

I showed this video to a group of kids today. I could see they got they bit about standing up tall and taking a breath (they copied Cookie when it came round in the song the second time). I also think they could relate to Cookies impulsiveness and what it took for him to sing the whole song before he had a cookie. For the rest of the afternoon there were references to Cookie Monster when they were making an effort to wait. Made me smile.

Preceived power

Calvin and Hobbes often have a situation that is reflective of my job as a teacher of the quite young and creative. The young people I work with try to gain power over situations they feel powerless in. As the older people we need to remember that it is important for them to feel the power and for it not to become a power struggle. How do we meet their needs and our needs without crushing spirit? How do we direct the over all situation and give them control of a part? Something to keep in mind.

"Every minute outside and awake is a good minute."

To the point.

Really there is no other question to ask.

Our words.

I do not expect that children will remembered who I am when they leave the childcare centre to explore the rest of their lives. I do hope that I have helped to shape their inner voice and that it is a compassionate one. 

You know your are a Early Childhood Educator if...

Richard's blog

Listen to this man, with in his humour he makes some very good points. Also if you can't laugh at yourself you should not be teaching, especially not be teaching young children.

link to the full key note speech, do watch:
"Early Childhood Professionals: The Heroes of Our Time"

Humour

Paul McGhee talks about preschool humour and its role of humour in children's cognitive development.

I am Somebody!

I am Somebody!

My favourite kid's show passes this message to me in the 70's, I hope I have passed it on to the children I have had the privilege to care for.

Empathy

Empathy

For us as teachers to remember to have it for everyone and to teach the children to have it for others as well as themselves.

Why I teach is because of observations like this one.

A child looks down at my feet and says with a deadpan voice, "You don't have boring socks on today, Quincey." I looked down to see what ones I was wearing that brought on this observation and replied, "You are right they are not boring today, two different coloured stripes are not boring." The left green and brown and the right turquoise and black. Then remembering a conversation from a few weeks ago regarding the colour of the socks we were all wearing. I was wearing "Boring beige."

Never underestimate the observation skills of 3-5 year old children.

Art and words by Eric Carle

My childhood is full of this mans art, Eric Carle. 

E.E.Cummings

Ben knew what he was talking about.

Not a Box -by Antoinette Portis

the story 

This is one of my many favorite books.

Bruce Lee

Treating all babies equally...I think the Fins have something here.

Here is the article Why Canadian babies should sleep in cardboard boxes like Finnish babies do 

One of my favorite examples of problem solving.

I have a collection of bandanas, all different colours. One day when I was sharing them with my friends at the childcare a girl asked me, "Can I have the red scarf if we call it pink?" "Of course we could call it pink." She loved pink and I did not have a pink one at the time. She really wanted to have a bandana so she came up with a solution. Brilliant.

Science says I am right.

TedTalk

My motto: If it is not fun you won't find me doing it. I will admit there are days I need to go searching for the fun. It is always lurking somewhere waiting to be found even in the darkest corners, perhaps especially in the darkest places.

Anxiety Workshop

This past Saturday went to workshop with a co-worker. We got lots of good information about helping cope with anxiety. The Anxiety BC web page has lots of  helpful information for people of all ages with anxiety.

Noticing the hours of daylight increasing.

"How come we don't stay at daycare till dark anymore?" -age 5.5 years
"How come my dad picks me up so early now? -age 4 years
"It's late we need to get home." child's mom. "No it is still light out!" -age 4.5 years

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

Children are not afraid to be wrong...how do we help them grow up and still not be afraid?

The Red Wolf by Margaret Shannon

I was listing to NPR one day and heard this book being read and explained. It was so lovingly read and such a fantastic story I had to go out and buy it. It is no longer in print so I cherish my copy. I have read it many times, made props to tell the story, and even recorded myself reading it. It is a touchstone for teaching, it takes me and the children so many places.

Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud

TedTalk

Grandmothers...I love his use of grandmothers in moving learning forward

To This Day Project - Shane Koyczan

Video

A beautiful spoken word video collaboration.

my favourite part:...if you can't see anything beautiful about yourself get a better mirror...

Albert Einstein

How I see my job.

To help children learn to stumble and find their own graceful way to land.

This Is Water.

In 2005 gave a commencement address to the graduating class of Kenyon College. It is some simple sage advice about the value of education. Here is the clip.

Kids won't learn from people they don't like...Rita Peirson

TedTalk

Here is Rita talking about what she knows.