Highlights and Some Thoughts

Some of my kids are very self-directed. I can show them once how to do something, make a few suggestions, and they pop for it, with wonderful results. Others need help as they go along. I've had one student who said he would never like doing art, and now he loves it. I have a couple who are reluctant to try even though they are very talented and smart, and they are the ones who challenge me to stretch and grow as a teacher. They need something I haven't yet figured out - how to reach them so they feel successful?

Little kids are usually game for everything, and some will go beyond what everyone else is working on. I have to keep up with them!

Isn't this spooky? It isn't for Halloween, but the first step in the third and fourth graders' puppet-making for their unit with Ms. Megan, called "Discovery Through Exploration." They don't yet know which explorers they will choose for their finished puppets, but figured there's a big chance some explorers had mustaches.

Allie and her classmates are beginning covers for their fifth-sixth grade unit books, "Myths, Magic, and Monsters." They are still on the concept of heroes, which has me noticing - in pop culture, children's examples are celebrities (corporations make a lot of money from entertainment and stardom). But stars are usually known for looking good and maybe not so much for courage, compassion, genius mind, truthfulness. Children model themselves after what they see on pedestals, which makes it all the more important to learn which type of action merits respect and which individuals deserve admiration. I am learning the most, once again, digging up art history, reading about heroes from history and herstory, and contemplating heroines and heroes from everyday life. I confess - it's all teaching me things I need to learn.

The littles have all worked on their projects for our Halloween Lantern Walk. They absolutely wanted their own names written on the bottom of the jars, after I suggested it might not matter who did them. Yes! for individuality! I am so excited to see them next week parading through the evening woods with their beautiful lights!

And here is the scarecrow in the Kinders' room, stuffed and stitched together. Maybe the tame crow Smokey, who visited school a couple weeks ago (we don't know where he came from but he hopped up close to everyone), will have something to say about him:

Caw! Caw!