What a concept! I feel like there is such a high turnover in our field that it's rare to see a teacher stay on at one school for so long.

Visible for who? Parents? The community? The children? All of the above?

It's amazing how the language we use to describe something can change it's purpose and meaning.

I feel like school is a place to hold that time and space to really listen. When it says that adults don't have time, we do have time; it can just be easy to get caught up in the routine rather than really slowing down to listen.

Yes! Even the smallest infants have a right to be heard and listened to

This is why it's so important to communicate and collaborate with others. My "truth" may differ from yours due to perspectives and biases. That's why we can never truly be entirely objective in the classroom.

Here is the concept of aesthetics playing out again. We as humans are drawn to beauty.

I think we often forget the second half of this. "How can we do this for ourselves?" That part is just as important. We are learners too

Definitely not what my first thought would have been! I probably would have talked to them about the variability of their measurements (everyone's hand is a different size) and shown them how a ruled works. Their way provided a more concrete way of understanding by helping them find their own problems and offer their own solutions.

When I worked in outdoor education and would do teambuilding with groups, we would talk about the idea of groups forming, storming, norming, and performing. If a group gets stuck in the polite "forming" phase where they never encounter any problems, they also have a hard time completing tasks collaboratively. That "storming" phase is so important for figuring out strengths and weaknesses of group members and working together to emphasize strengths and overcome weaknesses when accomplishing future tasks.

I can SO relate to this! It's better to find the strong common themes (through observation and documentation) rather than running with every idea that comes along.

This idea of cooperating with the children's goals is interesting. I feel like it's a balance I'm personally trying to navigate. When am I intervening too much, and when leaving them alone to the point that they may get frustrated or loose interest because they couldn't think of the next step?

I've definitely seen this happening as I have been more intentional and explicit about showing the results of my documentation to the children. Things that I thought were done and we had moved on from can be reignited just by looking at a photograph, or watching a video.

Not correcting or inserting their own thoughts, reminding the children of their own.

"with children for her city"<br> Again, the language is so important here. This isn't a performative act, giving children the chance to speak and create as practice for when they are older. This values the work and knowledge of the children NOW. The city needs the children just as much as they need the city.

I love the idea that it's a game of ball and it's up to the teacher to serve the ball back and keep the game going.

I find that through observation and documentation, I'm able to set up provocations and experiences for the children that not only bring them joy and wonder, but has me waiting with excitement to see what the children will create with what I have offered. They often surprise me with their ingenuity.

So interesting and empowering for the individual child. This language seeks to change the power dynamic inherent when adults and children typically interact.

This had me reflecting on my own resume. How do I communicate my role to others? I know that my actual resume has a list that looks a lot like that first set, while the second set more correctly creates the dynamic roles that I and my co-teachers encompass every day. May be time for a revision!

Reinforces the right of children to learn not only in the spaces made specifically for them, but any space that humans interact with one another.

We are the facilitators. I love this quote. It shows the importance of our role while still centering the children in the experience.

I definitely sometimes lose focus when children are trying to tell me something though play. It's like I've forgotten how to pretend and imagine and it's exhasting to remember how I need to remember that they are trying to tell me something instead of thinking up ways to get out of it sometimes

This is why a variety of materials to spark interest and play out scenarios is so important. Also having large chunks of unstructured time throughout the day to explore and imagine.

If a person doesn't have the word for something, how can they explain it? That's why it's so important to embrace the other ways we can communicate. Sometimes I feel like I don't understand, but then they will draw it or describe how you use it and suddenly my understanding will engage. It's like "Oh! You actually were describing it perfectly, I was the one who wasn't understanding"

This is one of those things where I can see the scenario in my head. An adult is probably trying to hurry them along and telling them that they can't peel their grapes. Why can't they though? I have things that I do in weird specific ways and nobody tells me not to. Just because we hold power as adults doesn't mean that we should use it in arbutrary ways.

I feel like so many of these are speaking to us as adults. I feel like so many adults are like, "Oh! You're so cute! Stay little forever" and this feels like an assertion to be able to grow and learn.

This reminds me of an ECE article I read criticizing the use of the word "friends" in the classroom. If we say things like, "Hurrry, your friends are all waiting for you".... Of course they are! That's what friends do! If we are their friend, that means that we are supportive, loving, willing to listen, willing to help. This helps me see how much of the child I should know personally, instead of holding back because I am their "teacher".

I love this!

How many of my own "languages" am I using? Am I only relying on tried and true methods that I am good at, or am I expanding my thinking and comfort level to provide new experiences and ways to think about the world?

How much time do I need to be "in charge"? What does meeting time look like? Am I facilitating the meeting by moving it along and taking notes, or am I giving a lecture and expecting all the children to listen?

I've noticed that as I observe and document, the children are very proud of what I've chosen to capture, especially if it is something that they've said. They ask me to read back their words and make corrections or let me know if I have gotten it right. They want to be heard and understood.

This is something I am actively working on. Sometimes children can take a long time to come up with the thoughts and solutions that are obvious to me. When I jump in with the answer, just because I am getting impatient, I am taking away the joy of discovery.

Collaboration rather than "I teach you". The child's ideas are just as valuable as mine.

When I worked in Outdoor Education we were taught to embrace those moments that came along that would capture the children's attention. If I was teaching a lesson on erosion, but a hawk swooped down and caught a mouse nearby, I couldn't expect the kids to focus on the lesson. Lets talk about the really cool hawk!

Hmmm, "contaminated" is an interesting choice of language here. It gets the point across, but at least for me has some negative connotations. Bringing "pieces of the world" with us isn't always a bad thing.

It's been interesting seeing how the kids have picked up on the fact that we can't mix groups. Not only are they mentioning things like "We can't play with our friends in Pre-K outside" or "We can't visit the babies" but they are also mentioning things like "Can you go see Ms. Healy?" and "Will you get the virus if you hug Ms. Vanessa?"

While the students at my school are pretty fluid about what boys and girls can do, how they dress, what they can play with; I find that the teachers need to keep checking in with how we are thinking about the genders differently. Sometimes I find myself saying things like, "These boys have SO much energy! We need to get them outside!" When really, a few girls are joining in as well. A simple change in language ("These kids have SO much energy") could probably do a lot to start changing my own mindset and attitudes.

I find that when I "leave traces" of what has been worked on in my classroom, sometimes it can remind them of an interest sometimes months down the road. It's fascinating to see children come back to a topic with new insights and perspectives that they didn't have when they first visited the subject.

How does this look in a pandemic? I don't see the parents of my students anymore? How do I provide opportunities for the parents to participate and share insights about their children (as well as hear insights that the parents have) when I don't see them everyday?

I feel like the value America places on individualism can mask the interconnections in our communities. Pointing out how we are all connected and making an intentional effort to reach out and provide opportunities to connect needs to be at the forefront of our thinking.

I love the flexibility of this method. Children seem to get so much more out of their learning if they are active participants in deciding what they are learning. Being in tune to the various ways children are letting us know what they are interested in is so important.

How do we foster this level of parent participation in our own schools? Parents are incredibly busy and have many demands for their time, but I also find that they are eager to help where they can. Are there a variety of ways to foster involvement that don't just involve being present during school hours?

Amazing ratios. Have any studies been done to see what happens to these preschoolers as they get older? How are their outcomes later in their education? Are they more effective in the workforce? Does the foundation in self-advocacy and collaboration continue throughout their lifes?

The description of "active" and "effective" is powerful here. Looking at the why behind what they were trying to achieve and communicating it in a way that created real and lasting change is really inspiring. How could we create the same energy for change in our own community?

One thing I really love about mixed age classrooms is watching a child go from not understanding a concept when they first start in a classroom, to becoming capable and confident enough to show the newly entering children how it works.

I feel like adults can be quick to come to the aid of young children. If they can't zip up their coat, an adult swoops in to do it for them. If they can't open their applesauce, an adult runs over to do it. I've met several children who go straight to "I can't" before they even try because they know that an adult will usually appear to take care of it. Supporting children when they are frustrated means offering assistance or advice rather than taking over entirely.

This is where environment can really come into play. Are there pictures of the child in the room? Are there any art projects on the wall that they helped create? Are there pictures of the child's family anywhere? Do the toys and areas look like things that they would encounter in their own home?