“To learn more about Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and the Greenway in Boston that bears her name, and to see an animated digital storybook version of Rose’s Garden, go to http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org”
Tag Archives: early education
Story Time!
I hope you liked this one! Gosh I bet you are all missing your grandmas (grandpas too)…maybe you could give them a call or do a video chat…
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Daily Story…#9
Please visit The Vermont Book Shop for more stories by Ashley Wolff!
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Daily Story…day 8
This is a zipper story I made up years and years ago! It’s so much fun because you can insert anyone’s names into it. I used to include things that happened in the classroom on the day I told the story. Give it a try-the kids will get a kick out of it!
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Daily Story…day 6
Again, thank you to Pippin Properties and Peter H. Reynolds. And find your favorite books at The Vermont Book Shop
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Daily Story day 5
Please visit The Vermont Book Shop for more titles!
Again, thank you to Pippin Properties for allowing me to read and record this story, and Peter H. Reynolds for being willing to share his work.
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Daily Story…day 4
The Vermont Book Shop is a great place to find more stories by Ashley Wolff!
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Daily Story…day 3
Ashley Wolff graciously allowed me to record and share this story with all of you. You can find her books at The Vermont Bookshop!
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Empathy and How to Cultivate It: My notes from listening to Michele Borba
Michele Borba was one of the keynote speakers at a conference I attended this week. She is passionate, dynamic, and empowering. If you ever have the chance to hear her speak, do it!
Anyway, so much info so I’m just going to make a list of highlights that I wrote down, and hopefully you are able to glean some key information from it. Any statistics or definitions came from her presentation and can be found in her book or on her website. She talked so fast, it was tough to note sources. My thoughts will be added in italics.
- 1 in 5 teens will have a mental health disorder wow!
- “Unless parents realize it (empathy) can be cultivated, it will become dormant” parents, guardians, caregivers…and it can be cultivated at ANY age
- Around the year 2000, empathy decreased 40%. Lack of empathy creates exclusion and polarization which is what we are already seeing in society, and if you think it’s no coincidence that this coincided with the smart phone and screens everywhere, you’re not alone
- The average middle school kid is more comfortable texting than talking to another person
- Some easy and specific suggestions and her list of habits to use: face to face contact, read picture books to your kids that have a moral dilemma, weave in the 9 essential empathy habits listed here:
for more detailed information, I encourage you to buy her book Unselfie - “Empathy is transformational. Empathy is a teaching tool” it doesn’t cost a dime and can change the culture of the classroom
- 66% of kids say we (adults) are too plugged in.
- A person learns new skills best by doing it, seeing it modeled, not by telling it.
- “You change the culture with the trickle down effect” she told a powerful story about a teen who changed the culture at his school just by holding the door open in the morning and greeting everyone
- “Look for the Helpers” Fred Rogers. She says a statement like this, “Galvanizes the good. Share the good with kids everyday.”
- “What would’ve made the difference?” She responds by sharing lyrics to the Cheers tv show theme song and what happened next was moving beyond words
In closing, you can make a difference.
More to come from the workshop she did following this presentation!
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Kids and their Questions!
So I’m attending the VAEYC conference once again, and our keynote was about the power of questions. Dr. Lindsey Godwin from the Appreciative Inquiry Center, an internationally renowned speaker and author, shared her work and perspective on questions.
Did you ever notice that we, as adults, often get annoyed by kids asking us questions? We are busy, and it takes time and energy to stop and explain things, and quite honestly, why is it important to answer a “silly” question that isn’t important to us?
Well, it’s valuable to respond so to encourage more questions. Why on earth would we want to do that? To cultivate creative thinkers, problem solvers, innovators, and open minds! Dr. Godwin states, “As children, we get messages from adults that they want answers, not questions.” And she’s right, we are always asking kids to tell us things, when we should really invite them to find their own answers by asking more questions.
Dr. Godwin has two lessons for us to take back to our classrooms:
1. Inquiry is intervention. Inquiry leads to change. Our questions set the stage for what we find, they determine what we pay attention to, and ultimately the direction of what comes next, whether it is curriculum plans and activities, or your next fundraiser or parent meeting. Inquiry has the power to inform and shape opportunities for all of us.
2. What we ask about “grows”. If you ask a question based on a deficit, that will be the focus. Instead, shift focus from your biggest challenge to your most unique assets to “magnify and learn from moments of highest engagement and enthusiasm.”
This is how we accelerate the positive changes that we need to grow and learn, and ultimately how we grow the curious minds of the youngest members of our communities.
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JenniferCyrFamilyChildCare 