These days fractals seem to occupy my mind. In her book, Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown describe fractals as “never-ending…infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.” Further on in the chapter about fractals, she applies this pattern . . . Read More
It’s the autumn equinox, and the rain this morning is a welcome visitor. The creosote bush at the school’s entrance is a fragrant greeter. Even though the days are still on the warm side, it’s clear that summer is coming to an end. It’s giving us a bit of breathing room to look ahead to . . . Read More
For eleven years I taught first and second graders. I believe it was some of my best work as a teacher that ultimately resulted with years of memorable teaching. In fact, I’m still friends with many of my students and their families from that era. Looking back, it was my most prolific time as a . . . Read More
You might notice a large very hungry caterpillar hanging above the Toddler 1s door. The paper was painted by our littlest toddlers, then cut and shaped by a teacher to make the caterpillar. It’s a wonderful introduction to our annual food study, using Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Each year we devote the two . . . Read More
It was 102 at recess today. Although I appreciated the rain that August monsoons brought, I’m glad to be stepping into September. The rain brought plenty of humidity, and this has been exacerbated by extra hot days this past week. For outdoor play when the temperature is 100 to 109, our practice is to offer . . . Read More
We’re settling in. We’ve nearly completed our third week of school, and routines are beginning to come together. Although some children still need extra hugs before saying goodbye, and others express missing a parent, for the most part we’re getting used to being together again. It’s a time of new learning on many levels. Names . . . Read More
I listen to so many podcasts, it’s hard to remember which thoughts and ideas come from which podcasts. Often podcasters interview each other and/or appear on a number of episodes within a short period of time. I love this intermingling of thought leaders. It’s interesting how they might speak on the same topic with different . . . Read More
Beginning school in early August has its challenges, one being the Arizona heat. We’ve been lucky so far that the temperatures have hovered under 100, allowing us to be outside for midday recess. Our policy is if it’s 100 degrees we will offer an indoor/outdoor option. When it hits 110, we keep everyone inside, except . . . Read More
I know it’s unbearably hot this time of year, as sweat becomes a natural state of being. That said, I love the storms and cloud formations that appear during July in Phoenix. Last night the clouds were unusually mesmerizing, and I’m glad I captured a few views before the light changed. As I continued my . . . Read More
It’s a time of practice for our 2nd-6th grade class. They are in the throes of preparation for the 32nd annual Way-off Broadway production. It’s a long-standing summer tradition here at the Seed and involves prop making, backdrop painting, practicing dance moves, and learning lines. The performance at 2:00PM (which will be presented on Zoom), . . . Read More
I’m leaving for vacation tomorrow and won’t be writing my regular blog this week. Since the Golden State Warriors are in the NBA championship series, I thought I’d offer you this post from the archives in 2015 when the Warriors won their first championship. It’s a story about Nick U’Ren, who once upon a time . . . Read More
On Thursday morning a group of students ran up to me excitedly asking to pick peaches. I noticed most of the peaches had already been picked, but said we could go check it out. When it was determined there were enough still left, a small envoy walked to the kitchen with me to obtain a . . . Read More
On Tuesday I observed a group of fourth graders standing together talking at lunch recess. While larger group activity options were available, this particular group opted for “something smaller.” Essentially they were asking for space to just hang out and be together. At this time of year, they’re soaking up every ounce of being at . . . Read More
I spent last week in Nebraska, caring for my parents who, at 97 and almost 94, are definitely winding down. Each afternoon we’d take a drive around the county on roads that followed the Little Blue River and the Union Pacific tracks. We drove past farms abandoned long ago, with barns and houses on the . . . Read More
For the last 23 years our climbing structure, made from recycled plastic “wood,” has served us well. Hundreds of children have played tag, taken wild imaginative journeys, and escaped from pursuing bad guys on it. Over time a few components had to be replaced or removed, and quite honestly, our current structure is ready to . . . Read More
I first started teaching 4th/5th grade in 1999, the year we moved into our present building. Many students that year were kids I had as 2nd graders, so we were already well established. As we settled into our new permanent location, we slowly created functional outdoor features. One of our first projects was a small . . . Read More
It’s Earth Day, a day I renew my commitment to serving Planet Earth. I’me realizing more and more that the most significant way I can be of help is to keep working with the upcoming generations who will assume stewardship of our planet. Today’s blog is about one of those young stewards. One of . . . Read More
It’s the time of year when many classes are engaged in deep studies. Two classes, our Early 3s and Kindergarten, have been immersed in the solar system and outer space. As part of the study, each kindergartener was given the homework assignment of creating a project. I love when they arrive at school with these projects, . . . Read More
This morning I walked into school with one of our first graders. Yesterday we sat together and I helped her decipher what she’d written about her family dog. The words were mostly strung together and it was hard for her to remember what she wrote. Eventually we sorted it out as I had her tell . . . Read More
Life on the playground is a constant dance of balancing creativity, exploration, and imagination with plain old safety measures. We look at it as a fluid process of measuring affordable risks. We let children (except toddlers) play with sticks and bricks. Yes, we encourage them to walk when they have sticks in their hands, and . . . Read More
Earlier this week I was covering a playground shift and noticed a kindergarten student exploring the outer edges of our outdoor space. I wandered over and decided to engage him in conversation about the cool shirt he was wearing. It was brown with a bright green snake on it. I asked him if he liked . . . Read More
Lately I’ve struggled to find words to describe these times. This morning a fourth grader gave me the words I needed. In response to a classmate’s honest sharing of a poem about a difficult family situation, one student said, “Writing a poem is a way to get through harsh times.” These are harsh times on . . . Read More
In a recent interview with Mark Nepo, he offered an idea I’ve been thinking about for days. He said, “In the Middle Ages in Europe for about 300-350 years, only 10% of the European population was literate. That means 10% of the people living in Europe at that time kept literacy for 300 years. Whatever it . . . Read More
I first met Elsie Moore in the late 1980s, around the time of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster. I remember vividly sitting at a low table with Elsie and her husband, Wade. They were looking for a kindergarten program for their eldest son, Arthur. She was pregnant with her third son, Allen. As always, she was . . . Read More