On Monday morning, as we were starting another week by conducting health checks on the curb, the father of one of our virtual preschoolers arrived. “I’m here to pick up the submarine.” The request caught my attention, as it’s not a typical pickup of materials. Usually materials picked up for students still learning at home . . . Read More
It’s been a good year for peas. All along the sidewalk on the south side of the building, tall vines are loaded with white blossoms and forming pea pods. Peas are one of most popular crops in Seed gardens, and they rarely make it into the building. As soon as each pod grows full of . . . Read More
Every year our studies around social justice manifest in an organically unique way. There’s always a plan, and what actually happens emerges totally from the kids. Last weekend I was talking with one of my former 2nd graders, who is now a young mom, and she said, “I know you’re really into social justice right . . . Read More
A winter storm blasted through Phoenix on Monday, ripping three screens off our office windows and leaving piles of white precipitation scattered around the playground. I learned later that there is a special name for this precipitation, graupel. Graupel is described as “water that accumulates on snow above the ground, then freezes and creates . . . Read More
What I’ve always loved about this time of year as a teacher is the opportunity to explore human rights issues with children. Even though I haven’t been in the classroom for over ten years, I manage to keep my fingers in the pie, so to speak. It’s one of the most organic parts of my . . . Read More
The other day I noticed this beautiful sunflower on the verge of blooming. Two bees were scurrying about in the center where seeds will eventually form. It was perfect timing for a day early in the new year. Months before this moment of unfurling, I devoted considerable time and energy to protecting the seedling that . . . Read More
Under normal circumstances, this week would have been a high energy time around the Seed. We’d be putting final touches on the dances each class was about to present on Thursday night in our Celebration of the Winter Solstice. Dances would be unveiled on Wednesday morning at the dress rehearsal where we were all dazzled . . . Read More
Over the years I’ve often written of my third grade teacher who made such an impact on me as a young child. As I grew older, there was another teacher, Jim Fraser. He was my math teacher in junior high and high school. As I read over some of the memories posted about him on . . . Read More
It’s a week before Thanksgiving, and we hit a record 92 degrees on Tuesday. Hardly anything surprises me these days. In addition to the unusual weather, it’s a time of profound change, both externally and internally. Certain world events have triggered profound changes in myself, one of the most significant being the killing of George . . . Read More
As the months keep adding up since the pandemic began, it’s easy to slide into the mindset of focusing on what we’ve lost. I struggle with this daily, and all of it is making many of us feel incredibly tired. Yet we press on, showing up every day to serve our students, support each other, and . . . Read More
For many years I’ve thought of the Seed as a hybrid. Early on, we drew on a variety of approaches to inform our practices. In graduate school I researched Montessori, Waldorf, and embraced the Whole Language movement. We’ve studied the constructivist approach, based on Piaget’s theory, and added Love and Logic ® to our toolbox. . . . Read More
The warmer weather has inspired me to find a new route for my morning walks. Through a bit of exploring, I’ve discovered some sleepy, lesser traveled streets near South Mountain that even provide a bit of shade. At the point where I turn around, a sailboat is parked. It’s been there awhile, and seems like . . . Read More
One by one, each child was acknowledged and celebrated. Beginning with our tiniest toddlers, and ending with our 3rd/4th grade graduates, the day of celebration brought a most unusual school year to an end. Despite not being physically present with our students since early March, each teacher had kind, thoughtful words about the students with . . . Read More
Two weeks ago I wrote about our efforts as a staff to do what’s best for kids. I keep thinking about this topic, and a related one—children’s mental health. Daily I see articles about this subject, and have concerns that, amidst the focus on academic learning time lost, the mental health piece is not being addressed . . . Read More
These past several weeks Bill has showed up at school every day (except a few Sundays) to burn weeds, trim trees, tidy up the playground, paint classrooms, and organize the sand circle area. He sorted and washed all the spoons, bowls, and pots and pans. He’s used this time to make the space ready to . . . Read More
When I was a kid, May 1st was a day of connection. We’d make little baskets and fill them with lilacs, popcorn, and candy, then deliver them to friends’ front doors. It was a sweet way to remember close friends. It’s not a practice we see around here. And with social distancing in place, as . . . Read More
Earth Day has historically been one of the most important days of the year at Awakening Seed. It’s an embodiment of the Seed’s mission statement: “Awakening Seed is an innovative, compassionate learning community that inspires global citizens by fostering curiosity, celebrating uniqueness, and promoting social justice.” This year, more than any other year, it was . . . Read More
On Tuesday morning I was over at the Seed taking photos for our upcoming yearbook project. Evidence of spring was everywhere. Bill has been hard at work keeping weeds at bay, and the freshly mown grass looks incredibly healthy. A few class gardens are bursting with produce, including kale, chard, and spinach. Sunflowers are blooming . . . Read More
When I returned from my trip to Nebraska, I checked out a group of mysterious cabbage-like plants in our garden. Looking closer, I discovered underneath the lush green leaves a whole collection of tiny Brussels sprouts. How could this be? I do remember planting seeds months ago, but thought our rabbit visitors had wiped . . . Read More
Over the past several weeks I’ve been writing about the playground. I’ve described its activities, life lessons available, and all the reasons we place so much emphasis on our extraordinary playground. When I saw these three toddlers gazing out onto the big playground with a student intern the other day, with their similar bikes parked . . . Read More
During second recess when elementary kids are on the playground, most of the older students elect to play sports. On Monday, due to a staffing shift that day, it ended up being a free choice recess. Several of the 3rd and 4th grade boys headed off to Gwen’s Castle. They decided to rebuild a fort they’d . . . Read More
Our first and second graders are currently developing the practice of using a writer’s notebook. Each week I present them with a different way to use their notebooks. This week I gave them a random photo of a scene from our playground. I invited them to look at their photo and see what it reminds . . . Read More
When visitors come to the Seed and we open the door to our playground, the response is nearly universal: Wow. One parent even asked if our school was adjacent to a city park. Many express their awe by saying, “I wish I’d gone to a school like this when I was a kid.” I’ve visited . . . Read More
I’ve intended to write this blog for awhile, since learning that Vivian Paley passed away last summer. We met in the late 1980s at a workshop hosted by a local teacher organization. The event was hosted at Awakening Seed, and Vivian and I made a connection right away. In addition to our common practices of . . . Read More