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
Exactly a year ago today, I left for India. It was an adventure that changed my life and is still with me. The orange-pink sunrise, the smell of rose oil, and the flapping of prayer flags in my back yard all carry me back to India. Lately I’ve been reflecting on the year that has . . . Read More
Now that I have a seven-month-old great-granddaughter, I have more exposure to the “must have” gadgets and gizmos designed to make caring for a baby easier. Over the past several months, our house has filled up with all sorts of paraphernalia to keep the baby safe and cognitively stimulated. It’s made me realize how basic . . . Read More
A few days ago I read a plea for help posted on Facebook by one of our Seed alums. She’s living in Australia. Her post included a stunning photo of a huge plume of smoke and an article describing the fire as big as Manhattan. I thought about her post all weekend and decided we . . . Read More
Although everyone is moving a bit slower this morning, we’re all feeling the glow of last night’s performance. The amount of effort that goes into our winter solstice production is unseen by most of our audience. The vision, patience, and practice that fill up our December weeks came forth last night as we offered an . . . Read More
The rain was a blessing for our dry desert. It also transformed our playground into a mud bog that inspired all sorts of imaginative play. It was a heyday for small persons in brightly colored rain boots. On Wednesday I noticed a group of young sand chefs, madly stirring and pouring muddy water into a . . . Read More
Since late August, I’ve worked with the 3rd/4th graders on their writing once a week. At the suggestion of their teacher, we jumped into a form of writing that was new to me with this age group, development of a fictional character and creating a story around that character. In the past, I generally stuck . . . Read More
On my walk along the canal yesterday morning, pushing my great-granddaughter in her stroller, a man with his little dog called out to me: “Good morning, Grandma. Never give up!” I replied, “I won’t. I’ll keep going as long as I can.” As I kept walking, his words lingered in my mind. He pretty well . . . Read More
For the past fourteen years I’ve taught a kids yoga class at Desert Song Healing Arts Center on Tuesday afternoons. I’ve worked with hundreds of children under the age of ten. Some of them are in college now, and new students keep arriving. Many of them attended my class for several years before outgrowing it . . . Read More