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
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
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
During recess I noticed a child sitting by herself in the grass under a shady tree. She seemed perfectly happy engaged in her own little world. I approached her to check in, and was amazed at her willingness to talk. Keep in mind, this is a child I’ve known for several years, with whom I’ve . . . Read More
You might notice the sticker recently adhered to the glass door of our Little Free Library. It came with the books and materials for the READ IN COLOR program sponsored by the Little Free Library Foundation, with books provided through Southwest Human Development. Their mission statement says: “READ IN COLOR aims to promote the distribution . . . Read More
As you might recall, a few weeks ago during my stint of substitute teaching in the 3rd/4th grade class, we embarked on a study of leaders. Students selected someone they wanted to learn more about, researched important facts about his/her life, drew a portrait using oil pastels, wrote a poem, and found a quote from . . . Read More
I generally keep a close eye on the sunflowers in my garden. Several plants are blooming right now, in a wide range of colors and sizes. I love watching the flowers form and move through all the developmental stages. Over the years, the sunflower has been a metaphor for the stages of life. I was . . . Read More
This morning I was looking at the calendar on our office door that holds all the names of absent staff members. In all of my 45 years of being a school leader, I’ve never seen anything like this. Fortunately, this week we’ve had more people back, and the list each day is shorter than the . . . Read More
It’s been a full, challenging, yet productive week. As Covid closes in on our little Seed community, we continue to do all we can to keep everyone safe and well. I spent another week with the 3rd/4th graders, and our time together did not disappoint. Instead of a blog from me this week, I wanted . . . Read More
I’ve had the privilege of subbing in the 3rd/4th grade class this week. It’s familiar territory for me, as I spent quite a few years teaching 4th/5th graders in this same room. I also know the students as a result of being their writing teacher, some of them for 3-4 years. One of my favorite . . . Read More
I knew last night was going to be extraordinary. I just didn’t realize how extraordinary. There was a moment right before it started that revealed a glimpse of how it might be. It was dusk and the sky was the purplish color of twilight. Staff members moved about quickly lighting the 600 luminarias we made, . . . Read More