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
Yesterday was another day of challenging news, and although I’ve vowed to give myself some space from all of the listening and reading, I’m having a hard time staying away from it. I want to know what’s going on in the world. I want to be informed so I can be a better teacher, leader, . . . 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
Normally on this day we’d be hustling around, setting up tables, plugging in the warmer, and preparing for our all-school feast. The building would be filled with unbelievably mouth watering smells, and aluminum containers would be lined up for the eventual food service lines. Eventually families would start arriving, and after a large gathering in . . . 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
Wednesday was Veterans Day. I held my own personal celebration by calling my 95-year-old father, Jim Kenner. He’s a veteran and continues to be involved in his local American Legion post. In fact, he was the recipient of a 75-year continuous service pin in March, right before the pandemic hit. We were able to be . . . Read More
The last sentence of my previous blog reads, “We are the Seed after all, and our work will always be to reach toward the light.” I thought of this Wednesday morning with all the weight of uncertainly around the election, the growing number of COVID-19 cases on the planet, and the daily responsibility of making . . . Read More
A favorite part of my day is pickup between 3 and 3:20. Over time, my task has become walking children from their classrooms on the south side of the building to their parents waiting at the gate. It’s a time to connect with certain children I don’t normally see throughout the day. Some students are . . . 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
Teal colored chairs and tables arrived around the same time as the students. After many months of virtual learning, we opened the space for more of our elementary and preschool students to return to in-person schooling. We were aware of the risks of adding more students to our classrooms, and it was time. Keeping in . . . Read More
I don’t remember a time when using our voices has seemed so important. There’s much to sort through as we move toward an election that will significantly alter the course of our country one way or another. I have my personal opinions, of course, and what I’ve been thinking about is larger than partisan inclinations. . . . Read More
A group of kindergarteners enthusiastically stirred a pot of mud recently. It was a group effort, requiring sticks, big muscles, and directives from bystanders. Their focus was intense and energetic. Days later, another intensely focused person, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, known for her lifetime work of stirring things up, became headline news. RBG served as a justice . . . Read More
The sunrises have been extraordinary lately, unfortunately due to smoke that’s filtered our way from the west coast fires. Each new morning I see another bright orange sun, I think of the people who have lost their homes, family members, and healthy air to breathe. It was shocking to read in the news yesterday that . . . Read More
It’s easy these days to become inundated with news. There is an article for everything from how to entertain your kids during a pandemic to the latest developments in vaccine trials. Painful news about yet another shooting in another city is too frequent. Alarming photos of fires ravaging the west coast are heartbreaking. Podcasts are . . . Read More
A consistent presence in the kindergarten class from year to year is the hermit crab terrarium. Hermit crabs become members of the class, providing hours of entertainment as they crawl in and out of wooden block structures constructed by five-year-olds. What I’ve always found intriguing about hermit crabs is how they inhabit a shell, then . . . Read More
We’re now closing in on our second week of school in its new COVID-era manifestation. I have to say I’m totally impressed with our teachers who, under incredible responsibility/stress, are making this happen for both our in-person and virtual students. We still have refinements to make, and we are progressing. I want to tell you . . . Read More
We did it. We reopened the Seed. On Tuesday morning we were greeted by appreciative families dropping off their precious children. Some of the kids were apprehensive about not only having their hair checked for lice as they do every first day of school, but also having their temperature taken. Having to say goodbye to . . . Read More
It’s been four and a half months since there were this many cars in our parking lot. Cautiously the Seed staff has returned for a week of cleaning, planning, and preparing for what lies ahead. We’ve completed CPR training and gone over COVID-19 protocols, in addition to preparing for virtual teaching along with in-person learning. . . . Read More
My plan was to take a two-week break from my blog. I did want to share one link with you that was truly inspiring, though, an interview with the late John Lewis. His words, like his life, motivate me to keep going, to keep doing the work. Last night’s full rainbow after the storm was . . . Read More
Normally we’d be on vacation right about now, looking at scenes such as this one on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. We would be revitalizing ourselves by walking beaches on either coast, perhaps taking a ferry from one location to another. There was always a body of water involved. Last night, as we took . . . Read More
When we were in Darjeeling a year and a half ago, we visited the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Center. The center provides artisan training and support of residents of all ages. People who live there make a variety of handicrafts, including jewelry, weaving, and clothing. They also make prayer flags, so I loaded up on . . . Read More