I pay attention to patterns of three. This week, as graduation photos and announcements started rolling in, a set of three caught my attention: future engineers. For decades I’ve held the belief that activities children engage in when they are young often surface in adulthood. When I heard that three of our former Seeds were . . . Read More
We’re doing Earth Day differently this year. Usually we pick one issue—such as plastic bags, throwaway straws, or endangered species—and make it a whole school theme. We decide how to address the issue within each classroom, then report back to the whole group on Earth Day. This year, since such varied authentic learning is happening . . . Read More
On Saturday I attended a memorial service for Dr. Joan Moyer, my first ASU professor in early childhood education. It was 1975, and I was a recently divorced single mom finally accepting the fact that I was destined to be a teacher, like the previous four generations of women in my family. I’d already dropped . . . Read More
I always appreciate how things come together here at the Seed. Sometimes we call it the Seed magic. This week was no exception. As we kicked off the final week of our nutrition study, we also held our first grandparent gathering on Monday. Grandparents appeared from the Phoenix area, as well as San Diego, South . . . Read More
In case you thought Wednesday was a bad diaper day for the toddlers, you can be rest assured, it was merely the PreK’s batch of brussels sprouts baking in the oven. We take our nutrition study seriously and that means stepping out of our comfort zone from time to time to try new tastes . . . Read More
Often a study begins with a question. “Where does hummus come from?” “What does candy do for your body?” “How can we turn into food detectives?” Questions like these are surfacing around the Seed as we prepare to embark on our annual school-wide nutrition study. We’ve had many successful studies in the past and expect . . . Read More
Seed teachers are back at it. We started our prep week on Tuesday and it’s been an action packed few days. Currently the hallway is lined with items each teacher no longer needs, including extra random art supplies, puzzles with missing pieces, wrong sized tables or shelves, lost and found clothing, and outdated equipment. My . . . Read More
It started with blood and poop, two hot topics in PreK since the beginning of the school year. When such preoccupations linger, there’s only one way to respond: embrace the interest and see where it goes. This happens often around the Seed. When toddlers are mesmerized by falling rain, the teacher sets up sensory experiences . . . Read More
I’m often asked to explain the emergent curriculum. My short answer is that it’s a way to approach curriculum development that incorporates the questions, ideas, and passions of both children and teachers. It’s an organic approach to learning that is local, immediate and authentic. I generally continue by mentioning that at the Seed we follow . . . Read More