This week I’ve had the opportunity to observe our three youngest classes as part of our annual teacher evaluation process. Additionally, we had another teacher presentation from our professional development series featuring classroom practices. These experiences, as well as more time doing playground supervision, gave me plenty to write about. When I looked for a . . . Read More
To be fully transparent, I’ve had trouble focusing on my work this week. It’s not that I haven’t tried, my mind is merely elsewhere. I made a list of upcoming projects to inspire concentration, and still my attention wanders to faraway beaches on the Arabian Sea, and brightly colored clothing of the Indian people. Glancing . . . Read More
Tuesday night I set foot on US soil again after two and a half weeks of traveling to India. Shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from my daughter, welcoming me back, and she put my three-year-old great-granddaughter on the phone. She asked, “Mamie, did you have a good day in India?” I told her . . . Read More
We’ve been practicing social justice at the Seed since we first began in 1977. Granted, our students were very young and there were just a few of them, but even in those early days we talked about saving the planet and being kind to each other. Over time, as we grew larger and expanded our . . . Read More
This entire week has been one of preparations. Danielle and I have focused most of our attention on setting up schedules, staffing, and the calendar for upcoming aspects of our program. For example, we have been talking about registration for the 2023-2024 school year, considering placement decisions and classroom configurations. We have had conversation about . . . Read More
How can it be that we’re already entering the second half of November? The cooler days make it seem more believable, yet it’s all going so quickly. On the agenda for the Seed in the coming weeks is our annual gathering the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. In years past, each class cooked an item to contribute . . . Read More
In preparation for a writing lesson about pumpkin seeds with the 3rd/4th graders, I found these few lines from a poem from “Jerusalem,” a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye: “There’s a place in my brain where hate won’t grow. I touch its riddle: wind, and seeds. Something pokes us as we sleep. It’s late but . . . Read More
These days fractals seem to occupy my mind. In her book, Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown describe fractals as “never-ending…infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.” Further on in the chapter about fractals, she applies this pattern . . . Read More
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
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
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
Lately I’ve struggled to find words to describe these times. This morning a fourth grader gave me the words I needed. In response to a classmate’s honest sharing of a poem about a difficult family situation, one student said, “Writing a poem is a way to get through harsh times.” These are harsh times on . . . 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
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
Last Friday the Seed was inundated with collard greens. Cases of greens arrived along with bags of ingredients to prepare the greens for eating. The collard greens were part of a program called The Blue Watermelon Project. Their website describes the project in this way: “Inspired and led by the efforts of Chef Charleen Badman of . . . Read More
It’s the time of year when we start talking about the holidays, especially how to approach them in a developmentally appropriate, socially conscious way. Actually, we’ve been in serious conversation about this for more than a year, according to my blog from a year ago. For as long as I can remember, we’ve used The Anti-bias . . . Read More