Let’s Take An “Oh, look!” Walk

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This morning I had the pleasure of watching a short film with artist Vicky Thomas about being fascinated by nature. At one point she laughs at how many times she says “Oh, look!” I laughed as she said it, because I hear myself saying “that “Oh, look!” over and over again as I hike.

I’m thinking about my Kindergartners as the new school year approaches, and thought — OH! An Oh, look! walk would be a great things to do with my Kindergartners. As I said it, I wondered what we might find as we wandered around our campus. I popped out on my patio for a mini Kindergartner-less trial run.

First, I noticed the many different colors of green in our fig tree sapling. As I looked more closely, I noticed the veins and some sort of white dots. Then I took a photo of some sprouts from an unknown bulb my brother found and planted in a small pot. When I looked at the photo, I noticed something that made me go back for another look and another photograph.

A tiny little water droplet that I missed when I looked the first time. If you look even more closely at the first image, you might see a reflection of me in the water droplet! WOW. The second photo gives you an idea of the size of the water droplet.

Inspired by the little things that I missed on my first scan, I began looking for small wonders. I love the swirls of the unopened marigold. Again, they are much smaller than the photo suggests.

Why would I want to take my Kindergartners on an Oh look! walk? Here are some of my first thoughts:

  • We practice and learn to look, and then look again, perhaps more closely.
  • We look for big things, and then little things. We come to notice the value the second look and the small wonders.
  • We are affirmed that our findings, thoughts, noticings, wonderings are valuable and worth sharing.
  • We discover we are brave enough to share them.
  • We practice living the fact that the things others share are valuable and worthy of being listened to.
  • We notice we are kind enough to take a breath and listen.
  • We learn the importance of patience.
  • We discover the importance of compromise — perhaps a butterfly that might fly away should be shared before a flower that will wait for us.
  • We begin to experience the okness of impermanence. If the butterfly flies away, you still experienced it’s beauty and can share what you saw.
  • We recognize the value of conversation. How and what do you share? How and what might we notice, comment on, or question about your sharing?
  • We get some fresh air, movement, and hopefully a nice dose of Vitamin N (nature).

All these things are essential components and habits of learning. I’m excited for our first Oh look! walk.

Oh, one more thought. Once we get comfortable with our Oh look walks, we can add elements of sketching, note taking, labeling, and documentation.

Questions and Thinking

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Looking to be entertained and inspired as I begin to think more deeply about the school year ahead of me, I picked up James E. Ryan’s book Wait, What? — and Life’s Other Essential Questions. I’ve recommended it before, and do so again. It’s easy reading, filled with good ideas, and always makes me chuckle.

Today I’m reflecting on James’ suggestion that we reflect our student’s questions back to them.

I really love this idea for a few reasons:

  • It values the student’s question.
  • It encourages us to listen, rather than doing the lion’s share of the thinking, planning, and answering.
  • It affirms our students’ ability to think.
  • It demonstrates our confidence in their ideas.
  • It amplifies student voice.
  • It models curiosity.

There’s so much power in a rather simple statement and question. That’s a good question. What do you think? Using it, our students learn and grow, and so do we. What do I know and understand? What don’t I know or understand, yet? Who is this person in front of me? What can I learn from them? What can I teach them? What do I think? Am I more capable and knowledgeable than I thought? Do I have courage? What might I work on, think about, and/or do? Great stuff for me to reflect on as an educator, and to teach and model for and with my students.

One last thought for today. James suggests that we listen carefully and generously. I would add — for myself at least — Listen patiently, with curiosity and awe.

Stress — Friend or Foe?

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I recently came upon a link for Kelly McGonigal’s TED talk — How to Make Stress Your Friend. I chuckled at the title and clicked.

My life has been feeling quite stressful for what seems like a very long time — cancer, doctor’s visits, elderly parents who need more care, the many things I don’t know and can’t control, teaching, coaching, finding a good work/life balance, and more. For sure, my life is filled with goodness and blessings, but those are some of the things that can be fodder for angst and stress. If I can make stress my friend, I’m in! Not surprisingly, part of me was a bit incredulous, and with a wrinkled brow and raised eyebrow, asked “Make stress my friend? Get out. How about we just not have it?” Interesting, but highly unlikely, so making stress my friend, it is.

Kelly shared some of the things that happen in our body when we are stressed — including having a rise in oxytocin. A rise in oxytocin? Wow! I had no idea our body released oxytocin in response to stress. The rush of oxytocin — Kelly says — encourages us to seek out support, and helps protect our cardiovascular system. It even helps to heal and regenerate heart cells.

The story we choose to tell ourselves about stress and our response to it, is incredibly important. We can tell ourselves stress is bad and is killing us. Or, we can do what Kelly suggests, and choose to view our stress response as positive — our stress response is our body preparing us to meet the challenge. When we choose this story, says Kelly, our body believes us, and our stress response becomes healthier. Amazing, right?

So I continue all sorts of practices to help my body, mind, and soul be peaceful and happy. I breathe, pray, do yoga, hike, rest, hang out with friends, make art. And, I remind myself that stress, and my response to it, need not be negative.

Guess what I’m thinking now? You guessed it. How will I integrate this information into my day to day (moment to moment) teaching practice and relationships with my Kindergartners? How might I help them begin to make friends with stress and their response to it?

Definitely check out Kelly’s website, and listen to her TED talk. It’s worth the 15 minutes.

Play and Learning Resources

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My seatmate on the train noticed me playing games in a magazine as we hurtled along at speeds up to 140 miles an hour. He commented that it looked much more fun than what he was doing. One thing led to another, and we ended up talking about play and learning. He is an adjunct professor and also teaches people at his workplace, and wants to incorporate the notion of play as a powerful learning tool.

He got me thinking of so many resources:

I’m amazed by the connection between play and learning. I love to play, and I love to learn. In my humble opinion it’s one of the best (if not the best) ways to engage and learn.

Ages ago, playing with paper at the PEM Makerspace

I’m going to take some time to read, listen, and play. I hope you do the same. I’ll be back to do some blogging!

Setting the Culture

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I got permission to design my welcome to Kindergarten postcards this year. I considered many possibilities — and didn’t like a single one. Then I thought about the postcards I’ve sent or collected over the years. I would spend hours looking at the postcards. I always chose the ones that were beautiful, and captured the important and amazing elements of where I was vacationing. My choices told the best story about where I was and what I was doing.

That gave me a great starting point. What is beautiful and important about Kindergarten — my Kindergarten in particular? What story do I want my new learners and their families to hear when they get the postcard?

I settled on this for the design.

And this for the message:

Dear fantabulous (name),

Can you believe we are going to be in Kindergarten together? I’m so excited to be your teacher!

Get ready to laugh and learn. It’s going to be amazing!

Lots of love,
Miss James

My intent is to begin setting our culture from my very first communication. As individuals and as a class, we are all these things. No one is not these things. We are a community filled with laughter, learning, and love. Get ready, it’s coming, and it’s going to be amazing!

A Sweet Treat and Reflection

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Life has been feeling a bit cluttered lately. A plethora of things are vying for my attention, and filling my to-do ta-da list. Still others are disturbing the peace of my physical space.

So, I breathe, try to do one thing at a time, and begin to tackle the things in my physical space. A vivid mental image of me literally tackling the stacks of things — knocking them to the ground in a feat of physical prowess and dominance, is wildly satisfying and amusing.

As I recycle, donate, and trash the things I no longer need or enjoy, I flip through many notebooks. In one, I find this sweet treat. I’m pretty sure I did it as I waited for a doctor, or got some sort of infusion.

It was a much needed reminder — from me to me — and as I looked at it, I thought, “I should take that out and put it somewhere I’d see it more often.” Funny enough, even as I was thinking what a great idea that was, I was also thinking, “Take it out? Are you nuts?”

I cannot exactly explain why I was thinking — or perhaps more accurately feeling — that angst. It didn’t make that much sense to my brain, but none-the-less the feeling was strong. I think it has to do with a fear of wrecking the piece, or making it less, or somehow lessening its value and impact for me.

I thought of several things I might do with it — including pasting it in my daily art affirmation and positivity journal. Still reluctant to rip it out, I instead ripped out a blank sheet as a template. I measured, thought, placed, and looked. I repeated the process many times. Finally I realized there were no rules that stated I had to make art in only one day’s space. It is my journal, my creation. I could place the piece wherever I wanted — even centering it over two days.

I considered adding washi tape on the top and bottom border, but couldn’t find it. So, I grabbed a colored pencil, and created my own washi-tape-esque border. I’m quite pleased with the result.

The washi-tape-esque border creating was meditative and zen-like. As I worked, my brain noticed, wondered, made connections and generated questions.

  • Our learners may feel and express things that don’t seem to make any sense. That doesn’t mean they can, or should, stop feeling it because we think it is unwarranted. And just like with my feelings and thoughts, talking to make me want to do it any more. It’s important to remember that sometimes encouraging, reasoning, and/or requiring doesn’t help.
  • Taking concrete steps helped! Making something — using my hands to think — enabled me to iterate, ideate, see new possibility, and create something new and even more impactful. I think an essential piece is that I used MY hands to think. I did the doing and the thinking.
  • How might I be an effective thought partner with my learners?
  • Taking the old art, and incorporating it into my life and art in a new way, required me to reexamine the old piece, find essential elements, and consider ways to incorporate these things on the new piece.
  • How might I incorporate this type of art into my Kindergartners art making experiences?
  • There’s so much to gain from this type of endeavor.
  • What are the connections to student art, learning, doing, and thinking?
  • How might I make help make these connections for and with my students?

I really like the truth that our ideas, art, thinking, writing, (perhaps everything) don’t need to be limited or confined to the original. They can be the fantabulous original, and they can also be fodder for something new and satisfying. Bringing forth something new is often — or is it always? — the purpose and power of ideas and creations. Sometimes the new is a feeling, an experience, or an understanding. Other times, it’s a new idea or creation. As I type, I’m asking myself, and you, if we will be ok when our new idea or thing requires the partial destruction of our original one. And, I’m wondering how we will help our students be ok when they are faced with the same situation.

I am the Queen

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Sometime in May, a Kindergartner approached me with a strip of paper, and asked me to write a few of my favorite words. When I asked her what it was for, she said, with a smile, “Can you just do it, Miss James?” With a chuckle I replied “Sure!”

She thanked me, walked away, and in a bit returned with a sheet of paper. “Would you help me make the crowns that you make, Miss James?” After asking her a few specifics regarding her vision for the crown, we worked together to craft something she liked. Again, she left me.

Shortly thereafter, she returned with the original strip, a second strip, and the crown. “Ok, Miss James, let’s measure your head and make your crown!” I laughed out loud! “My crown?!?!!!” With a big smile she replied “YUP!

We measured, stapled, and admired our work. She gave me a high five, and walked away with a pleased smile, announcing to her friends, “Look, Miss James has a crown!” I wore the crown for the rest of the day.

I failed to take a photo of myself, but as I went through things at the end of the year, I came upon the crown. As I read the words, I made the connection that they are some of the things that make me a queen — that give me my power. I am the queen of creativity, love, joy, laughter, and fantabulousness. That is not to say you are not, also, the queen or king of all these things. Simply a reminder from me and my Kindergartner, about me!

I placed the crown in my willow tree to grab a photo of it.

There are a few reasons I chose the willow tree.

#1: It looked interesting.

#2: It reminded me I am — while nearly always thinking, imaging, and dreaming about my learners, and my teaching — at this present moment, on summer break. And, it’s super important that I become queen of my own health, restoration, and renewal during this time.

And #3, This willow tree was just a single willow branch devoid of leaves, that I stuck into a pot of soil. My brother, assured me that I didn’t need a stick with leaves. When I took the branch from the tree that was growing, I should cut the top of the branch flat, and the bottom on a diagonal so I would remember which was which. Then, I simply needed to place it in the soil (diagonal side down), keep it watered, and make sure it got sunlight. The branch and nature would do that rest. So, trusting in the magic hidden within that small stick, I placed it in the soil.

Even before my Kindergartners left that year, the stick was already blossoming forth with beautiful green leaves. Three years later, it is much taller than I am, with a sturdy trunk and a plethora of branches.

I’m reminded that my students are very much like that stick. They may not have many leaves. Perhaps they don’t know all the letter sounds, or they struggle to share their ideas, and aren’t quite sure they believe in their own abilities and awesomeness. No matter what they show me on the outside, there is magic and incredible potential inside of them. Magic and potential that will, at some point burst forth with beautiful leaves. They will grow, learn, think, create, and flourish. I just need to trust, provide the best possible environment, and always keep the right side up!

A Haiku Walk

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I blogged about my daily haiku practice when I first started. I love the practice. I was very faithful from July through December. Then I was knee deep in teaching, coaching, and some family health issues, and my practice was set aside. The other day I found my haiku journal, and stowed it in my bag, hopeful that I’d find a moment to begin again. Days passed, and my journal remained safely tucked in my bag. I didn’t write, but each time I saw the book I thought of my Kindergartners.

My morning meeting manager composes our morning message each day. It seemed the perfect place to begin their haiku writing practice. Each one would then write five haiku poems — one a day during their week long job.

The process and products were delightful. The Kindergarten poets stared at the computer screen, thinking. They looked up thoughtfully and counted silently on their fingers. They tested sentences, and they wrote morning message haikus.

As they crafted their sentences, I practiced patience. I resisted the urge to free them from their struggle. Instead, I gave them time and space. My silence assured them I knew they could do it.

I breathed through every thought that encouraged me to watch the clock and rush them through their task. I reminded myself: “They can do it. The struggle is important. Their thoughts are valuable. Learning is happening. Breathe and wait. Wait and breathe. Accept these moments as gifts.”

Here are some of their messages. I love that the poems are infused with kindness, and affirmations. And their word play — mathy and mathists — bring me joy.

We are amazing.

We are artists and mathists.

 I love the playground.

Miss James is awesome. 

Everyone is so awesome.

Everyone is friends.

Friends are very kind.

Friends are very, very, kind.

We are very kind.

We are mathy girls.

We are mighty mathy girls.

Math is fantastic!

We are super nice.

We’re the best Kindergartners

We are always kind!

We are amazing.

We have big beautiful brains.

We are wonderful.

We are wonderful.

Everyone is amazing.

We love each other.

We are amazing.

We have big beautiful brains.

We have awesome hearts.

I loved everything about this, so I kept my eyes and mind open to other haiku possibilities. As the the days turned into beautiful spring days, I told the poets that we would be taking time during our reading block to take a haiku walk. They asked many questions: What is a haiku walk? What will we do? Can we go places we’ve never gone before? When are we going? Can we go more than once? Will we actually write haiku? I answered all their questions, and we planned our walk for the next day. Then, the weather turned cold, gray, and wet. Each day they asked if today were the day we would walk. Each day I said “Not today. It’s too wet and cold.” I knew we could walk and write when it was wet and cold, but I also imagined that better weather would lead to more joy, more writing, more willingness to engage.

Finally, on Friday, spring burst forth again. The sun was bright, and the temperature was warm enough to head out without coats. The perfect day had arrived. When I told them we were going on our haiku walk, they cheered and shouted “We’re going on our haiku walk!!!” You would have thought I told them I had candy and puppies for everyone!

We chose a spot to gather. It was large enough for them to run free, explore, and be inspired, and also small enough for us to see each other wherever they roamed. Clipboards in hand, they wandered, stopped, wrote, chatted, and sometimes abandoned the clipboards to simply run with joyous freedom.

Here are a few of their poems.

The statue is down.

Flowers are everywhere.

This flower’s pretty

The flowers are here. 

I see sticks and logs right here. 

I see the flowers.

The bees like flowers.

The flowers are everywhere.

The flowers are here.

Trees are beautiful.

The sky’s very beautiful.

We are beautiful.

There’s lots of flowers.

There is wood chips by us, too.

The trees are so long.

The statue is gray.

It looks so cool and funny.

It looks amazing.

I see trees and rocks.

I see beautiful flowers.

I see trees and grass.

I see the benches.

I see the gate and the grass.

I see signs and rocks.

As I watched, encouraged, and enjoyed the beautiful day, I joined my Kindergartners, and documented the moment in haiku.

Haikus are forming.

Fingers count syllables, then

pausing, they run free.

Laughter swirls round them.

Feet sound in quick staccatos.

Returning, they write.

Magic enfolds us.

Haiku poets all, living

and writing haiku.

These Kindergartners are mighty, capable, and filled with amazingness. It’s good to remember this, and to treat them as the humans I know they are — fantabulous, trustworthy, free, joyful, and poets of haiku.

A Gentle Little Nudge

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Each day I do what I can. I think. I research. I breathe. I pray. I care. I talk. I listen. I learn. I accept help. Some times it feels just right. Some times it feeling incredibly inadequate.

Today I read an email from Brad Montague – The Enthusiast. Among other things he talked about a conversation he had with the astronaut Ron Garan. He told about a fascinating truth — if an asteroid were hurtling toward earth, NASA wouldn’t blow it up in one mighty burst. Instead they would gently nudge it onto a new course. Yes, gently nudge it.

Amazing, right?

But it gets better. His point — other than the remarkable scientific one — is that when we have asteroids hurting towards us — whatever those challenges might be …

It’s important we remember that the path of greatest possibilities lies in little nudges. It’s not the big, violent, showy acts of force. It’s the little acts of love. Daily. Over time. These are the things that nudge us towards better tomorrows.

Brad Montague, The Enthusiast Email 3/26/23

What a great reminder. Little acts of love, of thinking, investigating, experimenting, learning, trying, failing, trying again — daily, over time — are the things make a difference.

It’s true for most all things. Trying to learn something? Keep at it. Break it into smaller parts. Don’t give up. Take breaks. It’ll make a difference.

Trying to get healthy or strong? Small steps. Keep moving. Be curious. Learn. Be.merciful to yourself. Affirm yourself for your courage. Remember to stretch. Little by little — perhaps in increments too small to notice each day — you will get healthier and stronger.

Trying to think creatively to solve a problem or bring something new into existence. Try. Fail. Learn. Try again. Look at the little things. Celebrate the little things.

Breathe. Take and celebrate little steps. Engage in little acts of love, inspiration, creativity, courage, doing, being, resting. Daily, over time, they’ll make a difference.

I’ve Been Commissioned

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It feels a bit surreal, and amazing, and a bit nerve wracking. But, yes, I’ve been asked to paint three paintings, and I’ve agreed.

So funny to put that out into the world.

But funny or not, nerve wracking or not, I’m an artist. I’m a creative, wonderful, amazing artist who is going to sell her work! Makes me laugh out loud, and want to throw up, all at once!

I’m going to stick with the laughing out loud and, I’m going to change the tapes in my own head. Yup, i’ve got more to learn. Yup, I can become even better at what I do. But to quote my Kindergartners “You’re very arty, Miss James.” and “Wow! You’re so good at that, Miss James!”

I don’t have time right now to create the paintings – teaching, coaching, and being rested and healthy fill my days. BUT, I do have time to play, experiment, learn, and enjoy my art. This was a quick morning session today.

I worked on sketching, then on laying in paint wet on wet. It was fun and I learned a lot. And, when my brother saw it, he immediately recognized it as my waxed amaryllis.