Tag Archives: creativity

Sit, Sip, Move, Breathe, and Be

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Have I wrote about this before? Or do I only think I did because I’ve been in this space so often? I feel like I have written about this previously, but regardless, I need to tell it to myself again, so I am writing again. Hopefully, someone reading also needs to hear it, and will choose to join me in this method of managing the perturbations in our lives.

Lately it’s been feeling like work, responsibilities, the never ending to-do list, combined with significant angst, has been conspiring to crush me. Some days it seems I don’t have the time or energy to breathe, be, pause, engage with beauty, art, nature, God, or others. It’s a strong feeling. It’s a tough feeling.

I think perhaps I need to remind myself that, while it is true — I have a lot that demands my time, my thoughts, my brain, my prayers, and many of the demands feel rather stressful — a big impediment to my own peace and time for joyful refreshing things is the way I am interacting with the angst, busy-ness, and feelings of overwhelm. Often I reinforce the vexations with the way I speak to myself and others. Sometimes I fill time that could refresh me, with things that are mindless but not very refreshing.

Undeniably, sometimes the mindless activities are needed, but I know, for me, there are often other more reparative and nourishing things I might do and think. I might take a breath — or many breaths — and sit with my discomfort. Perhaps, I will return to an idea of Thich Nhat Hanh. I will invite my discomfort for a cup of tea, or some time on my yoga mat with prayer. Then, we two will sit, sip, move, breathe, and be.

Amazingly, as I write, my breaths deepens. As my breath deepens I’m reminded that my discomfort and I don’t sip tea or do yoga alone. We are surrounded by a cloud of saints and angels. I like the peaceful party vibe they bring.

Juicy Sentences

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Once you’re comfy, peel its gentle skin like you would a clementine … dig your thumb at the bottom of each juicy section and pop the piece out.

Kwame Alexander – How to Read a book

Kwame’s book is beautiful. The words are wonderful, and the images are stunning. This quote is one my Kindergartners and I come back to with great frequency. They have been thinking about scrumptious clementine pieces that are so juicy they burst when you bite them, sending clementine juice down your chin, and surrounding you with clementine fragrance.

The Kinders are crafting their own juicy sentences. They start with the driest of sentences, and tell only “Who, did what.” Then they use their imagination to say more about the who and the did what?

The juice, flavor, and fragrance of this one got me.

So much to love — her thinking, her writing, her ideas. We’re together, by the pizza store in our matching coats, gazing at the stars! It’s a great place to be.

You Don’t Need Much

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Boy I was tired today! Really tired. Thankfully, Not too tired to put some color on my journal images.

In a spare moment, mid yawn, before I washed some dishes, I pulled out a kitchen chair. I sat on the edge, and nestled my toes against the heater by the flour. I pushed aside a myriad of things on the island, and plopped my journal on top of a folder of recipes. I put my reheated tea on top of some notes and cards, next to a bag of heirloom flour. My pens filled the empty spaces between my journal and whatever was just outside the shot of this image.

At first, when I decided to share the adding of color, I thought “Yikes, I’ve got to clean up some of this mess.” But, while I wasn’t too tired to want to be creative, I was too tired to clean up so I could take a prettier picture. This is life. This is where I found a moment, a spot, and the inspiration to create. It really doesn’t take much. We don’t need a big studio, or even a large space. Just a space that can hold our work, and give us comfort.

As I write about what was surrounding me, I’m struck that what looks like mess surrounding me is really life and goodness, beauty and love. The notes are from people who love me. The tea is deliciously healthy green tea from Japan that my brother bought me. The bag of flour becomes many wonderful food items. The recipe folder has a plethora of ideas — some tried and loved, some waiting to be tried. As I look beyond the image in my minds eye, I see more mess. But, each messy, out of place, thing surrounding me, squeezing into my space — is tied to a blessing of some sort.

So, if I’m any example, and I think I am, you don’t need much. Carve out the space and the time. Push aside some of the mess. Perhaps as you touch it to make room for yourself and your work, you’ll discover your abundance.

Here’s to a 2024 of making space, taking time, creating, and living in the abundance of our lives.

 

Companions of Truth, Process, and Creativity

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I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling weighed down by the demands and difficulties of life and work. I’ve been feeling exhausted, worn out, and unsure. Stress, tiredness, and burdens, are annoyingly loud and obnoxious companions on our journey. They constantly speak. At times they slap us in the face with their loudness, at other times they whisper incessantly. Like all deceivers, they sound like they’re speaking the truth — but they’re not.

The truth is I am weighed down, I am tired, I am feeling a bit unsure — AND I am strong, brave, and deeply loved, with a big beautiful brain, and awesome heart, and some life-giving creativity. So, I’ve been choosing to make time these days to rest, to restore, and to be creative.

My affirmational art journaling continues this year. It’s helping me stay grounded in the truth. Each day I actively look for the story I want to tell myself. I search for the truths I want to save in my journal so I can read them now and in the future. And, I take time to create.

The entries look so different this year. I started in September with a compass, and a favorite pencil, eraser and fountain pen. I love using these tools, and the concentric circles are great canvases for ideas. It was interesting to watch as they developed individually and as a group. Each time I drew, constraints and possibilities greeted me. Sometimes I loved the results, other times not so much, but I always enjoyed the process. I’ve decided to keep the images black and white in order to emphasize design rather than color.

December I switched from concentric circles to ones that are separate or interlocked. My plan is to introduce color into the designs as well.

I did 66 different concentric circle designs. So far I have done 27 circle designs. Will I be able to think divergently — with fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration — and create many more circular designs? So far I see fluency, originality and elaboration. Now to allow myself to move from design elements I find pleasing, to discover other satisfying possibilities. No matter how many I make, or how divergently I am able to think, I continue the process and that is good.

I hope you too engage in a process that blesses you during these beautiful days of winter.

Creativity for the Win

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It’s the beginning of the school year, and as is always the case, there is a lot to learn — for my students and for me. This year, the load of learning was stressing me out. The stress I was feeling wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t helpful, so I decided to try another way. I embraced my creativity, my love of words, and my love of singing, and decided to craft some song lyrics and a chant to help with two of my current challenges.

My first challenge is cleaning up. Sometimes cleaning up in the classroom is a real struggle. A song would give me something to do, might lighten the mood on the tough days, would give my Kinders time to clean, and would hopefully be fun. Now to think of a song to use.

As I was driving to work one morning it hit me — the Hokey Pokey! We’ve been singing the Hokey Pokey song ( laughing at the various things we put in — winner for most laughs was our armpit) so the Kinders were already familiar with the melody. And, yahoo, I could alter the words to allow me to sing about what my Kinders are already cleaning up, or to give direction when needed.

It’s a good thing I commute alone, because it took several rounds of the Hokey Pokey before I was satisfied with my work.

We pick some _____ up, we pick some _____ up, we pick some ______ up, and we put them all away. We work together every day. We’re fantabulous in every way. That’s what it’s all about!

We’ve been singing it for the past week, and it has accomplished all I hoped for and more. The best part — other than the cleaning up — is when I hear them singing “We work together every day. We’re fantabulous in every way. That’s what it’s all about!” I think I need to sing that part to myself over and over again to remind myself that yes indeed, that is what it’s all about.

Next I set my mind to a chant to begin our various learning periods. How might I help my Kinders prepare to learn? I love the idea of affirmations — rewiring their brains to believe in their own fantabulousness — but I wanted something with a beat that they could learn and repeat without my help. Inspired by my awesome Kinders, I reworked our usual affirmations into our ready to learn chant.

I’ve got a big beautiful brain and an awesome heart.
I’ve brave. I’m kind. And, I’m mighty.
I can do hard things, and I’m ready to learn.
(whisper) Oh yeah, I’m ready to learn.
2 snaps, hands in our laps.

I’ll be testing our chant out in the weeks to come, and will report back with any observations. I’m going to let my Kinders know that the chant is to help me as well. I always appreciate the reminders. I’ll keep you posted.

Build On With My Parent Questionnaire

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Recently I posted about the postcards I sent to my Kindergartners. It was the first block I set to establish our classroom culture and community, and the first step in building relationships with the families and learners in my class. Wednesday, I set the next block.

To be fair, I’ve been thinking about, researching, and creating this block for quite some time. It’s my parent questionnaire. I considered what I wanted to know about my learners, their parents, and their families. I spent a considerable amount of time drafting the questions. I wanted to begin sharing our classroom culture and some of my pedagogy: the importance of relationships, communication, and positive, affirming language, as well as the power and primacy of the voice of the learner no matter how young.

I’m super grateful for the plethora of educators and educational institutions that posted their parent questionnaires online. They were each valuable to read. It was interesting to read, not only the words, but the tone, and the message that was implied, or perhaps that I inferred, from the way the questions were worded.

After several drafts, I finally had my parent questionnaire set for this school year. My families are connected to our school electronically, so I chose to use a google form rather than a hard copy form.

In a spirit of gratitude to the others who shared their questionnaires online, here is mine. My voice and style may not work for you. Your voice is the one you want to share with your learning community. None-the-less, I hope imy questionnaire helps you create your parent questionnaire in a way that establishes relationships, sets your classroom culture, and helps you have the best year possible with your new students and families.

Hello fantabuous parents! I have the pleasure of having your children in Kindergarten James this year. YAY!

I’m excited and honored to partner with you on your child’s amazing learning journey in Kindergarten. I know we have all year to get to know one another, but I’d love if you would take a few moments to answer the following questions. My hope is to get to know you, your child, and your family — just a bit — even before you step into our learning space.

When you have a moment, please fill out this parent questionnaire. Hopefully it will be painless, and perhaps even enjoyable! I’m looking forward to reading your answers, and learning a bit about you and yours, prior to the start of Kindergarten. I’d be grateful if you completed the form by August 31. Thanks in advance.

Have a wonderful day!

Getting to know you. You are an important part of our classroom community!

  1. Your email.
  2. Your name(s) as you prefer to be called.
  3. What are you looking forward to with your child in Kindergarten?
  4. Would you be interested in sharing skills, traditions, or customs with our class this year? If so, what might you like to share?
  5. What are your hopes and dreams for your daughter this school year?

Getting to know your child. Good relationships begin by getting to know each other. We’ll grow our relationship each day, and this will help us get started.

  1. What is your child’s full name (first, middle, last)?
  2. What does your child prefer to be called?
  3. What are your child’s strengths?
  4. What would you love your child to get better at?
  5. What fears does your child have? (big or small)
  6. What is the most important thing I should know about your child?
  7. Ask your child: What are you really excited by, or interested in?
  8. Ask your child: What do you want Miss James to know?

Getting to know your family. Our families are super important — at home and in the classroom.

  1. Who else lives with you (siblings, grandparents, pets, etc.)?
  2. What, if any, holidays or traditions are important to your family?
  3. In which language(s) are you and your child comfortable conversing?

Anything else? Here’s your chance. What else would you like to tell or ask me?

  1. What haven’t I asked, that you’d like to tell me?
  2. What questions do you have for me?
MAJames 8/2023

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.

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!