Tag Archives: life

Creating a Safe Home Away from Home in Education

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My uncle — a devotee of Henri J,M, Nouwen — recently recommended Nouwen’s Here and Now to me. He assured me “You’re going to like it!”

He’s right, I do. But I wonder if he thought my like and inspiration would start with the acknowledgments and preface?

The acknowledgements reminded me of the importance of friends who give help, support, and time. Henri expresses gratitude for their “competence, kindness, and generosity.” He continued to express gratitude to others who gave him “a safe home away from home.” I love all of those things: friends, seeing the blessings given us in and by our friends, expressing gratitude, and perhaps most touching to me right now “a safe home away from home.”

A safe home away from home. My first thoughts go to a lovely couple who rent a B&B to me each summer. They couldn’t be more kind and invested in making their home a safe home away from home for me. Then my thoughts go to my aunt and uncle, who for years hosted my mother and me for each of my Dana-Farber visits. What an incredible blessing both these homes away from home are to me. I can’t imagine my trips without them, and the people who make them amazing.

Then, my thoughts turned to a different sense of home. Not a building but a feeling, not a physical space but an emotional one. As a friend, a teacher, a human, I am called to do that for everyone I come in contact with. Do I make time for the person who helps me in the grocery store or the Post Office, or do I rush through the moments that could create a small moment of home for them? As a friend, do I take the time to stop and listen, giving my friend my time, energy, and the intention and wish for safety and happiness? For that matter do I do that as a daughter and sister, or do I take our home and love for granted and crank instead? When I do, that energy removes a bit of the safety and love of home.

And finally, what about as a teacher? Is my classroom a safe home away from home? It is my goal and hope. Does the fact that my Kinders frequently call me mom mean I’m doing it? Perhaps. When they come in with joy and eagerness, willing to take risks, perhaps it’s proof my hope is realized. Even so, I am never complacent — or at least mostly never. I try to watch, listen, reflect, and talk with my students and their parents to learn if they are feeling safe, happy, welcomed, and at home.

A parent I just met at the end of last year was telling me about her experience of my learning space. She commented on its beauty and the fact that it clearly showed the care with which I curate my space. Then she said, “Your space is beautiful — your chair, the lovely things hanging from the ceiling, your tree, the lights. When I walked in, I felt like I was home.”

Wow.

I’m teaching Pre-K this year. I’m sad to leave my Kinders and all the fantabulousness we have co-created there. My sadness is totally ok, acceptable, and right. As it comes, I feel it. Then I breathe and remind myself there are endless possibilities of fantabulousness and home to co-create in Pre-K.

Kindergarten has been a safe home away from home for me and all the Kinders I’ve been blessed to have with me for all these years. Pre-K will be another safe home away from home. How do I know? Because I will be there, with my marvelous teaching team, the amazing Pre-Kers and their remarkable parents. Together, we will co-create a safe, beautiful, joyful, and magical home away from home filled with delight, curiosity, exploration, and learning.

Celebrating Little Moments: A Kinder’s Art of Noticing

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The other day two of my Kindergarten artists were moving excitedly to a new spot in our learning space — paint brushes in hand. Paint brushes that were dripping with lovely purple watercolor paint.

Me: “Careful with the paint brushes. Maybe you can leave the here while you go there.”

Them: “Ok.”

They didn’t drop them off with me. Instead, a few moments later, as I wondered where they and their paint filled brushes were, I heard squeals of delight as the two of them hurried back to me.

Them: “POCKETS! Miss James, we have POCKETS!”

Me: (laughing out loud) “Indeed you do. What a great way to use them!”

Little things. Are there really any little things? Or is it simply the way we look at them.

Pockets — when I don’t need them or notice them — become small insignificant things. But when noticed, found, needed, and used, they become wonderous things to celebrate.

I’ve been wanting to bring more joy, positivity and hope into my life these days. I think this is an answer — notice and celebrate the little things.

Oh! How fantabulous is this?!?! I’ve also been looking for ways to encourage my Kinders to reflect and write. Perhaps a little-things-noticing ritual with a lovely handmade little-things-noticing journal is the answer! Art, writing, and mindfulness all wrapped up in one. This can be a beautiful ritual that allows us to slow down, take a moment, notice, celebrate, and keep track of the lovely little things. I think I can find a bit of time in the morning and afternoon for us to note one little — wonderful — thing.

Fingers crossed I’ll keep you posted.

Here’s a few of mine for right now:

  • sunshine
  • naps
  • sprouts growing
  • birds chirping
  • my flute
  • greeted by name by a kind soul
  • conversations with old friends
  • delicious green tea
  • my inhale-exhale mug
  • a blog post

I wonder how the Kinders will experience this ritual of reflection and writing. I will have to think how I might structure it — the journal, the time, the selling — to help them experience it’s power.

My experience? I found that seeing one thing brought another, and another to mind. Occasionally I felt a bit of reticence — thinking other might find my ritual silly, I think. But, as I brushed that away, I found more things to note.

Let us all learn from my Kindergartners. Let’s notice, celebrate and share the little moments — even when we think others might think us silly.

I’ll go first … “A nap! I got a nap!”

Hope and Create

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Recently, I received an SOS — an invitation to be part of a group of bloggers making and experiencing magic by sharing our stories. I love their idea that “the magic of story happens when a story is released into the world and it wraps around someone’s heart.” Fantabulous, isn’t it? I hope this bit of my story wraps around someone’s heart bringing a sweet song of hope and peace.

Sometimes, being is difficult, because life is difficult. That is not to suggest in any way that being and life are not glorious, mysterious, and wonderful. They are! But, sometimes, there is uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and pain, amidst the glory, wonder, and mystery, and that can be burdensome.

This year has had some wearying moments.

I have an incurable — but totally manageable — form of cancer. I am well, I really am. I am strong, brave, beautiful, fantabulous, and very loved. And yet, sometimes, it gets the best of me. It has been becoming more active over the last few years. And that, as well as how it makes me feel – fatigued, sometimes ill and unsafe — has been hard to manage.

Did I mention wearying? Yes, I did. Part of me whispers “It bears repeating — weary.”

But even for the weary there is hope. I love Pope Francis! Listen to a few things he has said recently about hope.

“Hope does not disappoint!”

“Do not be afraid, do not yield to fear: This is the message of hope. It is addressed to us, today. These are the words that God repeats to us this very night.”

And not only hope, but creativity as well.

“I’m living this as a time of great uncertainty. It’s a time for inventing, for creativity.”

I am doing my best to breathe, and to live the words Pope Francis speaks to me, and to us. Let us live in the moment, even in uncertainty — with hope and creativity.

Create Space

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A while back I was experimenting with ideas from Joanne Fink’s book about zenspiration dangle design.

I’m not quite sure if Joanne suggested dangling a circle or if I came up with the idea. But it enjoyed playing with it. After finishing the exterior side of the circle, I decided to dangle the interior portion as well. Even now I’m intrigued by the different sense of the design on either side of the circle.

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For some reason the outer design maintains its outward flow. When I look at it, it doesn’t change. It is strong, steady, open, and ever reaching. I am attracted to the balance between white space and color, between lines, shapes, and openness, between straight lines and curved.

My relationship to the inner circle work feels much different. I am at one and the same time attracted and somewhat disturbed by it. The structures do not maintain a particular direction, but seem to move depending on where my gaze lands. I notice the same elements of line, color, and open space. But, I feel a sense of conflict as the various elements converge on the center.

As I wondered what to do, I remembered a henna design the awesome Catherine Lent did for me. In the midst of her beautifully intricate design, she had an empty circle. We chuckled about it as she worked around it. After checking with me to be sure I was ok with it, she left it empty. She said something like, “Sometimes it’s good to leave a bit of space.”

Hmmmm. Space. Yes, leave a bit of space, or create a bit of space.

I went back to my drawing and covered the tightness of the center with a small circular piece of white paper.

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I love it! I am intrigued by the space I created in the center. It is at one and the same time empty and yet full of stillness, openness, wonder, and possibility.

This speaks to me for my life as much as it does for my art.

In art, and in life it’s good to have space. Space for possibility. Space for stillness. Space for breath and being.

Space.

Sometimes it’s hard to find.

But, just like with this piece of art, I can step back, make a choice, and create space in my life, my heart, my mind.

Breath, prayer, times of sitting, a walk, are some of the small white circles that I place upon my life to create calm, still, open moments.

Sometimes it’s nice to leave a little space … or to create it.

#Show your Work!

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I’m doing final preparations for my National Coalition of Girls Schools 2016 Global Forum presentation, and I picked up Austin Kleon’s books – just to immerse myself in some good creative energy and thought. On page 44 I found this:

“3. SHARE SOMETHING SMALL EVERY DAY!”

Every day. EVERY day! Eee gads. Yup, that’s what I thought, Eee gads! Lol, how in God’s name can I do that, and not lose my mind? or my health? or both?

Then I read it again. Share something SMALL every day. Something SMALL!!!! 😀 Ah, I can do that. Well, lol, honestly, I don’t know if I can, but I can try. Maybe I will share something small some days …. or most days … or every  week. Who knows? But, I am embracing sharing something small today.

So, (along with my presentation) this is what I’ve been working on the past few days. (My plans are to do a smaller version of this journal with my Kindergarteners!)

Front outside cover…

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Front inside cover …

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Acrylic paint applied with an old credit card and my fingers, collaged with hand written papers and papers torn from magazines, embellished with paint marker writing.

I’m embracing the process, and the work — in its mess, and uncertainty, and “unfinishedness” — as an artistic representation for my life, my health, my journaling … sometimes messy, sometimes fantastic, sometimes beautiful, always in process! And, much like my life, I’m liking it!

(Btw, the back inside and outside cover remain blank canvases … white gesso … awaiting further time, inspiration, desire.)

Resources:

Show your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered (Austin Kleon, 2014 Workman Publishing Co).