Christmas Tree/Pink Tower

The Christmas Season

The Christmas season in the secular world seems to begin earlier every year.  

We first start hearing about how many shopping days are left until Christmas before children have come to our doors, dressed up for Trick-or-Treat.  The carols start playing on the radio well before we buy a turkey to roast for Thanksgiving.  

Commercial Christmas starts early and we may be ready to take down the tree and 'be done' with Christmas by January 2nd.  In fact, today, I took down the two trees I carefully erected for the season. Even as I was doing so, I was regretting the decision.  

The trees and stockings were all I 'undecorated' today.  I did not take down the garland in our doorway, outdoor lights, the reindeer center piece in our dining-room, and most importantly, I did not take down the Manger that stands on a small table in our entry way.  

You see, in my church, Advent is celebrated for the four weeks leading up to Christmas  The Christmas Season began on Christmas eve and is celebrated until after we have Epiphany Sunday, a full week after New Years.  

So, I left enough decorations up in and around my home to remind me that the Christmas Season is still with us.  We can tire of the season if all we are thinking about is the tree and what is underneath.  But when we take the time to consider the 'reason for the season' it is hard to see it come to an end.

Christmas is about hope, forgiveness, new life and the birth of Christianity.  I will not be done celebrating the season for a while.  I am glad to keep up the lights and crib so that I can enjoy the season of hope and light a little longer.

MONTESSORI

We need to give ourselves time to 'complete' the Christmas season just as we need to give the children in our classrooms the time to 'complete' their work.  Sometimes it is tempting to rush them through on activity so that we can clear the shelf and move on to another unit of study.

The Christmas season can not be rushed; children should not be rushed either.  If we interrupt the Christmas season we may miss some of the hope and forgiveness the season has to offer us.  Likewise, if we interrupt a child's exploration of the Pink Tower or Brown Stair, to move on to other materials, me may cause the child to 'miss' something that material has to offer.

Let us make sure we give children time to fully benefit from all the Montessori materials have to offer.  

BEAUTY

BEAUTY

Natural Beauty can be found in so many places.  Some are expected and others are very unexpected.

I enjoy discovering BEAUTY in unexpected places.  The picture  above is an example of beauty found in an unexpected place.  A few weeks ago weather conditions were 'just right' to create this beautiful frost accumulation all nearly every outdoor surface.  

I took this picture of a weed with feathery frost clinging to every little detail of the dry plant.  The sun shine that morning made the frost shine for all to see.

I feel so blessed to get to capture this beauty in a photo.  I share this beauty with you this morning.  I hope it brings you a little joy at the end of 2011.

I look forward to discovering more beauty in 2012!

MONTESSORI

The Montessori classroom is a great place to find BEAUTY.  We see it each day in the form of a smile, kind gesture, or their voices raised in song.

Children appreciate beauty with a pure, honest eye.  They see beauty in their own art project.  They get excited about learning a new song.  Children see beauty when they complete a difficult work.  They appreciate the beauty of simple things. 

I feel privileged to be able to witness the excitement on the faces of young children all year long.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Let It Snow

Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow....

We have a "snow event" forecasted here today.  Three to five inches of snow could fall with rain coming first.  That is a recipe for dangerous roads.  I plan to stay close to home today.  Since it is Saturday, I have the choice to NOT go anywhere.


It is fortunate when we get this kind of weather on the weekend.  There are less people on the road, therefore less accidents.  


What do you do when you need to stay home because of bad weather?  Do you waste time being resentful, or do you 'make the best of it'?


I plan to spend the time at home to get a few things done that are easy to "put off".  I may organize a closet or two.  I will work of the quilt I started a month ago. I will try to enjoy my time at home and be glad I do not have to be out navigating the slippery streets.


MONTESSORI
How can we help children 'make the best' of  any situation?  We get lots of opportunities to help children learn to do this in many situations.  To really help children, we need to NOT rush in and solve problems.  We serve our students more when we help the children 'help themselves'.  


We daily find opportunities to do just this in the classroom:

• A pencil sharpener on the writing shelf is much better than sharpening a child's pencil each time it breaks or gets dull 
• children cleans up spills with a mop or sponge
• students in the Montessori classroom learn to problem solve from a very young age--we empower them as opposed to make them teacher dependent
• it is not unusual to hear this in our classrooms, "This is my work, please go choose your own work", from one child to another.  This is far superior to, "TEACHER, he's touching my puzzle!"  

Remember to watch for opportunities to empower children.  Look beyond the immediate issue to how  we want children to learn to live peacefully together. 

Holiday Season Begins

As this Holiday Season begins let us remember that often, less is more.


Think about this list:


Less stress        =    more fun
Less expensive  =    more people with gifts
Less shopping   =    more time with loved ones
Less eating        =    more healthy living


This is the time of year we look forward to and dread at the same time.  It takes extra thought and will power to partake in all the holidays have to offer and not "over indulge".


I think my family and I will have a "simple" Holiday Season this year.  We can still have fun, give gifts, go to parties, and welcome visitors.  With a little planning and thought we can make this time of year enjoyable without getting stressed out.


MONTESSORI


The children in our classrooms love the Holidays.  They look forward to presents, special foods, and singing songs of the season.  


We can make this time of year fun for them without being "over the top".  We can take the opportunity to give our children lessons on generosity, charity, and gratefulness in stead of greed and selfishness.


Incorporating lessons of generosity and charity is a good way to approach the Holidays.  Collecting canned foods to take to a food bank, making simple hand-made gifts for family members, and learning how other cultures celebrate are all good ways to put the right emphasis on very special time of year.

TO ONE AND ALL--HAPPY HOLIDAYS

THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL

These are the cranberries that became part of our families holiday feast.

    Cranberries are bright, tangy, and beautiful.  They add flavor and color to the meal.  It just would not be a proper Thanksgiving feast without this special condiment on the table.  


    I was blessed with a full house this Thanksgiving weekend.  We had time to cook together, eat special and delicious foods, visit with each other, watch small cousins play together, be with friends we see too infrequently, and bake the first cookies of the upcoming Christmas season.


    This is the time of year to think about what we are thankful for and contemplate what we have accomplished in 2011 as well as look to the future and think about what opportunities we will have in the coming year.  The weather often keeps us indoors more.  With less sunlight in each day we have more quite moments to think and hopefully be appreciative of our blessings.  


    I am truly blessed.  I am very thankful.  I look forward to what life has for me around the next corner.  


MONTESSORI


How are children like cranberries?


They are both small, full of flavor, and make life more interesting.


   I am thankful to work with young children.  They are not jaded yet.  They love to learn and are so eager to take part in my lessons.  Young children embrace life with enthusiasm that is contagious.  


   We need to plan our lessons.  We need prepare an inviting environment.  We need to care enough to do our job well.  But the audience we present our lessons too is ready and waiting to learn.  That is why I love what I do.


   Remember to be grateful, and appreciate the way children embrace life.

Quilted Hearts

Quilted Hearts

Quilted hearts. I made these Christmas ornaments to use in a charity event.  They will be mine to use after the event. Quilted hearts--it just made me think:

quilted hearts::what we all need

layers of fabric::layers of love

hand crafted::loving effort

secure stitches::security found in loved ones

creative designs::creativity feeds my soul

each one is unique::we are all unique

pretty::beauty is need in life

loop as a hanger::the circle of life

heart shape::two halves that fit perfectly together

The "::" symbol is used in word analogies. My children, who are adults not, are very good at these. One even won an award in elementary school for their analogy prowess. I will not clam to have gotten this exactly right, but I hope all my readers 'get' what I am trying to say.

"quilting is to our needs as our need are to quilting"

Something like that anyway

MONTESSORI

How do I relate this to the classroom.  Quite easily, if fact:r

We need to layer our lessons so to each each child's  learning style.

A gental hand is always better than heavy handed control.

children need and want a secure environment to grow and learn

We need to be creative to make our classroom fresh and inviting.

Each child, each teacher, each family, each school, is unique.  We need to concentrate on appreciating those differences--not trying to standardize the system.  Lots of different learning environments will work. Like parenting--there is only one wrong way to educate--that is--without care and love.

Beauty is a necessity--not an option.  We need the "arts" in our lives and in our classroom.  Lessons about famous artists, appreciation of music, artfully arranged work, and a pristinely clean classroom is beautiful and respectful to the children in our care.

We sit in a circle to share our stories and lessons. We teach the life cycle of animals and plants. We walk "around" each others work. Circles are definitely important in the classroom.

Heart shapes are se-metrical--the same on both sides [not the ones I made--or the organ-but the valentine kind].  Fairness is like that.  We need to have a classroom that is fair. We must create a culture of fairness.

Colorado Has.....

Colorado Has:

Majestic Mountains

Crisp Dry Air

Blue Lakes

Yellow Aspen Trees

Friends and Family

BUT

best of all--two of my kids 

a small plate of love--apple crisp I made for Mackenzie and her roommates

Early on my last morning with Mackenzie

Down town Loveland--a nice place--especially when my daughter lives there.

 This whole semester my Friday class is “studying” SA

Fresh faces all lined up to learn about Argentina, South America!

I am happily enjoying a trip to one of my favorite places on this earth.  COLORADO.

I am additionally pleased that I now have many close friends and family members that call Colorado, the state of mountains and aspen trees, home.

I can successfully ‘couch serf’ for 1½ weeks without overstaying my welcome on any one couch.  You see, I go by the adage that fish and visitors ‘spoil’ after a few days.

My first stop on this trip was three nights on the very comfortable couch in my daughter Mackenzie’s home.  She and her two roommates welcomed me with great enthusiasm and hospitality.  I in turn made myself useful by cooking and doing light yard work—both of which I enjoy.

Next stop began yesterday. I arrived at my nephew’s home in the mountain village of Silverthorne  in the early afternoon.  He and his family, sadly, are off to other parts of the world to visit and play golf. I am taking advantage of the situation by staying in their great home with a 360 degree mountain vista.  I will be writing, singing, resting, and just enjoying myself. 

Happily, part of George’s family will be here to visit with on Wednesday, a day before I need to get back to my ordinary life.  I am looking forward to both the solitude, and seeing them for part of my visit.  I am hoping to get a lot of work done in the next two days.

Speaking of work, I made a side trip on the way up the mountain to visit Montessori Education Center of the Rockies, a training center in Boulder, Colorado.  It was very worthwhile.  I met a delightful woman named Dot. She visited with me, showed me the center, and listened to me explain my ‘life plan’ as it has to do with my music, Montessori, and teaching.  She was encouraging, informative, and supportive to my vision.  This fact should not surprise me, after all, we are both Montessorians. 


Mackenzie has decided to join me for one night and part of tomorrow.  Super Great!!!

ENJOY YOUR DAY AS I AM!

Steller Day

This as another stellar day!


I am fortunate to do what I love.  Life can be hard, but it is easier when you feel that you do even a little bit of good in this world.  


We have to recognize good days and think about what we did right.  This will help us have more and more stellar days.


What makes a day extra special--stellar?  For me it can be several small things that add up throughout the day.  I had a great time giving my Music program this morning, so that set the tone for a great day.


I think that one thing really does lead to another.  Having a good time giving my music program gave me confidence and wellbeing for the rest of the day.


I have studies The Tao, the eastern philosophy that is very inspirational to make real changes that lead to a happier life for yourself.  The Tao says, "you attract what you are".  I take that to mean that we need to be confident and happy with yourself to attract positive people into your life.


The Tao also says, "There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way".  Isn't that true. We often 'chase after happiness" and get nowhere. I call it the treadmill affect.  Then we just get surprised by happiness out of the blue.  


So, I will:
>>attract goodness into my life by being good
>>attract cooperation by cooperating with others
>>attract happiness by acting happy (even when it is 'an act'


So simple but so profound at the same time--I love that!


Montessori


>>>There is no Way to HAPPINESS, HAPPINESS is the Way.
>>>You ATTRACT into your life what you ARE.


This is good advice for a classroom (and for all of us).


The children in our lives--or in our classroom--look to us often to see 'how they feel'.  They take their cue from us.  Even if you are not 'jolly', put on a happy face every day.  Now, I am not talking about being 'sparkly' and overly 'bubbly'.  That will seem insincere and can not be maintained over the long haul.  


I am talking about a pleasant look on your face when you feel like frowning.


This simple conscious act will do so much for the children in your care. Happiness tends to be contagious. 


As for "attracting what you are"--well this is so GREAT!  If your children are not "cooperating" with something--look at how "cooperative" you are being. Are the children having to work hard to get what they want?  How can you cooperate with them? Think about it.


Yesterday I cooperated with a child during my music program.  She was being a little 'wiggle worm' so I said, "it looks like you want to dance to my music".  So we all got up and 'danced' for two verses.  This solved my problem--she was much more attentive to the rest of my lesson. It was so great!


Have a HAPPY day. I hope good things for you today and tomorrow.

Being Appreciative

It is so important to appreciate the gifts we are given.

It helps us have a positive attitude about life, or work, and the people around us everyday.

I suggest we each 'take stoke' of what we have to appreciate.  I think this should be done often.  We should pay special attention to appreciable events, people and gifts when we are 'down in the dumps' about something.  It can help us see the 'big picture' and not feel so discouraged or sad.

I have a wonderful life and want to honor that life by being appreciative of the people, things, faith, and gifts I have.

Montessori

Being appreciative is a wonderful thing to teach the children in your classroom.  Of course, like so many things, modeling this behavior is the best way to impart that lesson to the children.

We adults need to make sure we are saying things like, 'I appreciate how quiet you were during this lesson", or, "I appreciate the wonderful warm weather we have today". Remember, language matters. Children soak up vocabulary.  Using the word, 'Appreciate' will help your children understand the meaning of the word and eventually apply that meaning to their thoughts about their own life.

Peru

This is my "set up" for this week's Fantastic Friday.

We learned about Peru, South America.

I set up a "background" for my music class each week. The chair is for me--but I spend most of the time up moving around with the children.


I got a great complement this week--one of the children said--"We like your games Mrs. Wiggs"  That is high praise to my ears.  

Welcome Fall--Welcome Change

Welcoming Fall

Welcome Every Season

Welcome Change

Fall

We really have to look at the calendar to know that we are already into the 2nd week of October.  I keep thinking, 'no good deed goes unpunished', so we will have to make up for this unusually warm weather by having bad weather later--time will tell?


I had such a wonderful day today! I only hope that some or all of my readers could have had a day like mine.


Life seemed to 'make sense' today.


What I tried worked.


People I spoke to were receptive.


I am outside smelling a fire that I made myself--gotta love that!


and, my husband cooked me dinner!


What is not to LOVE about that?

MONTESSORI


I love to have a day where everything seems to be scripted by the "Montessori Good Fairy"!  You know what I mean--everything you try is even better than you could have imagined--a child gives you an unsalisited, 'good job'--or 'we like your games Mrs Wiggs'.  You can not plan it--you can not pay for it to happen--but when it does (like today for me) it is priceless!


All of this is not just "dumb luck".  It is payback for all the hard work we put into our lessons, preparations, and the attention we give to child development and meeting the needs of the individual and the group.  But it is SWEET non the less.


I wish for each of you to have a rewarding day like I had today.  But, if you had a challenging day--just remember, keep working and it will pay off one of these days.

Welcome Change

Welcome Fall

Welcome Every Season

Welcome Change


Change is good.  We hear that often. We often resist change.  This is just futile in so many ways.  Change is inevitable and constant, so when we resist it we set ourselves up for frustration and discord.


I usually welcome each season. I am ready for change by the time one season has been around for a while.  I guess I am a good 'midwesterner' in that way.  I would have a hard time, I think, living in a constant state of summer or winter.  


Change is always with us.  It is a constant. Nothing stays the same for long. We grow, change, and are affected by our surroundings.  This in it's self is good and bad--comforting and problematic--trustworthy and fickle.  Now that you are confused, let me explain.  


Change as good & bad: 
it can be good because it keeps things interesting; it can be bad because, just when we get good at something, we need to move on to something else.


Change as comforting & problematic:
it is comforting to know what will happen and be able to get ready for the change.  It is difficult to be faced with change we are not ready for or a change we just do not want (like a death in the family).


Change as trustworthy & fickle:
So many things that change regularly can be counted on, like basic child development, and the weather and colors of a season.  On those same topics, change is also fickle in that each child develops on their own schedule and weather can be extreme and unpredictable.


MONTESSORI


The Montessori classroom is both very stable and reliable and at the same time constantly changing to meet the needs of the students in that particular room.  


The stability of certain materials like the Pink Tower and Dressing Frames always being present can be comforting the child that needs a high degree of consistency.


Change is also great. Updating your room for the seasons and meeting the needs of all the children keep our classrooms fresh and interesting.  


This time of year is so fun in the classroom.  As October draws near the new children are getting used to being away from mom and dad.  The second year children are realizing that they can 'help' the new children, and the third year students are starting to really 'take off' with projects in geography and science.  

I LOVE MY CHOSEN PROFESSION 

BETTER THAN EXPECTED

Petunias are so often BETTER THAN EXPECTED 

Ø It is so great when things go well.

Ø It is wonderful when things turn out to be just as good as it is ‘in my head’.

Ø But, it is fabulous when things go BETTER THAN EXPECTED!

Ø That is what happened to me today.  It felt GREAT!

It cannot be planned for.  I cannot make it happen.  Being prepared and having some talented is helpful—but it does, in no way, assure things going BETTER THAN EXPECTED. 

In my work the only way things go BETTER THAN EXPECTED is when the children and staff mesh well with the program I am giving.  When I show up at a school and perform an educational music program I am prepared—I have some talent—I have good ideas—and I know how to employ effectively teaching techniques.  So things have always gone well for me (so far—knock on wood).

What makes a lesson, or anything for that matter, special and even BETTER THAN EXPECTED is not entirely tangible. 

Ø It is hard to grasp and define.

Ø It is that special something that you cannot predict or even imagine.

Ø It is why I love doing what I do!

MONTESSORI

Obviously, I am already talking about a Montessori experience this time.  That is what I do.  But let me go a little deeper than this example—a music program that went BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

How do we EXPECT the UNEXPECTED?

It is what we do in the classroom to help this alone, that makes Montessori so special?  Again, being prepared, well trained, etc…is helpful and necessary.  But, fortunately, it is not enough. I say fortunately, because without this extra something there is no magic.  

As Montessori professionals we need to do more, or at least work toward that end.  We come to recognize the signs and then get out of they way and let ‘BETTER THAN EXPECTED’ march through the door.

I try to ‘go’ where the children lead the lesson.

Let me explain.  I like to be well prepared and even visualize how the children will react to a lesson.  That is helpful to me—it helps me get ready for a job.  But once I am there and the lesson starts I do not get caught up in trying to make THAT vision a reality.  It is very simple—yet very important.  The reality of what happens between the children and I is pure magic—it is so often BETTER THAN EXPECTED—but I am always a little surprised by the effect.

Like I said, I love what I do!

Rainbows

Rainbows

I saw this rainbow while sitting on my deck after a rain.  I, like most people, love rainbows.

Rainbows always seem like an unexpected gift.  I never "expect" to see one--it is always a peasant surprise in the sky.

I like that I never know when a rain will provide this colorful arc of light.  The conditions have to be right for a rainbow to develop.  I have to be in the right place at the right time to see one.  I think that is why it feels like such a gift to me.

It been gloomy and rainy today--not the right conditions for seeing a Rainbow--so I gave us all one!

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Montessori

I like to use a prism on a sunny day to create a lesson on rainbows in the classroom.  It is easy to hold a glass prism in a ray of sunlight and direct the light to a white piece of paper.  A rainbow will show up on the paper.  

It is easy to impress three to six year old children.  That is why it is such a pleasure to teach this age group.  They are so eager to learn!

Being in the right place at the right time is another concept that is important when talking about working with young children.  That will be a topic for another post.

Butterfly

Something that is not creepy at all!

You may be tired of looking at pictures of worms and bugs so I chose an insect that is sure to please everyone.  Butterflies are such beautiful and mysterious creatures.  To think that this wonderful winged insect was hiding out in a cocoon just a week ago is incredible.

To realize that before the incubation stage of development this creature was a fuzzy caterpillar crawling around eating leaves and trying not to be eaten by other crawling and flying creatures is also awe inspiring to me. 

Montessori

Children are constantly changing and growing.  They need  good teachers and parents to facilitate that growth.  Children, like butterflies have all they need to grow up and mature.  Sometimes we need to step in and guide that growth, sometimes we need to step back and stay out of the way so that growth can take place.

The real talent is in knowing when to "do something" and when to "let something happen". Children need to be safe, loved and cared for.  Beyond that they need to be allowed to explore and develop without too much interference from adults.  

Children need to have a safe place to spread their wings at the right moment and take off!