Spring Ceramics: Bird Nests with Eggs

Spring has Sprung and Countdowns Have BEGUN!

As far as I am concerned, the school year is over. Yesterday I had the unique experience of traveling to THREE different elementary buildings and making my author/illustrator presentations to students in PreK through third graders at each building! Thank goodness we had a guide, because we were off the grid a tad and the schedule was cutting it close. I took as many pictures as possible, but these just melted my heart. 

Look at these little clay eggs in the nest. 

No matter if you teach Preschool or third grade, {or even junior high!!!} the students that come into your life at the beginning of your school year are your 'babes' your 'peeps' your 'monsters' your 'stars' your 'friends'....... 

whatever the euphemism, they are in your heart. They are little eggs in the proverbial nest. Even though they have been assigned to you, they are yours forever.

The seasons change. The routines are learned. 

The students grow. 

The birthdays are celebrated. 

As the year winds down it is indeed amazing to reflect back over all of the growth that has amassed. 

Children that started the year in tears at the thought of crossing your threshold are now back to tears at the thought of leaving you. Somehow that all transpired in about 172 days. You have showered them with a blanket of care and concern and your classroom has indeed become their second home. A place of trust and learning. A harbor in the storm. A repository of memories made and learning treasured. 

It is now time for the little 'egglets' to hatch and fly on to their next adventure. 

There will be more than a few tears shed during the coming weeks. 

There's so much to do! 

So many loose ends to tie up. 

So much documenting to attend to. 

As you wish well each little pup. 

I have a digital file of three VERY simple little songs. 

EXTREMELY appropo for PreK 

Still fun for these fleeting K moments, too. 

[Click the pic to jump to Teachers Pay Teachers for an immediate purchase.] 

As we travel across the countryside this morning, 
I was literally stopped in our tracks by this mama and her fledglings, 
navigating initially across the parking lot. 

Then came the extreme 'corner' transition, from paved way to grass. 
GRADUATION of sorts! 
Mama went right up that corner without missing a beat. 
I had no idea how those littles were going to shimmy up the steep incline to rejoin her on their way to water. 
I was fascinated. 
They waited their turn! 

Those feathered fluff balls squirmed and waddled and up they went! 
Some were completely 'ready' and up they hopped
on the first heartbeat. 

Others awaited their turn only to stand still and show their concern. 
Some were prompted from behind. 
Others were prompted from ahead. 

In the end? 
EACH made it over the 'hurdle' at hand, 
leaving the paved and foreign for the reward of their natural homestead.

Mama duckling continued her march forward without an apparent look over her shoulder at the progress of her peeps.  

The role of teacher is different from that of mama. 
Teachers are emotionally invested for certain. 
They also have the absolute trust and certainty that their charges will make their way. 

I learned a lot by watching the feathered wonder. 
She led by example. 
She trusted her brood. 
They responded. 
They rose to her expectations. 

Here's a couple of glimmers from our Mother's Day weekend with my own peeps. Our son-in-law is again deployed over to the 'desert' and so I was especially glad that we could be with our Mama Duck. 

I include these here for my own Mama Duck! 

This next set of images was taken at our final moment together. 
At the bus stop. 
{WonderBoy catches the early morning trip.} 
This is sunny late morning for the WonderTwins trek to afternoon kindergarten. 
It may well be the last half-day kindergarten ANYwhere! 
Full day is not an option for them, in their rural district. 
Can you believe it? 
We were all thrilled to have the sunshine return. 

Baby Birdies

Baby birdies flying up high...... fly up high. Fly down low. "Baby birdies, little baby birdies.... in the next, in the nest. Little baby birdies take a rest, take a rest. " Then a big finale with some dancin' with da boyz.

Love These Faces

What a great day together. These are the preschoolers. Choosing their favorites for my last visit of the year. Ya just gotta loves these faces, these bright smiles. Lion prowling. Birdies doing puppet shows.

Big Kids, The Big Kids

"Lucky Duckie Day" As the school year winds down, I let the children 'direct' our time together. It vaporizes all too quickly. When we wind up our 25 minutes together there's a lot of disbelief. "But we didn't do Monsters." Another voice chimes in, "What about Goldie?" Until about six or ten of our favorites are itemized and then I remind them of the good news. Our plan is for me to make one more visit. Next month. This is a good thing, that our repertoire has expanded over the months, over the years. I have literally grown up with these peeps. Or I suppose more accurately, they have grown up with me. In any case, the time is gone in the blink of any eye.

The first picture is a demonstration of the big kids ability to delay their gratification with their shakers. Yes. They can balance, too.

In the final picture of this set, there is a brand-new student, having just arrived to this country from Greece. I take it as an ENORMOUS compliment that the new child is 'up-to-form' with our theatrics, catching up with those who have grown up with me. Language is not so much a barrier when there is drama and movement involved.

Lions on the Move

Everybody's back together. The BIG kids. It's time for a Lion Prowl. Look at all of that theatricallity. (Is that a word? LOL) Such expressions. Such drama in their movements. Today was "lucky-duck" day. I let the teacher choose a child, who then got to have the fortunate job of selecting which of my songs they wanted the group to sing. Let me tell you, that's an enormous responsibility, and a treasured opportunity.

Perfect Pips Perform

It's great to be among friends. Even the teeniest-of-the-tiniest.... maybe that's what makes it great, in fact? Seeing their eyes light up. Watching every finger wiggle and every eyebrow dance. They start to wibble-wobble as I strum my guitar. Full body wobbles make me smile from ear-to-ear. How they respond. Then the bigger toddlers with their amazing capabilities are just amazing..... probably more so, because of the stark contrast with the wee ones.

How Much Fun?? Lots!!

Just exactly how much fun do we have when we're together?? A seriously whole big, bunch of fun!! It was great to combine the classes. We had plenty of adults to support the groupings -- between the teachers, therapists and volunteers, there was more than sufficient encouragement for our larger group size experiment. Shake those shakers!!

Flying Lessons

"He who would learn to fly one day

must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance;

one cannot fly into flying." --Friedrich Nietzsche

Really then, what we're all about is 'flying lessons.' We gather together and we celebrate the standing and the walking and the running and the climbing and the dancing...... all in preparation for flying. Learning about balance is an enormous lesson on the road to flying. Body control. Knowing where your body is in space. Harnessing your energy. Freezing frozen. It's all part of a wonderful continum. It's great to be a flying instructor. Makes everything worthwhile.

Then a puppet show, actually all about flying. Cause and effect. Flight. Baby birdies. It's all one and the same thing. It's all about exerting that cause and feeling that effect. Nietzsche and preschoolers. Would you have it any other way??

SURPRISE!!!

Every blue moon, I go to reach into my big blue trunk-on-wheels to get out the next 'surprise' and I've forgotten to have the children close their eyes. There's always someone to prompt me to pause -- which allows them to get their eyes closed just in the nick of time. It's amazing to me, that in this media driven, immediate world of ours, these little ones pictured above and even pretty mature preschoolers enjoy the ritual of closing their eyes in anticipation of what might be coming next. A brief opportunity for their imaginations to drive the bus, I suppose. A wee small example of building 'rituals' into your group time, that allow children to process what is about to happen. The more you do it, the more they come to depend on you. Which is as it should be.

Get This Party Started

It's my annual return to Childhood League. I was posting my FB status yesterday morning before driving downtown & realized that thirty years ago I was in the process of applying & interviewing for my first "full-time" role in education. Dateline 1979. Seriously!!

At that time I was headed downtown to the 'old building' and meeting with Dave Proctor, long time director. I was not their first choice...... Dave gave me a second interview with some League representatives of that era, out of the kindness of his heart. I remember him telling me that while the other candidates had better credentials, he thought my 'general' skills, personality & flexibility might fit the situation as a better match. The rest is history. New building. New director. Lots of faces from across the 30 year history to greet me & 'welcome' me home. Priceless.