12/6/09
Say.......say it and get it out of you

11/23/09
Katie Byron quotes I love right NOW!!!
The only thing that can cost you your husband is if you believe a thought.
That's how you move away from him.
That's how the marriage ends.
You are one with your husband until you believe the thought
that he should look a certain way, he should give you something,
he should be something other than what he is.
That's how you divorce him.
Right then and there you have lost your marriage.
~ Byron Katie ~
To think that I know what’s best for anyone else is to be out of my business. Even in the name of love, it is pure arrogance, and the result is tension, anxiety, and fear. Do I know what’s right for me? That is my only business. Let me work with that before I try to solve problems for you.
~ Byron Katie Quotes from Loving What Is
I have never experienced a stressful feeling that wasn’t caused by attaching to an untrue thought. Behind every uncomfortable feeling, there’s a thought that isn’t true for us.
~ Byron Katie Quotes from Loving What Is
"Hurt feelings or discomfort of any kind cannot be cause by another person. No one outside me can hurt me. That's not a possibility. It's only when I believe a stressful thought that I get hurt. And I'm the one who's hurting me by believing what I think. This is very good news, because it means that I don't have to get someone else to stop hurting me. I'm the one who can stop hurting me. It's within my power.
11/20/09
Clarity of Motherhood
11/19/09
Being Green is Okay BUT only if it's cool


The World Is Coming to an END....AGAIN


11/14/09
Pleasantries

11/8/09
Weaning Ourselves From Research


11/7/09
Early Childhood Dreams!
Children
Competent, capable learners
Operate in the “scientific method” (making assumptions about the way the world works and then experimenting to check them out)
Children with disabling conditions do not have “special needs”, they have “special rights”
Drive the curriculum with their observations, insights, and questions
Teachers
Are seen as “researchers”
Spend much time observing and documenting children’s work both in words and photos
Are partners with children in the learning process
Remain with a group of children for a three year cycle (birth to 3, or 3 to 5)
Are educated with “on the job” training
Families
Are true partners in the life of the center
Are expected to participate in decision making
Are reflected in the documentation throughout the center
Program/Curriculum
Centers have an artist on staff
All of the arts (visual, dance, music, etc.) are integrated into the daily life of the center
One administrator with an education background oversees one or more schools
There is a regular routine to the day, but the schedule for activities is not fixed
Children are encouraged to take multiple perspectives. They look at things from different aspects and angles
Children represent and re-represent their impressions through different media (drawing, writing, sculpting, etc.), building on their knowledge through in depth projects over time
Environment
Thoughtfully prepared to function as the “third teacher”
Along with art areas in each classroom, there is an art studio in the building
The outdoor area is as important as the inside as a learning environment
Natural light and plants abound
Documentation of the children’s work is displayed throughout (and left up for a long time)
Lots of mirrors and places to climb up and under (to allow children to see things in a different perspective)
Attention paid to use of light and shadow










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10/27/09
Allow

10/22/09
10/20/09
Painting Again
Art is contagious. I teach children art and their enthusiasm has infected me. I also have come to learn that my own children would benefit from seeing me follow my passions; painting, collage, photography and cooking. I created a painting this past week and as expected my kids wanted to paint too. I had long feared this scenario, yet it went pretty smooth. They painted for 20 minutes then went on to another activity and allowed me to finish my painting without any disruptions. So all this time of not painting fearing the constant disruption and unpredictable mess, I had no idea it would only last for a few minutes. Now my 2 year-old knows what a canvas is and my son sees that colors can be layered when the paint is dry or wet. It's a win-win situation all around. I get to paint, and they learn and get inspired.
10/7/09
Apparently I'm Into Leather...Why didn't someone tell me?

10/3/09
What Do Teacher's Make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.
One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do.. Those who can't, teach."
To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.”
(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)
"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.... You want to know what I make?
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?"
His jaw dropped, he went silent.
Been Painting Watercolors
9/21/09
3x4 feet collage
9/19/09
Animals and their Role in our Lives
Following the Parent's Tao Te Ching for the Next Few Months

9/5/09
Congruence





