It is a new year, with new children, and new possibilities.  The beginning of the school year is an exciting time filled with anticipation of all the great things that will be achievable this year.  Your classroom will be filled with young children of different sizes, shapes, races, and backgrounds.  One of the challenges for us, as early childhood educators, is to discover their interests, capabilities, and potential. To do so, we must become careful observers. I encourage you to listen to their conversations, and pose questions that will help you to determine each of their unique abilities.

During the first days we work to establish a positive relationship with each child. One way to do this is by greeting them personally, engaging them in conversations and listening to their ideas. These are important ways to build this growing relationship. The children will recognize that their carefully designed environment supports them as active learners. It provides choices to follow their interest, and includes materials that capture their curiosity.

New Elements for Beginning the School Year

• Natural materials collected from the area where you and the children live. These are clustered together to be examined and explored by each of the children at their own unique pace. These familiar items provide a connection to their surroundings and expand understandings.
• Pictures of each child that can be touched, viewed, and arranged in an interesting design. Each child’s picture can be mounted on a wooden block that can be manipulated and moved during play. This helps the children to begin to recognize their classroom as a community of learners, and see themselves as an important member of this group.
• Include an exciting collection of books that matches their level of development and interest.  Display these books in the Library Area, while including pillows, rugs, soft seating, and a place to listen to stories on tape.  In this area they can lounge and read independently, or with a new friend.
• A quiet place where they can relax when the excitement of the day, the many activities, and interactions with other children may make them tired.  When you are overstimulated as a result of tiredness or hunger, you may become irritable, and this is certainly true with young children. This calming place can be visited and enjoyed as needed.

Enjoying the beginning of the school year and appreciating each of sparkling young children who make up your classroom community, will make this a wonderful year for YOU!

I just returned from the most creative early childhood conference I have ever attended! The theme was the brilliant idea of Kasey Kile, who has been leading the conference for the last four year with assistance from her friends at Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities.

I did the Keynote for this illustrious group of early childhood educators who listened, responded, and interacted with me as we investigated the power of stories read, told, and sung.

Atchison Child Care Family

The focus of the literature for the day was animal stories that are appealing to young children. This entire experience reminded me again that early childhood teachers are very creative! They displayed their creativity throughout the day as they wore hats they had designed and made for the event.

In the afternoon, they participated in hands-on follow up activities that extended the stories we shared, including designing and making costumes to represent some of the animals in the stories we had enjoyed. A special feature was the afternoon “high tea” with yummy treats. The finale was “The Animal Parade” with all of us marching together to celebrate the day, stories, and these marvelous educators.

It was a joyful experience for me!

Creative Spark for the Day

When children are using a variety of materials to develop a creative idea, add a novel material that will challenge their thinking in new ways. A piece of foil, tissue paper, or sheet of foam. Be creative!

Now that the busy holidays are over, it is the ideal time to recharge and clear our brains of unnecessary issues and concerns. It is important for our well-being that we find time for ourselves to be quiet and recharge.

When we are so busy, overcommitted, and striving for perfection, there is often a drought of creative ideas. Now you can find a time and place where you can let your mind wander, daydream, relax your body, or listen to calming music.

Making time for yourself to chillout and regain your energy is an essential element to nurture creative thinking.

Making time for yourself to chillout and regain your energy is an essential element to nurture creative thinking. Creativity cannot happen when your mind is overloaded or filled with too many distractions. Find a time for yourself – 15 minutes or more – to think about “nothing”. When an unwanted thought tries to capture your attention, throw it out. The goal is to clear your brain so there is space for new ideas and possibilities.

It’s OK to be alone.

When I was working on my graduate degree, writing a dissertation, working full time, and raising two young children, I became very concerned because I had no creative ideas, or no new possibilities incubating. It was very scary because I had always had many ideas. Had my graduate work killed my creativity? Had over-work sapped my brain? As one person told me, “It’s done something to your brain.”

On the day I graduated, driving home alone in my car as my family followed, my ideas starting popping. A shower of new ideas was coming to my consciousness. I was overjoyed! I celebrated the return of these exciting possibilities. But why was this happening at this time and place? I realized that for the first time in over 2 years I had a quiet time. Many of my difficult tasks that had been filling my time and thoughts had been accomplished. This quiet time in my car provided the place to relax, be quiet, and let my mind flow.

Give yourself the gift of time.

Escape from an overstimulating and demanding world and turn on your creative ideas. You are creative! Your ideas have not dried up. All that is needed is the time and calmness to let your marvelous possibilities sprout and grow again.

Enjoy this first step in your creative journey.

It is story time again in Jonesborough, Tennessee, where the International Center for Storytelling is sponsoring their 43rd festival. This is a grand celebration of stories told by amazing tellers from all over the world. Hope you will able to catch the storytelling bug at this festival or in the future.

Each year, over 10,000 people sit in colorful circus tents throughout this tiny town to be memorized by a story told. Some of the amazing tellers are Donald Davis who grew up in the Appalachian Mountains and shares his personal stories of growing up with his humorous family.

Another is Jay O’Callaghan who personalizes stories of important historical events. He is able to keep his audience on the edge of their seats for over an hour with one story. Wow, now that is a talented storyteller!

In tandem Eth-Noh-Tec perform ancient Asian folktales using movement, music, and the spoken word as they demonstrate kinetic storytelling at its finest.

Each year I am invigorated by the power of stories told and the diverse stories shared. It reminds me again what a wonderful gift it is for young children when we share a store with them. Learn a story and pass it on!

The festival runs from Oct. 2-4 and website is www.storytellingcenter.net.