how do you know?

While I remain steeped in summer bliss--warm days, staying up late, letting the day unfold, the beach....every now and then September creeps into my mind.  I'm updating the look of the blog and have more plans of how to use it next year, but for now I want to reflect on a question my son asked me tonight. Over dinner, (yummy grilled pizzas--love having time to cook!), he asked, "Mama, how do you know so much about nature?"  I paused to think about this answer honestly.  I replied, "Because I ask a lot of questions about nature and I read about nature, but mostly I think because I observe and think about nature a lot."  As soon as I answered, I began thinking about implications for teaching and learning...asking questions, reading, observing, thinking...this is how I want to spend my days in the classroom this year, and I hope to create an environment which will support and encourage and facilitate this for my primates too.

I find the first part of his question--just "how do you know?" sparking ideas about assessment too.  I asked him, " How do you know I know a lot about nature?"  He answered, "Because you talk about it a lot."  Talking....

So that's my planning for the new school year so far.  I look forward to days spent asking questions, reading, observing, thinking, and talking with a new group of interesting individuals.

But for now, I'll spend a couple more weeks happily trailing behind this duo with my best friend & love of my life....

reflecting

I began writing theprimateproject as a way to get back into the habit of writing regularly, (I think originally I was trying for daily, but reality required regularly--and that has worked out perfectly!). My hope was to sharpen my writing skills as preparation for applying to doctoral programs. It's a year later, and this blog has become a powerful reflection tool for me as a teacher, and sometimes a mom too. It's also provided a new connection between myself and the parents of students I serve: a window inside our classroom and the way I see things. Teachers and parents never have these conversations--about teaching and learning in a general sense and as more process than product, and I think it has really opened new lines of understanding on both sides.

Writing is a very personal act for me, especially this type of journal writing--off the cuff, no editing, no required topic. But I ask my students to make their writing, however personal, public in our classroom daily, so this blog allows me to develop a new perspective on how I teach, motivate, and assess my writers--with their perspective in mind. Vulnerability is critical to all aspects of learning, and developing comfort with--or at the very least, willingness to be vulnerable, is challenging....and often just plain hard. A year later, I feel MUCH more comfortable.

In defiance of all psychometric testing, (and yes, I am comfortable saying that I do not see any value in standardized testing worth the price we pay to gather the flimsy data it provides), I have chosen to make my (and my students') learning visible through written documentation, reflection, photographs, and videos. Observation and analysis are the assessment tools I use, and this blog provides some evidence towards that end.

Writing the blog has helped me shape my beliefs and ideas on teaching and learning influenced by MI theory vs. "g" intelligence, and when speaking about this, I notice an increased confidence and assuredness in myself.

Finally, a word about "the primates". Most people whom I speak with about the blog ask, "why 'primates'?" Well, we are primates, defined by The Oxford American Desk Dictionary & Thesaurus, a primate is: a member of the highest order of mammals, including lemurs, apes, monkeys, and human beings.

In my research of doctoral programs, I became initially discouraged at some of the successful applicants' accomplishments prior to acceptance into a particular program, which included a guy who lived with apes for a year. I chose to consider my own "primate research project" in the jungles of American public education, hence the name of the blog and my reference to my students as my primates. I also feel confident in my ability to make correlations between what teachers face today to the wildest dangers one might encounter in any jungle!

So almost a year later, I am moving forward with doctoral plans, although my timeline is still a bit unclear, (again, reality requirements!), but I am definitely much farther along the path to a new destination than I was in '09, and I am quite happy with that progress!

School is winding down...our last day approaches in a few more weeks, which I have to admit are becoming torturous as the temps & humidity rise, and our hopes for air conditioning disappeared years ago. I hope to catch up on: *portfolio night, *the end of weaving, and *circles in learning, soon.

the rock club

First, I want to highly recommend the PBS documentary, "Where do the children play?" by Elizabeth Goodenough. It addresses the impact today's societal norms have on children, with special attention to time spent outdoors and with unstructured play. very interesting stuff--for teachers and parents. I have it and am happy to lend if you're interested, let me know.

After seeing this movie in September, I have paid more attention to the unstructured play of my primates--informally, but I have accumulated enough "mental notes" to require some written, so here it is:

Several months ago, I heard rumblings amongst the primates about a rock club game or something they were doing at recess. I don't remember exactly how I found out about it, but it seemed interesting, so I began listening more carefully. I acknowledged that I knew about it, but didn't ask too much and didn't express any real interest, as I wanted to really investigate this "undercover". I learned that two of my quietest, sweet, team player primates were the founders of the club--in their words..."they started it!" These primates were also the leaders of the club, whose membership spans other k/1/2 classrooms and includes most of mine.

They always re-enter the classroom after recess chattering about the rock club, so one day I asked a primate what exactly they did in the rock club. It was a classic reply: he looked at me wide-eyed, and in a complete "duh Mrs. G" tone of voice said, "We mine..."...like what the heck else would they do in a rock club? This got me too curious to just observe & eavesdrop any longer.

I found out that there was a huge membership, but that not everyone plays rock club every day. Also, that if you don't play for 2 consecutive days without letting either of the leaders know you'll be doing something else, you're OUT. But they are pretty flexible with letting you back in if you ask nicely, and promise to check in to avoid the 2 absence penalty.

Now when I told my husband this story, he asked, "What are they running, the mafia?!" He didn't like the idea of kids having to report to other kids. But honestly, I think it is amazing and wonderful. This is how the real world works. They have established this whole complex mini-adult society out at recess that involves leaders and workers, consequences for breaking the rules, and second (sometimes fourth and fifth chances)....and, let's not forget, they MINE!

I brought in some rocks I collected at the beach last weekend to donate to the rock club, wanting to support their mining endeavors, but they told me "thank you, but we can't take them." when I asked why not, they said the older kids would throw them and move them around. it would just be too hard to hide them all. wow. so instead they each chose a rock to keep in their bin at school. very interesting.....

There has been one primate who was getting kicked out weekly for crushing all the rocks or making it hard to dig. Sometimes, they said, he fools around too much and they can't get their work done. The first time he was kicked out, he was very upset, so I got involved. We talked it out with the leaders, and I asked them to give the ousted primate a second chance. I also validated their points and told him if he violated the expectations of the club, then he couldn't be in it. He's had a few "issues" here and there, but has remained a member.

I love that they are doing this...there's even a proposed cook out at one of the member's houses after school. I spied a guest list in the making today, and they've discussed it with me. I have noticed that when I do show interest and ask questions, they tend to seek my intervention for issues & problems--but I don't budge. This is their thing and I am staying out of it. I trust them to handle it--after all, they started it all on their own. I'm just nosey...and impressed. And not invited to the cook out!

The movie I mentioned addresses the inability of children today to do exactly what these primates have done. And I agree with the movie--whole-heartedly--kids cannot structure their own time the ways kids could 30 years ago: jump rope, kickball, boys catch the girls, or my personal favorite from 1st grade, girls catch the boys...it always ends in someone getting hurt--physically or emotionally or both, or else it gets so out of control adult intervention is needed. But this group of primates is doing it...how are they doing it? what makes them different and able to navigate these complex social systems? Of course, they still need guidance here and there, but I am learning sooooo much about who they are in their "real world", which enriches my perspective on them when I'm leading the group, where they exhibit very different roles and social structures.

I asked a few of the members once why they felt the two leaders were good leaders--words they had used to describe them in conversation. They replied, "They're really nice, and fair." If only we could say that about the leaders in our adult "real world".....

always busy

It always amazes me how many things we have happening simultaneously...for the past few weeks we have raise, observed, and recorded the metamorphosis of five caterpillars to butterflies. This week, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and released our butterflies. We sat in a circle and watched them take flight in front of the school, by a rose bush. Then we performed "butterfly life cycle yoga" in four poses (egg, larva/caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis, and adult butterfly). I planned to return to the classroom to do this to music, but one of the primates suggested doing it outside--and it was perfect! Many primates even experimented with extending their "proboscis" into flower heads to drink nectar. They got to experience and "play" the life cycle, as our real live butterflies flew around us. nice moment!

on my mind

my teaching philosohy...eloquently illustrated in this poem by Loris Malaguzzi:

The Hundred Languages Of Children
The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marvelling, of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to invent
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)
but they steal ninety-nine.
The school and the culture
separate the head from the body.
They tell the child:
to think without hands
to do without head
to listen and not to speak
to understand without joy
to love and to marvel
only at Easter and at Christmas.
They tell the child:
to discover the world already there
and of the hundred
they steal ninety-nine.
They tell the child:
that work and play
reality and fantasy
science and imagination
sky and earth
reason and dream
are things
that do not belong together.

And thus they tell the child
that the hundred is not there.
The child says:
No way. The hundred is there.


Loris Malaguzzi
(translated by Lella Gandini)

from the mom

Teacher aside for the moment, as I am consumed by my current agony over kindergarten. Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds. I truly do. However....

the situation at hand is that I am an early childhood teacher of 13 years, and now I am also a mother of a magnificent kindergarten eligible boy...and I am living in a school district I am NOT comfortable with entrusting him to.......for a variety of reasons, but honestly and most truly because it is not the school or even the school district in which I have devoted the past 10 years of my life. we are hostage in a home we have outgrown, in a school district which is not an option, and the possibility of my district granting permission for my son to attend is slim to none...and in light of the budget, leaning more heavily towards none. we can't afford to move (and this is a hard reality to face) without risking our entire financial well-being, yet fall 2010 is fast approaching and we are not registered ANYWHERE for kindergarten. so private school is our only option. and it's not a terrible option, it's an expensive option...but much less risky than renting or selling or...ugh I can't think about it anymore. we have turned over every stone. we are stuck.

I'm going down with the ship...I will hang on to that minuscule scrap of hope that he'll get into my district....I will dream he'll get into my school....I have to believe everything happens for a reason.

Lots of people have said, "it's just kindergarten", and in many ways I know this. In the grand scheme of life, this is a very small blip.

But what I believe as a teacher, as the teacher that I am, is that it is not "just" kindergarten. these early years are the most critical, of the utmost importance. these years lay the foundation, set the course, pave the way. and to not have my own "primate" experiencing these pivotal moments in my school, is personally devastating. I'm an early childhood teacher, and I can't provide what I feel is the best educational experience for my own child. it hurts.

And I don't think I could be the teacher I am without believing that. we'll just have to work a little harder, shift dreams and expectations, and set off on different paths.

everything in perspective: I am a very blessed person and I am grateful for all I have and all I am able to give.

where we are going...

I have to say....NEVER have I jumped into a project so deeply and expansively to last an entire school year...and we still have 3 months to go...(did I mention we are extended year...to July...more thoughts on that later...). Our final district mandated curriculum strand is: Insects. We have translated this (using all the standards/essential questions and understandings that are mandated--for all the standards-based-learning lovers out there!)

Our class will explore and learn about insects by focusing on "not an insect"--spiders...conveniently also known as "nature's greatest weavers" in my class. We began with some "spider yoga", in which we discussed what we know about spiders, casually, conversationally...not like a traditional teacher directed discussion (not that there's anything wrong with that!). We did a spider egg pose and a spider egg sack pose--real yoga poses embellished by primates' ideas. Next we looked at some pictures of webs and discussed the differences between spiders and insects: body parts, number of legs, the ability to weave. Older primates led the discussion and provided the facts, along with a song/movement thing to help remember the names of the body parts.

Many primates asked for The Spider and the Fly, the book we read in the fall at the start of the project. They are pouring through bug and spider books during free reading time. And below, we did the work of spiders: creating webs with frame and capture threads--identified respectively by color. We worked with yarn, glue, water, and waxed paper.

Next we will begin a reading/writing project based on the African folktales, called spider tales. We are also reading chapter book as a whole group..I forget the title/author exactly...will post later...it's called something like, "The Spiderweb Mystery", and is part of a series...an old one. They love it--me too--(sharing a long story with a group is fantastic, we exchange ideas, share perceptions, predict, make connections, wonder together--kind of like the adult book group version--we are using reading in a real way--the way adults use it in real life).

We will also create spider models using clay--they must be detailed and anatomically correct. We will continue spider and insect yoga, and as a final product, each primate will choose one species of spider (should be reflective of their clay model--this requires attending to detail and will exhibit individual learning), and will create an information card including specific details on their chosen species of spider. I introduced the term "arachnid", and we will continue to refer to this new vocabulary word in our discussions.

It feels great to STILL feel this level of engagement in this project.