Magical Moments

It seems unbelievable that the month of February is upon us. Not only is it a special month for me because it is both my birthday and my dog’s, but, it is also one of my favorites for I absolutely adore Valentine’s Day. The original significance of the holiday is still intact for those who attend parochial school, but, for the rest of us, it is an awesome time to discuss feelings, build empathy, reinforce shapes, create colors, perform experiments, sing about loving and caring, learn about the postal service and writing letters, and of course making and sending . . . → Read More: Happy February

Many elementary schools have adopted policies that demand its teachers adhere to prescribed curriculums so that students’ chances of scoring successfully on standardized tests improves. Teachers who do not agree with the rigorous constraints cannot challenge their superiors without fear of jeopardizing their careers. And so, we have a state full of classrooms with many unhappy, unmotivated teachers teaching our children. I wonder what our children are learning and more importantly, what aren’t they being encouraged to do, think, and learn. What happens when children stop playing, for there is no time, stop creating, for there may be more . . . → Read More: Sad Classrooms

Now that summer is ending, many of us are thinking about the upcoming school year, how to reduce children’s apprehension, and how to ensure that they are self confident and ready for their new experiences. Regardless of age, a blank notebook, a fresh backpack, new pencils, pens, markers, and/or crayons should be joyful and yet, for many children, it elicits feelings of insecurity and fear of failure. I believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that our kids are emotionally, socially, cognitively, and physically ready to meet their new challenges. In order to transition from the carefree days . . . → Read More: A New School Year

The last week of school deserves special planning and sensitivity so that children experience both closure and an understanding of where and what they will be doing after their last day of school. Even if it requires phone calls to each child’s home, it is necessary for the teacher to be as informed as possible so that he/she can help each child to be ready and to feel confident about his/her next step in life’s journey. During this week, it is important for boys and girls to review the 2010/2011 school year, help pack away books and supplies, and . . . → Read More: Last Week of School

Did you ever wonder how a child feels when his/her accomplishments are not recognized, acknowledged, or cheered on? I thought I understood kids, but, nothing short of a shared experience has the impact of truly helping us to understand how someone else, especially a young child feels. Please allow me to digress for a moment. One Friday night, I was the guest on a friend’s radio talk show. The show went well; I felt as if I spoke succinctly, communicated my messages without appearing boring or too cocky and then, boom, the show was over. The show’s host and . . . → Read More: Reinforcement

It seems unbelievable that the month of February is upon us. Not only is it a special month for me because it is both my birthday and my dog’s, but, it is also one of my favorites for I absolutely adore Valentine’s Day. The original significance of the holiday is still intact for those who attend parochial school, but, for the rest of us, it is an awesome time to discuss feelings, build empathy, reinforce shapes, create colors, perform experiments, sing about loving and caring, learn about the postal service and writing letters, and of course making and sending . . . → Read More: February

The shooting of innocent people that occurred in Arizona this past week has left me feeling sad, powerless, and disappointed that in our great nation, such a senseless and horrific act of violence has occurred once again.� I ask myself how a young man could be so angry that he felt the only way to deal with his demons was to murder innocent people. I ask myself how those that knew Jared did not understand the depth of his pain and or anger. I ask myself, are we so busy with surviving that we turn our backs on souls . . . → Read More: The Shootings in Arizona

Happy 2011! � I wish each and every one of you a year of peace, good health, prosperity, joy, laughter, compassion, serenity and inspiration. After the hustle and bustle of December, January is the perfect time to slow down and rededicate yourself to creating a stimulating, developmental, and joyous environment for your students. It seems amazing to note how the children change over the holidays; some appear to make developmental leaps while others appear to require more attention and reminders about proper behavior. � Please join me in creating Magical “New Year’s” Moments for your preschoolers by introducing activities . . . → Read More: Happy New Year 2011

The month of December is a time when many families focus on gifts for their children. I would love to guide those purchases with ideas that will make your children smile as they play, work, enjoy, share, and� make advances in their� brain development.� Some simple guidelines which have been provided by “Brain Insights” include ideas that motivate children to use their hands, can be played with in a variety of ways, sparks imagination, promotes physical activity, and� allows kids to repeat the process of trial and error over and again.� When toys mimic children’s interests and motivate them . . . → Read More: A Happy Brain

As we know, language provides our children with the ability to communicate needs, wants, feelings, dreams, and fears, but, it also gives them the opportunity to heal, empathize and/or atone for misdeeds, disrespectful behaviors, and/or lack of kindness. So, how do we teach our kids the power in the three little words, “I am sorry”?� Some adults feel that by forcing little ones to say the words, it automatically excuses transgressions and makes everything ok. Other adults seem to feel that a punishment for an action against another person is a substitute for an apology.� However,� if we are . . . → Read More: “I’m Sorry”