Monday, May 28, 2012 at 10:42PM As you may already know, we do not believe in creating models for children. Today, a local colleague shared a great post on why it's important for us to allow children to use their OWN creativity in art. Please read this great piece Why Not Draw For a Child by Janet Lansbury.
Friday, May 25, 2012 at 05:22PM In our program, we provide snacks comprised of a fruit of vegetable along with a 100% whole wheat bread that we've baked ourselves (e.g. blueberry muffins, cheese bread, biscuits, applesauce bread). However, we require that parents pack a lunch for their children. The reasons for this are simple:
-we simply can not afford to feed 16 children as well/healthful as what the parents are able to provide
-we do not want our teachers' energy/attention/time to be spent on preparing the food...we want them to be able to focus on the children
Sometimes I receive comments from parents who feel stuck in a rut with packing lunches. So, when I ran across the ideas (thanks to pinterest), I simply had to share!
Friday, May 25, 2012 at 10:02AM I think sometimes we are fooled into thinking that play-based education is new, strange, and understood by few.
Teacher Tom has done it again, showing us how the concept of learning through play is something that many have valued throughout the ages in his post The Seriousness of Play!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 05:31PM 
Our responses to the conversation our children bring can truly provide them the space and direction to be critically thinking humans or limit them to follow responses they've been taught. I'd prefer the former! I'd rather our children gain the confidence in their own ability to handle social interactions than just follow an adult's instruction.
Today I read a post that walks us through how we can support our children conversationally in evaluating their own social experiences. Blogger "Parenting From Scratch" writes a post To Help Kids Process Emotions, Ask, "How Was That?". Please read it.
Thanks Michelle, at Busy Bee Preschool for sharing this today!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 10:04AM This morning I was catching up on some readings I've been saving for a while. I was absolutely THRILLED to read Teacher Tom's blog post that gave clear, specific alternatives of ways we can respond to children rather than the rather instinctive "good job".
This is KEY for our families, as we have explained that we avoid such praise and ask that our parents do as well. Please read his post Seven Things To Say Instead of "Good Job!"
