Walking

I love to walk.  I would walk everywhere if I could.  I live in the woods out of town so I end up driving way too much.  But I do get to walk in the woods every day, even if it is only for a few minutes.

Here are some pictures and links to my favorite walks.

The most beautiful walks and longest I've ever been on were in New Zealand.  My husband and I walked the Queen Charlotte Track and the Kepler Track.  In my dreams, I'd walk like that every day.

 http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/

When I first moved to Oregon, these were some of my favorite walks.  You might call them hikes, but I like to think of them as walks in the woods.

Ramona Falls:
http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Ramona_falls  












Whakeena Falls to Multnomah Falls Trail:

http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Multnomah-Wahkeena_Loop_Hike







Right now, my little boys love this walk outside of McMinnville: Erratic Rock State Park.  It only takes about 15 minutes to get to the top, even with a 3 year old.

 http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=96

I love to walk on the beach.  Perhaps it is because I grew up near a river and I could walk to a little beach from my house.  I've found that my children do not so much like to walk on the beach--they have work to do playing in the sand and waves.

I have had some luck walking with them to get to a great beach though.  We enjoyed walking to Indian Beach at Ecola State Park.


 http://www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=136






As an artist, I love to collect things as I walk.  Maybe this makes me a little more sympathetic too the slow pace that small children walk.  After all, every step is an adventure and you never know what you'll discover.  Just like a kid, I have boxes and boxes of treasures I've found.  Shells, snakeskins, rocks--my pockets are always full after a walk.

Here's what I do with my treasures:  http://www.koruartstudio.com/home

Pie

One whole pie left out by the door

Let’s count the pieces:  1, 2, 3, 4.

4 pieces of pie:  some for you, some for me.

_(Name)_ ate one piece and then there were 3.

3 pieces of pie, some for you too.

______ ate 1 piece, then there were 2.

2 pieces of pie: oh, what fun!

_______ ate 1 piece, then there was 1.

1 piece of pie:  I can’t wait!

______ ate 1 piece.  Empty plate!

The children are so excited.  When is it my turn to have a piece of pie?  We go around the circle.  Whose turn is it next?  At first the children do not know how to predict who will be next, but then they begin to see the pattern.  They love to hear their names.

Oh no!  Are we out of pie?  There are children who haven't had pie.  I take the plate and put it down on the rug.  The children understand we must make more pie.  They bring the pieces back.

Does the whole pie get eaten this time?  Who has to wait the longest?

So many questions.  We are thinking about sharing, delayed gratification, predicting from patterns, subtraction, counting and rhyming sounds.  We are imagining what kind of pie this could be and concentrating on pretending to eat the felt instead of really putting it in our mouths.  We are worried about when we can have a turn.  And is there enough? How can we solve the problem when there isn't enough to go around.  We are worried about our friends having a turn too.  It feels so good to hear our own name and to have that pie.  Do we really have to put it back again so soon?!  

Can we play again tomorrow?

Reflections on Blogging

I have been enjoying creating this blog.  There are lots of things to figure out.  Sometimes, it is hard to stop tinkering, because when I look at it, I seem to always have something I want to change.  I hope that I am able to create a blog that people want to read.  I hope adding the photos makes it more interesting for parents in my classes.

Leaves

Down, down,  Yellow, Red, Brown.

Fall the leaves all over the ground.

Rake them up, Oh So High!

Then we jump in, my friends and I!

Leaves are amazing art just the way they are.  Bring in your findings!  Kids are great collectors and remind us all to slow down and really look at our world.   Georgia O’Keeffe once lamented:

Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.

Leaves can be the same way.   We walk on them.  We use them on our gardens or sweep them in the street.  We get rid of them.  Leaves mean work to many adults.  We’ll try to really look at our leaves and explore their shapes and colors in our games, songs and art.

  
This is my leaf (pat, pat)

This is my leaf (pat, pat)

This is my leaf (pat, pat)

This is my leaf (pat, pat)

What do we notice about our leaves?

Spin around __________ leaves, spin around ________ leaves, spin around ______ leaves.  

Sit down leaves.

Wow is it hard to wait!  And what fun when it is our turn.

Oil Paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe  Top:  Autumn Leaves, Lake George, 1924  Bottom:  Pattern of Leaves, 1923

How I will Use My Blog in My Classroom

I am a preschool teacher for McMinnville Playschool's Creative Art and Play program.  I plan to use my blog to connect more effectively with the families enrolled in Creative Art and Play and to connect with families who are interested in joining McMinnville Playschool's Preschool in 2015.

The Creative Art and Play class is a parent/child class held 3 times per week.  Adults and children, ages 2-4, come to our school to create art and play in our open ended art studio and play room.  During class time, adults are focused on the the children's activities in the room.  I currently try to share ideas and information with parents as they are playing and creating with kids, at the beginning or end of class or through a weekly hand out.  Communicating with parents when they are focused on assisting preschool age children and giving them a paper to take home and read are not ideal ways to communicate.  Having a blog might be a fun way to share.

Next year, the McMinnville Playschool is looking to re-start their Cooperative Preschool.  We are looking for new ways to connect with the community to find families to join the Co-Op.  A teacher blog about the school might be a new way for families to learn about the Playschool.

On another level, I also want to write a blog because I believe that reflection makes me a better teacher. I am a writer and an artist.  I figure things out by writing and drawing and sculpting.  If I make blogging part of my practice as a teacher, I will be creating a space for me to reflect on what is happening in the classroom. It is my goal to work toward teaching an emergent curriculum based on what I observe.  Perhaps creating a blog can help me see what's happening in the classroom in a new way.