with the arrival of spring, i felt it was time to make some big changes to our classroom. after a long winter i found that the children, as well as myself, had become a bit stuck in our routines. i had a lot of changes in mind but was somewhat daunted by my growing list of ideas. what would be the first step?
it turns out the answer was simple, and presented itself organically. on a gray, rainy-ish, april morning we decided to take the kids out for a walk around the neighborhood. our first stop was our community farm, where we may soon be able to plant some seedlings in a shared "ed bed" for schools in the neighborhood:
it was locked! but we still got to take a peek inside. we also noticed the plants and flowers that were growing just outside of the farm's gates...
next stop, the IKEA park:
we passed by this crane, which provided excellent fodder for the imaginative minds of my three, four, and five year olds. what could it be? if only they could climb it...
the tracks were particularly intriguing...on our way back to school we took some time to admire the spring colors in the neighborhood:
this tree is a block from our school. we admired it's white blossoms and bright green leaves.we were also enchanted by the way the bus stop sign was shrouded by the branches, blossoms, and leaves of the tree:
and we loved the way the green and white blossoms mixed with the purple and pink blossoms on these trees. just a few blocks down from this corner is the waterfront. i can't imagine a more well-situated school, to be located within close walking distance of a community farm, a waterfront, and urban green spaces:
our walk gave me the burst of energy and inspiration i needed to embark on my series of spring changes. it was wonderful to take a fresh look at the neighborhood i've come to know so well, and be reminded of all it has to offer.
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funny, I think about climbing the crane whenever I see it...
ReplyDeletei'd love to make a children's playground that resembled a construction site. it would be the coolest playground!
ReplyDeletei love that idea! It'd be so cool to have a playground with an underground component, accessible by manholes.
ReplyDeletereminds me of the children's zoo at the Bronx Zoo, with the little rabbit ears and those tunnels in the ground so you can pretend to be a beaver or a woodchuck or something. i definitely have a photo of that somewhere - looks like it's time for a post on creative children's playgrounds...
ReplyDeleteWalks around the neighborhood can be so inspiring -- I've always taught in cities, and a walk around the block is always so fascinating for the kids.
ReplyDeleteOne sort of resolution has to do only with oneself. You might decide to lose weight, to stop eating candy, to exercise more, or to watch less TV. Other resolutions might involve family or friends. You could resolve to be more patient with your little brother, to be more helpful to your mom, or not to get into fights with your friends. Some resolutions are about school and the outside world, such as getting to class on time, trying for better grades, or not teasing the neighbor's dog.
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