Changing the Narrative of Exclusion

“What are you doing here?” Unclear, I responded “Waiting for math class like everyone else.” “But what are you doing HERE?” he asked once again. Confused, I repeated the same answer. Now visibly upset and frustrated at my lack of understanding, he speaks much slower and in an exaggerated tone and asks, “No, but what did you […]

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Forming Strong Parent – Teacher Partnerships

A Critical Component of Intentional Teaching  Raising Small Humans is Not Easy… Strong Parent and Teacher Partnerships Help. Relationships are important to all human beings. As adults we lean on our significant others – whether they be a spouse, friend, sibling, or colleague. Those people serve as a foundation that helps us to navigate life: […]

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When is my child’s writing going to look like writing?

A common question our teachers often hear is, “When is my child’s writing going to look like writing?” I’ll answer that question, but first let’s reflect on when your child said their first words, an exciting milestone for any family. Perhaps you called grandparents? Maybe you encouraged your child to say it again in order […]

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Partners, Pairs and Tables for Two

One way that we continue to build community within our classroom each year is by creating meaningful opportunities for the children to work and communicate with a single partner at times. This could be during a specifically designed activity, during lunch, or at a center. In the first photos, partners are either working on recreating […]

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Buttons and Zippers and Self-Esteem, Oh My!

Winter is here – and so are all of the zippers, laces, buckles, jacket sleeves, snow pants, gloves, and mittens that create a unique type of “snow-clothes-storm” in our hallways. At first glance, this part of our day might feel a bit overwhelming. And, I’ll admit there are those moments that make dream of summer… […]

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Child cleaning up pretend kitchen areas
The Power of Open-Ended Dramatic Play in Preschool

It has been said that a toy is a toy, but a box has a million possibilities. The best preschools under understand this concept and utilize it thoughtfully when developing their dramatic play areas. Dramatic play areas are designed to allow children to experiment with familiar and fantasy everyday. But children can’t role play what […]

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