| Date |
Place |
Reflections |
| 10-01-05 |
Harvest Festival |
Today I did arts and crafts with the children. It was so fun to make nature hats out of leaves and rosepetal. I noticed the children being so creative and coming up with new ideas that I didn't think about. It was so cute to see this four year old little girl make a stick figure out of pinecones and toothpicks with a pipe cleaner for a scarf. |
| 10-25-05 |
Flower Child Day School |
Today was my first day observing at the Flower Child Day Care. I was very excited to come here becase I have been wanting to explore this school for a long time. I am so happy to see this school serving all organic food and singing songs about the earth. This morning the children have circle time with Sarah Bear, where they sing songs and get started in the morning. After circle time was over the kids do an art project where they made ghosts out of tissue paper and a cotton ball. One little boy couldn't sit still at all. He was so ancy and kept running up to me and asking me silly questions. I am noticing a lot about communication between the teachers and the adults. I love the way they use positive discipline to help the children be problem solvers. Now its time for recess, the back yard at flower child has a big beautiful garden with lots of winter squash. I noticed the cutest thing when I was outside; a little boy and girl were hugging in silence for almost five minutes, it was so beautiful to see the unconditional love of children. |
| 11-03-05 |
Flower Child Day School |
Today is my second week observing the flower children. This morning the flower children started out singing the yellow submarine to practice for a performance. Sarah Bear was talking to the children about how whining does not get you what you want. When children or adults whine they are not speaking with respect. She also taught them about manipulation and how its not nice to tell your friend that he/she wont be your friend if they wont give you something or let you wear something. It was nice to hear the positive values she is helping them to understand. At the end of circle time all the children stood in a circle and walked around and gave each person a hug. It was so nice to see such love and that they are learning such positive things, this is what we need more in our schools. It is helping me to see how much I want to teach kids in this kind of environment. |
| 11-05-05 |
home |
Today I researched calendula for my paper. I picked this herb because I felt drawn to it, I put some calendula oil on about a month ago and I felt a warming sensation on my hands and body. It had a spiritual effect on my mental state. I also looked up the magikal properties for this plant and it said it is good for psychic dreams and comfort. |
| 11-08-05 |
Evergreen Woods |
Today me and Tara took the flower children to the Evergreen woods. All of us took the city bus to the woods. I had such a positive experience today. I felt that I was doing something so meaningful and that my heart was so light and free. When we were walking into the woods we listened to the wind blowing through the trees and watched one leaf fall from up above to the ground. It was so simple and meditative. Children are so in tune with nature and when I'm around them it helps to really appreciate and notice the simple things in life. When we were in the woods we sang The River is Flowing as we stood in a circle. This was fun to sing with children because we sing it in class. Towards the end of the walk I told the children to find anything in nature that was on the ground such as leaves, pinecones, moss, etc.. so that we can do an art project next week with them. Tara and I will make butterflies and collages with the kids out of everything we found. This was so fun and great experience to take the kids out to nature. |
| 11-09-05 |
outside |
Today I went for a walk in my neiborhood and found a spot to look at nature and reflect in my nature journal. |
| 11-09 |
computer lab |
I worked on my reflections and I found it helpful to write my experiences |
| 11-14 |
flower child day care |
Today me and Tara looked at our pictures to put on the web for our presentation and Sarah gave us some good ideas about what to do for our presentation, she was very helpful. |
| 11-15 |
Flower Child Day School |
Today me and Tara did our final activity with the flower children. It was so much fun to get out all of the nature stuff we found in the woods and glue them on to paper. It made me really want to be a teacher even more, I got so much joy and happiness knowing that I was helping children connect with nature. |
| 11-21 |
Flower Child Day School |
Today I went on a fild trip to the fire station with the flower children. This was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. The kids were so attentive to the fire men. They all got to get in the fire truck and smile. |
| 11-29 |
Lincoln Elementary |
Today I went with Sabrina to garden at Lincoln. There were no children there, but I still had fun getting my hands dirty. |
| 11-29 |
outside |
Tara and I talked more about what we would do for our presentation and developed a lesson plan for the children. |
| 11-30 |
home |
Today I made claendula oil. I was so excited to do this because I never made anything with herbs before. I felt in tune with nature and filled with love from the nature spirits. I mixed one ounce of calendula flower petals with eight ounces of olive oil and put them into a crock pot for four hours. After four hours I put the ingredients into a cheesecloth and squeezed out the oil into a glass jar. |
| 11-31 |
home |
Today I worked on my plant study, it took me a long time to find out information. I am glad that I have the experience of doing this. I had so much fun making the childrens version of calendula. |
| 12-03 |
outside |
I went for a walk today and did some nature journaling, I looked at all the leaves on the trees and the birds singing. |
| 12-07 |
computer lab |
I worked on this web page and the computer people were so helpful. |
| 12-07 |
computer lab |
Me and Tara put together our power point presentation and we wrote about the things we learned and observed. |
| 12-08 |
flower child day care |
Tomorrow I will go to flower child to watch their holiday play. |
