What does a superhero look like to you? Do you have invisible powers or a cape that helps you fly? Superheroes look different to everyone. They could be a mom or dad taking care of their baby or a doctor giving medicine to someone who is sick. In the Autumn Room “superhero” play takes on many faces.

“Will you read us a story?” Every day while eating their lunch, the children ask this same question.

“Sure!” I respond. “In fact, I just switched out the books and have some new ones in here!” I head to the bookshelf in search of a new book that I haven’t read to them before. But before I get there, I always hear, “Can you read the germ book?” It doesn’t matter that I’ve already read it twice today in class, or that I read it last lunch period…and the one before…and the one before that….

Music is a form of connection we use with the seniors in memory care. The children are delighted to hand the bells and shakers to the grandmas and grandpas and enjoy teaching them the new songs we’ve learned. The grandmas and grandpas sing along with us, smiles wide on their faces, laughing as the children move in silly ways and suggest funny ways to change the songs. “There’s a dinosaur chasing us in our boat! Hurry, let’s row our boat quickly!” I continue to be amazed at the creativity they show while engaged in song and dance.

When we adults jump in to rescue children from these situations, we have the best of intentions: preventing water from spilling all over the floor, wanting to be helpful, or needing to get out the door quickly and get on with our day. But what do children lose if we adults always step in and help them?

Story Journals have been an integral part of All Seasons’ curriculum since day one. Some years children flock to their journals, and sometimes the children’s interest is drawn in other directions, and they need a gentle push to reignite the use of the journals. Attempting to fan the flames, recent visits to the Inver Glen Art Studio have included a focus on storytelling.

There are strategies and alternatives to ease at least some of the pain of prepping for the elements. I can’t promise you perfection, but these tips might offer hope for progress and fewer palpitations.

Outdoor play in all weather conditions is incredibly important for young children. Not only does it contribute to their physical health, but it has a profound impact on their mental and emotional well-being.

Supporting the development of magical moments in nature is a powerful tool for empowering the children’s imaginations and sense of play. Seeing the children fully immerse themselves in imaginative play outdoors inspires me to dig into my own sense of wonder. Fairies have been a catalyst for imaginative play these last few months in the Winter Room.

What I’m noticing happening over these four years of teaching is that by being the teacher I want to be, I am becoming the person I want to be. I model and encourage connection with the seniors, see the positive reaction of both seniors and preschoolers, and, in this supportive environment, soon a self-sustaining cycle is established.

Intellectual skills include reasoning, hypothesizing, predicting, and the development of ideas. Intellectual skill development does not focus on memorization and right or wrong answers; instead, it reflects a quest for deeper understanding. Renowned early childhood educator Lilian Katz notes that our intellectual lives begin at birth as infants work to understand the world around them and the effects of their actions. The best curriculum in the early years values these intellectual skills and supports children to use them to pursue deeper learning. Children are encouraged to master basic academic skills in service of their intellectual pursuits.

My uncle Jerry taught me how to climb a tree. I was about four years old, maybe a little younger, and a big willow stood near my grandmother’s house. It had to have been over a hundred years old. My uncle and his siblings had climbed it themselves when they were my age. He showed me where all the footholds were on the trunk and which branches were sturdy enough for me to use to pull myself up into the tree. I remember feeling confident and proud of myself.

Too often, when working to interact with the seniors at school, we teachers overthink it. We worry we might be interrupting or messing up a schedule; we wonder if they’d even care about the visit or activity, or if we’ve given them enough time to prepare. Sometimes we, as educators, would be much better off adopting my daughter’s thought process: “Would this be fun? Is this exciting? Let’s do it now!”