Last weekend Kate and I attended a two day conference on pedagogical leadership. The weekend was the culmination of the work we had done throughout the year with a group of fine Early Childhood Educators- we had dived deep into a book titled “from Teaching to Thinking” by Ann Pelo and Margie Carter. Ann Pelo is somewhat of a hero for us and we have been fortunate to not only to have learned from her on many occasions but she has come out to TNNS for a visit! Our hearts and minds are full and it would take pages and pages to truly share some of our learnings so I will focus on one point that resonated for Kate and I. Ann used the term “What is capturing my attention?” frequently during our discussions and it has led us to really think about what is in fact capturing our attention!

One of the areas that is capturing my attention as of late is the incredible primal need for what I am calling ‘nomadic wanderings’. As I observe children run, crawl, leap, gallop, jump, scamper through our expansive land, I am fascinated with how much space they use! It is so natural- how is it that we have become so entrenched in small spaces- both living spaces and work spaces? It begs the question about our schools- our buildings and what boundaries they set. I am cherishing our land and the vast space it offers our children. As their confidence develops, they just seem to go further and further. I am going to continue my observations in this area and will keep you posted on my learnings!

Enjoy these photos that provide a snapshot into the children’s work the past couple of weeks; playing with sheet magnifiers, play dishes, paint, books, sticks, water and just being together.

With attention,

Emily