Versatile Blogging Award!

Thanks to my blogging buddy Michaele Sommerville over at Kindergarten’s 3 R’s: Respect, Resources and Rants for passing the Versatile Blogging Award along to me.  I have enjoyed reading her posts for years.  Of late, I find her friendly face  on Pinterest as well.  Michaele is a wife, mother, teacher, crafter, baker, blogger and coffee-addict.  And I just love to see her latest ideas and creations.

So there are a few simple rules to passing the award along.

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Include a link to his or her site.
3. Include the award image in your post and/or blog.
4. Share seven facts about yourself.
5. Nominate other bloggers for the award, linking to their sites.
6. Let those bloggers know they have been nominated.

Here are seven things you may not know about me.

1. I really love to learn new things ~ not all new things mind you, but enough to keep my mind sharp and connected to current trends.  I can’t seem to retain foreign languages but I really love teaching English language learners. And I don’t like having to throw out old tools because a new one is pushing it’s way in.  Like democracy, it shouldn’t need to be shoved down our throats.
2. I have been blogging since 2007 and I learn more about it all the time.  It hasn’t been easy and I am uncomfortable encouraging others to tackle blogging knowing that.  Without the passion for building a better blog that meets your own needs, you will quickly tire of the challenges.
3. I have learned to kayak and it feels great having a new sport to engage me on hot summer days.  It’s also something my husband and I can do together even if he is a “real” athlete type.
4. I love my new classroom and it feels wonderful after 11 years in a room that wasn’t that kindergarten friendly.  The best thing about it is my red curtains. They really lift my spirits and bring the whole red, white, and blue theme together.  (Michaele, you would love these!)
5. I believe that children should move around ~ a lot! Apart from our morning exercises, we try to pull movement in whenever possible. For me, the ideal would be barefoot children playing and learning outside with their peers.  They would be able to create and build on their thinking with fresh minds and energy.  Rather than pouring information into their heads, I would prefer an environment that breathes exploration and discovery.  Be sure to read Michaele’s post, Six Years of Versatile Blogging.  She and I are kindred spirits when she writes that “the Common Core should be interpreted as a guide and not just a mandated curriculum, at least as far as kindergarten is concerned. “
6. My favorite television program is NCIS.  There is little else that I watch and that is on while I’m on the computer in the evening.
7. I am excited about the renovation in spirit that is going on in many cities and towns across America.  We remember the good things of our past and are adding some of the best civic and business ideas to make a new future for our children.  My hometown city of Holyoke has just such a passion growing.  My current city of Easthampton has an amazing arts community, including the Easthampton Bear Fest. It warms my heart to participate in this rebirth.

So now comes the part where I pass along The Versatile Blogger award and I am thrilled to revisit some of the blogs in my reader.  Of course I can’t choose everyone so I’ll just hit some of the ones more current to my interests. I recommend you add them to your feed. You will find more than the typical lesson plan posts.

• Juliet Robertson blogs at I’m a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here! She’s from North East, Scotland, UK and consults about all kinds of cool outdoor learning experiences.  Reading her blog feeds my soul with ideas for outdoor learning.
• Gill Connell is the founder of MOVING SMART, co-author of MOVING TO LEARN, and a teacher of teachers, parents, and young children, Gill is a child development expert with a unique area of focus on the natural development of children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development through movement.  Reading her blog reminds me to teach to the whole child.
• Maro’s Kindergarten is a fun blog to check out.  It is not presented in English but there is a handy “Translate” link on the right side of the page so when you really want the full description, you can translate the post.  When I “read” her posts, I am reminded of the challenges my non-native English speaking students deal with all day and her arts and crafts are often new ideas which is always a good thing.  The native language is Greek.

I hope you will check out these bloggers for some fresh ideas about teaching children with their own variety in personalities, interests, skills, and personal knowledge. I know we can all freshen up our thinking.