You are currently browsing the monthly Archive for September, 2007.
Recently a woman who was a student in the 1970s told me about her Hippy teachers at the time. They wore their hair long, sported long flowing skirts and ran across the playground bra-less.
Aah the ’70s.
…but what can we recall about the contributions these teachers made? Since most of these teachers were university students during the activism focussed late ’60s, they were and still are in the “system”, working either as senior teachers or as district administrators or Superintendents. During the course of their careers, some of the teachers from this era continued to encourage their students to take up causes and make a difference.
As a child of four going on five, one of these teachers used to like to play One Tin Soldier in my class. I was attracted to the story and could picture the low mountain and the village people scrambling up the hill to kill the mountain people and claim the treasure. (I thought of the height of the mountain in Irish terms.)
The lyrics contain a simple message about peace and people getting along.
A few years later I was taught, along with my classmates, to sing the song “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”. I recall liking the concept that everyone in the world could join hands in peace and sing about apple trees and honey bees.
As a child I had many ideas swimming around in my head, and a fierce sense of justice. During my adult years – either as a teacher, friend or aunt – I have always tried to respect the intelligence of children while speaking with them and listening to their ideas and concerns.
While watching a documentary on the Peto Institute and their approach to working with children who have cerebral palsy, it occurred to me that it would be exciting to operate an early childhood centre equipped with both Peto learning equipment and an ECE programme such as Montessori or Reggio Emilia.
This type of education – called conductive education – is available in Canada; however, specialists must be flown in from other parts of the world.
Full CBS article
Another link for the Peto Institute
First photo source
Second photo source
Today I signed up for my first copy of the Under the Chinaberry Tree catalogue. I have been aware of this children’s literature catalogue for almost ten years. My former colleague, sadly now deceased, first introduced me to the catalogue in the late 1990s. I have been carting a photocopy of some articles from the catalogue with me from place to place since then.
This catalogue presents more than 500 “fully researched, hand-selected, family-centered books and items for children and adults, contains complete reviews and is packed with interesting commentary.”
It was the commentary in the catalogues that I first noticed. As a journalist in the Seattle Times noted, the catalogue is full of “descriptions of young children’s books, parenting tips, essays on their experiences as mothers and even a few comfort-food recipes.”
Under the Chinaberry Tree founder Ann Ruethling explains that her original motivation for the catalogue was to give her child “wonderful, uplifting reading experiences that would color her whole life in a positive way and help her to grow into a caring, gentle person”.
If you are interested in children’s literature – or have a child in your life who is in need of an inspiring gift – check out Under the Chinaberry Tree. While you are reading the site, don’t miss the related Dear Friends and Musings pages.
