Timing drop-off is much easier, because Tyler wakes up 40 minutes before the arrival bell rings. He wakes up giggling, eager, and happy. He eats as much breakfast as he can manage, and we set out to walk. The bell rings just as we arrive, and the kids form two lines.
For pick-up, I'm far too early, and have Ashley, so we keep strolling around in wide circles in the hot sun. I watch him with his peers, and when I pick him up, I ask his teacher how he is, and "does he listen?" She's distracted by a kid pulling on her, but says wholeheartedly, "yes, he does." She seems happy and unfazed at end of day. On the way home, Tyler says goodbye, waves and calls to classmates, all walking home, all girls.
It was a good day for him - he again had a double portion of pizza instead of a single, and they talked about dinosaurs in the library.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
Ashley is thriving and has had a physical growth spurt. She's started to grow into her newly stronger self, confidently ascending and descending stairs. This means she suddenly appears somewhere when you don't expect her.
This afternoon, after playing largely indepdendently for two hours, it seems she put herself down for her own nap. She's not a baby any more...
This afternoon, after playing largely indepdendently for two hours, it seems she put herself down for her own nap. She's not a baby any more...
Curriculum night
I went to curriculum night at the school, and invited my mom, a newly retired teacher with 25 years of primary/junior experience. Dad nursed his cold at home.
Some routines were reinforced, and we heard from the teachers and ECEs. What I really go to hear is not what is said about the strands and expectations of the curriculum, but what underlies the program. It's not what's said, but how it's said, and the stance that is taken towards the children, and the parents. Do they talk down to the children and the parents, or do they explain why they ask for things to be done a certain way? Do they make small jokes at the expense of the children, and use sarcasm, or do they have a nurturing, sympathetic manner to the challenges of being a 3-5 year old seeking to become more independent? Even at drop-off and pick-up, I attend to how they look at, talk to, and treat the kids who are still waiting for their adults to arrive. It's more telling than what they say to the kids in front of their doting mothers.
At minimum, I want to hear "I care about your child's well-being, and I'm here to teach him." Better is: "I have the patience to teach all the children, and to also take the time to get to know your child as an individual, and do what I think/feel is best for him." Best is something like: 'I enjoy children, LOVE your child, and wholeheartedly support his contribution to the class! I look forward to collaborating with the family to ensure his success!"
Note that best is always with exclamation marks! Passion!
My mom picked up the same positive elements as I have: from his teacher - a level of calm, patience, and maturity; and from the ECE - a kind and gentle manner. She saw them as being a good fit for Tyler. She also loved the library at first sight, as I did too. A well-stocked library is always a good sign.
I'm also hyperaware to the dynamics and power balances/imbalances between the teacher and the ECE, and to the teams to one another. Just like the adult relationships in a home are models of behavior for children, so is this relationship important to the children. It can be tricky to manage a hierarchical, uneven structure like this one. The roles are different, and there is some overlap, but both are important to the well-being of the children. So far it seems like a respectful, healthy relationship.
So that's a wrap!
Some routines were reinforced, and we heard from the teachers and ECEs. What I really go to hear is not what is said about the strands and expectations of the curriculum, but what underlies the program. It's not what's said, but how it's said, and the stance that is taken towards the children, and the parents. Do they talk down to the children and the parents, or do they explain why they ask for things to be done a certain way? Do they make small jokes at the expense of the children, and use sarcasm, or do they have a nurturing, sympathetic manner to the challenges of being a 3-5 year old seeking to become more independent? Even at drop-off and pick-up, I attend to how they look at, talk to, and treat the kids who are still waiting for their adults to arrive. It's more telling than what they say to the kids in front of their doting mothers.
At minimum, I want to hear "I care about your child's well-being, and I'm here to teach him." Better is: "I have the patience to teach all the children, and to also take the time to get to know your child as an individual, and do what I think/feel is best for him." Best is something like: 'I enjoy children, LOVE your child, and wholeheartedly support his contribution to the class! I look forward to collaborating with the family to ensure his success!"
Note that best is always with exclamation marks! Passion!
My mom picked up the same positive elements as I have: from his teacher - a level of calm, patience, and maturity; and from the ECE - a kind and gentle manner. She saw them as being a good fit for Tyler. She also loved the library at first sight, as I did too. A well-stocked library is always a good sign.
I'm also hyperaware to the dynamics and power balances/imbalances between the teacher and the ECE, and to the teams to one another. Just like the adult relationships in a home are models of behavior for children, so is this relationship important to the children. It can be tricky to manage a hierarchical, uneven structure like this one. The roles are different, and there is some overlap, but both are important to the well-being of the children. So far it seems like a respectful, healthy relationship.
So that's a wrap!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
The appeal of dinosaurs
Tyler is on a dinosaur kick, which means I'm feeding that interest with cut-out paper dinosaurs and fact cards, dinosaur books, dinosaur colouring & activity books, and episodes of "Dino Dan."
I've tried to figure out what makes them so interesting. My best guesses:
-fun to say & remember their tongue-twister multi-syllabic names
-fun to be an expert in something and teach others around you
-scope for imagination: large, predatory & sharp-toothed carnivores; enormous herbivores; fliers; swimmers
-extension of interest in animals
-relation to seeing dinosaur skeletetons at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
In any case, I'm happy enough to hear all day long about the triceratops (his favourite), the spinosaurus, brachiosaurus, stegosaurus, etc.
It's a strange culture, this kid-land. I don't know any adults who obsess over dinosaurs...
I've tried to figure out what makes them so interesting. My best guesses:
-fun to say & remember their tongue-twister multi-syllabic names
-fun to be an expert in something and teach others around you
-scope for imagination: large, predatory & sharp-toothed carnivores; enormous herbivores; fliers; swimmers
-extension of interest in animals
-relation to seeing dinosaur skeletetons at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
In any case, I'm happy enough to hear all day long about the triceratops (his favourite), the spinosaurus, brachiosaurus, stegosaurus, etc.
It's a strange culture, this kid-land. I don't know any adults who obsess over dinosaurs...
Friday, September 19, 2014
No princesses here, for now
It may be a benefit of having an older brother whose two great loves are currently tow trucks and dinosaurs, but my two year old daughter is not interested in princesses.
She is most enamored these days with Peppa Pig, Magnatiles, and lining up small figures (Playmobile, Little People, etc.) on different stairs - a makeshift dollhouse.
She does have some dolls, but doesn't prefer them any more to other stuffed animals. She doesn't insist on girly clothes, though will preen in front of the mirror and smooth out a dress if she finds herself in one.
We've kept her hair short, which suits her fiery personality. We also don't call her a princess, as she is petite, but isn't really demure and dainty. She looks like "Boo" from "Monsters, Inc." but takes after "Jack Jack" in "The Incredibles," roaring at and overcoming the bad guy, then smiling at and cooing at mom. We call her the boss, and the CEO.
She's a force to be reckoned with, our daughter. If she does later become a princess, she'll be the one who singlehandedly saves the kingdom, probably by transforming into a dragon, taking flight, and using the advantage of fire-breathing. She'll return in time for an afternooon nap.
She is most enamored these days with Peppa Pig, Magnatiles, and lining up small figures (Playmobile, Little People, etc.) on different stairs - a makeshift dollhouse.
She does have some dolls, but doesn't prefer them any more to other stuffed animals. She doesn't insist on girly clothes, though will preen in front of the mirror and smooth out a dress if she finds herself in one.
We've kept her hair short, which suits her fiery personality. We also don't call her a princess, as she is petite, but isn't really demure and dainty. She looks like "Boo" from "Monsters, Inc." but takes after "Jack Jack" in "The Incredibles," roaring at and overcoming the bad guy, then smiling at and cooing at mom. We call her the boss, and the CEO.
She's a force to be reckoned with, our daughter. If she does later become a princess, she'll be the one who singlehandedly saves the kingdom, probably by transforming into a dragon, taking flight, and using the advantage of fire-breathing. She'll return in time for an afternooon nap.
School pick-up
I have a flexible workplace that allows me to leave early every other Friday to do that day's school pick-up (and then telework for an hour or so).
I'm fifteen minutes early, which is very early. I think just-in-time pickup is the order of the day. I'm the only parent at the door. They have a great setup, in that the JK/SK kids have a large fenced-in play area. The backpacks are hung up on the fence and the kids start to filter out fifteen minutes before dismissal. There's four adults (2 teachers, 2 ECEs) for forty-something kids, and they seem to share outside duties, so all the adults know all the kids.
I share a few pleasantries with my sons's teacher and ECE, but am aware they are still 'on-duty,' ensuring that the gaggle of kids are playing nice, and the proper people are picking up the children.
My son's not the first one out the door -he seems a little pokey at end of day, wrangling everything into his backpack, forgetting his jacket, etc.
I watch the adults in charge for how they interact with him -all seems well, but of course I'm right there, watching.
I ask Tyler about his day, and hear more about specific things they've said to him. Last night during his bath he said he loved me, and then named his teachers and said he loved them too. All good signs.
As we leave, he points out and names some kids in his class. He's always been aware of others. I wonder if the other kids talk about him, and if those parents wonder who 'Tyler' is.
I get half-stories from Tyler, and miss the inside jokes because I'm not understanding the context, and 4-year old humour.
Still, it's the best part of my day, to reclaim my son and bring him home for the weekend. TGIF!
I'm fifteen minutes early, which is very early. I think just-in-time pickup is the order of the day. I'm the only parent at the door. They have a great setup, in that the JK/SK kids have a large fenced-in play area. The backpacks are hung up on the fence and the kids start to filter out fifteen minutes before dismissal. There's four adults (2 teachers, 2 ECEs) for forty-something kids, and they seem to share outside duties, so all the adults know all the kids.
I share a few pleasantries with my sons's teacher and ECE, but am aware they are still 'on-duty,' ensuring that the gaggle of kids are playing nice, and the proper people are picking up the children.
My son's not the first one out the door -he seems a little pokey at end of day, wrangling everything into his backpack, forgetting his jacket, etc.
I watch the adults in charge for how they interact with him -all seems well, but of course I'm right there, watching.
I ask Tyler about his day, and hear more about specific things they've said to him. Last night during his bath he said he loved me, and then named his teachers and said he loved them too. All good signs.
As we leave, he points out and names some kids in his class. He's always been aware of others. I wonder if the other kids talk about him, and if those parents wonder who 'Tyler' is.
I get half-stories from Tyler, and miss the inside jokes because I'm not understanding the context, and 4-year old humour.
Still, it's the best part of my day, to reclaim my son and bring him home for the weekend. TGIF!
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
School report
Every day instead of asking Tyler what he learned in school, I ask "What did Ms. P say?" and "What did Mr. W say?" Usually, Ms. P is reported as speaking in rhyming couplets, because she is impressing on them the poem of the week. Usually, Mr. W seems to either be reinforcing a school routine - "Let's clean up before we go outside!" or relationship-building -he says "Welcome back!" and "Don't get sick!"
There haven't been any crafts yet. What he does bring home are stories of what he's done, bits of conversations, half-remembered lyrics and tunes, names of classmates, playground sand on his clothes, wet sleeves from the water table, lunch and snack remnants, interest in transferring school roles like door-holding to the home, and thankfully, high spirits.
School is his domain, and he is the expert in it.
There haven't been any crafts yet. What he does bring home are stories of what he's done, bits of conversations, half-remembered lyrics and tunes, names of classmates, playground sand on his clothes, wet sleeves from the water table, lunch and snack remnants, interest in transferring school roles like door-holding to the home, and thankfully, high spirits.
School is his domain, and he is the expert in it.
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