Expanding children's realities through healing prayers

This past week our class has been doing morning prayers for Ashley, one of our teachers who had surgery on Monday. At the beginning of our morning routine, my class participates in " Braindance/ TM" combined with our Yoga sessions. During the first phase of the dance, the children blow up imaginary balloons. 

The first day of Ashley's surgery, we all were imagining that our balloons would be right over the hospital waiting for Ashley when she woke up. Then we imagined they were floating over her house as she arrived home. The children got so excited to feel their balloons rising every day blessing Ashley with healing energy. 

Today in class we painted the balloons and two of the little girls in the Kindergarten class finished our 3-D card for her.  

One of the cornerstone philosophies for the Living Wisdom Schools are taken from this quote below:

 

 "The task of education is to attract children toward maturity—that is, toward including others’ realities in their own." Education for Life written by J. Donald Walters. 

What joy filled their hearts today as they gave their card to Ashley. Our students made a major step toward expanding outside themselves and thinking of others though their simple act of healing prayers.

Something I know, some of them will never forget. 

The Light of Gratitude

We made this as a gratitude jar in class on Monday. It was for our children this week to drop pebbles into the jar  and express their own unique thankfulness for the many gifts in their lives. Four year olds have such keen sense of innocence. We had many sweet responses.

I am truly grateful for my life as a Living Wisdom Teacher and to be a part of my spiritual community at Ananda Seattle and the worldwide work of Ananda.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and thank you for tuning into my blog.

 What a blessing it is to share it with all of you.

May we be one in that light someday....

Come Gather Round.... It's Fall Storytime.

Come gather round, with a friend on the left
and a friend on the right,
Come gather round. ...

Its that time ..
Gather round for a fall story.

Many of us grew up with the little field mice in "Frederick" by Leo Lionni.

But in case you haven't, here is the story. I recommend the book and I will be showing you a game that I have created to go along with this story. Since the blogs this week are about fall, harvest, families and 

Stone Soup this is the one that I like to start out with in early November and read continuously through the dark winter months. 

In my classroom at the Living Wisdom School, we also spend time in November on community building while working together. This story will guide your children as you create community though your classroom. Begin reading the story to the children several times. The children can also act out the story. I like to create props and simple mouse ear costumes.

At the end of the story during morning circle time, I have each child reach into this bag and select a rock. Without peeking they feel their rock, warm it in their hand and then place it in the center of our circle. With eyes still closed, they pick up their rock. One by one, I read their qualities that have been written on each rock. Some examples are: make a new friend today, be flexible and share with a friend, be joyful today, or hug a friend today. I slowly write down each quality. During the day, I walk around the room and point out the positive signs of their behavior. At the end of the day, at our shared inspiration time in circle we all review our day once again.

How were we like Frederick in the story? Did we use our words today mindfully? Did we work together as well as the mouse family in the story?  I also acknowledge again each child and talk about how their energy matched the words on their rock that they pulled from the bag. 

The colors of the rocks are all painted the colors of fall leaves. The rocks match the colors that Frederick is talking about in the story. This creates glow in our hearts during the cloudy days of winter in Seattle. 

Happy reading until our next story time.

Blessings and gratitude,
Chandi

Mother Earths' showering leaves

 Autumn leaves come falling all around

Blowing colors found in mother earths' bounty,

Take a deep breath and feel her color magic

At a blink of an eye the colors will crinkle

Showering you with her glowing cosmic blanket sprinkle ...

This was the "lone" leaf craft  that was left in the classroom this week and I love how it shows up against my classroom window. Light and beauty play such an important role in my early childhood classroom. Children flourish with vivid natural light, fresh air and colors. 

This is a quick entry to let you know my husband and I drew the winner of our "giveaway" drawing this evening for the Calm and Compassionate book by: Susan Usha Dermond.  

Thank you all who visited and shared your love and blessings through email, Facebook, Twitter and direct comments. This was fun. I will have to do this again.

I am so pleased  and excited to announce that Sally Haughey is the winner from Fairy Dust Teaching. Sally is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been Waldorf Kindergarten trained. Sally lives in Oklahoma. Its far away from Washington but Sally is a kindred soul. I met Sally by reading her inspirational blog and now I have taken two of her online courses for parents and educators.

Congratulations Sally! You bless so many teachers with your inspiration of joy. It is fitting that Divine Mother is showering you today. 

Have a nice fall weekend, as we all prepare for our bountiful Thanksgiving of gratitude.

Our Planetary Home and our place in the Universe Part 2.

Our Planetary Home

Our place in the Universe

This is part two from our class today on families, home and community building. We are celebrating "Stone Soup" with our school community next week. Each class is contributing to the meal. This week we have been reading and telling the story by:

Award-winning artist Jon J Muth. He retells the favorite tale of a selfish community who is tricked into creating a delicious soup from stones. Set in China, in Muth's beautiful landscaped watercolors. This is a newer vision taken from an older German folktale. I am in love with how this book takes compassion and weaves the community together.  The Living Wisdom School celebrates this event with our families each year as our Thanksgiving tradition.

Setting the scene for re-telling the story together. All the children have a part to play.

Our new reading and acting corner. The children have many books and materials for telling their stories together

To continue our playful events around "families" today we had a fishing pole where the children fished for family member puzzle pieces. The pieces were then placed together into puzzles.  These are activities that I like to provide for the Foundation years, at the Living Wisdom School.

Hum, I think this is how it goes?

Showing pictures and telling stories at lunch time. This gives the child a greater sense of confidence  while speaking in front of a group. 

Family Wall

Can you show me your dog? Where is he?

These experiential activities begin to keep children's hearts open toward as an expansive view of their classmates lives. It is a joy to experience their sense of wonder, as their values of compassion are beginning to expand and grow towards each other.

I will end with a quote from the Education for Life book written by J. Donald Walters: 

For education to prepare children for meeting life realistically, it should encourage them to learn from life itself, and to view with skepticism a body of fixed knowledge that has been passed on unquestioned from one generation to the next.
Education must above all be experiential, and not merely theoretical. The student should be taught, among other things, to observe the outcome of any course of action, and not to depend blindly on the claims of others as to what that outcome is supposed to be, and therefore will be.

Our Planetary Home and our place in the Universe

Our Planetary Home

Our place in the Universe

 Our theme for my classroom curriculum this year is:

"Our Planetary Home and our place in the Universe."

This is our family "go fish" game.

We started the year with our theme:"All the World is our Friend." unit.  We continued with our "Animal Kingdom" and now we are into our gratitude month.  This month encompasses our human family, homes, traditions, school community and our spiritual community. This week our parents have been bringing special family photos and we have been creating all sorts of games, puzzles, and books. 

Playing our family puzzles games.

This is me and my Dad on Halloween. 

 

 

 

 

 

 In deep gratitude, we are humbly giving thanks to our families at the Living Wisdom School and though out the world this month.  

Many Blessings All,

Chandi

 

Friday is my deadline for the book giveaway.

Almost 100 of you have seen this blog post and free giveaway since Monday. But unfortunately I can't enter you unless you comment and send me your information?  We have two days remaining.

 Here is a review by the publisher below.

 

From the Publisher

* A parents' and teachers' guide to developing children's concentration, self-discipline, and compassion, as well as heartfelt qualities like openness and enthusiasm. * Includes more than 90 techniques and exercises drawn from the author's experiences as a teacher and director of the Living Wisdom School, a nonprofit elementary school that emphasizes nonsectarian spiritual principles and practical skills for living. * Recommends books, music, games, and other resources to help grown-ups nurture calm and compassionate kids.

About the Author

Susan Usha Dermond has spent the last 18 years of her 30-year career in education in alternative schools, including 12 years as a teacher at the original Living Wisdom School in Nevada City, California. She is now the director of the Beaverton, Oregon, Living Wisdom School, and also a columnist for modern mom.com.

Many Blessings,
Chandi