Educating Young Students From The Inside Out

Educating Preschool students from the "Inside Out"

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Teaching children with spirit



The Staff at the Living Wisdom School recently had an evening promotional event meeting new  potential parents at our local Parent Map Preschool Event.  If you were unable to attend here is a video that I compiled for our Living Wisdom Booth. It shows some of our activities that we participate in each day. I hope you enjoy it. More information about the Living Wisdom School is located on our website.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Spirit in Nature

A beautiful video came today, from my friends at Sharing Nature with Children. The Living Wisdom Schools across the globe use these techniques in their classroom.. Enjoy!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Nature sings praises aloud

 



This week was our last ceremony for our winter festivals of the light that we have been celebrating since November.

I have started following on Facebook, a well known story teller and felt artist: Suzanne Down.  Suzanne is the creator and business owner of Juniper Tree School of Puppetry Arts in Boulder, Colorado. I have found her to be an extraordinary artist and storyteller. I hope to meet Suzanne in person and expand my felting skills by taking one of her many workshops she offers. In her January newsletter she included a story about the blessing cake for the New Year. If you feel to contact Suzanne about the story, she can add your name to her monthly newsletter. This sounded like a wonderful project for our new year celebration at the Living Wisdom School.

I began the night preparing my cake and writing individual Education for Life,skills for living qualities on all the stones. Each one was wrapped in a small piece of foil. Then I made the angel food cake and dropped each one into the cake. 









I spread all the pieces out evenly so when the cake was finished it would be easy to slice a piece that included a wishing stone. I then covered all the stones with the remaining batter and baked the cake as usual. 




We placed our New Year angel, candle and cake at the table.  We sang a short blessing, poured our peppermint tea and I sliced the cake. Each child pulled out their blessing for the year.

They placed their blessing rock into their New Years box. These boxes had been made the day before. These little boxes are very special for young children. They can hide all their magical treasures for the year inside.

After we finished the children and I gathered our coats, hats and boots to celebrate the morning outside our classroom. The sun had just come out and it was a lovely brisk morning. 

Magical events seem to occur after we focus on spiritual natures and today wasn't any different. As we walked outside one of the little girls' looked up and there was a bald eagle floating directly overhead,circling the playground. 


I turned to the little girl who had spotted the eagle and said: "That means good luck to see a eagle right after our spiritual ceremony inside." The eagle was shortly joined by a large group of crows that were following him. That too, was unusual for a band of crows that early in the morning.

Nature sings praises aloud. We were all deeply blessed this morning and for the opportunity to feel the deeper rhythms of nature all around us. I love when four year old children are so keenly aware and can spot eagles in the sky.  This seemed like an topping to our  blessing cake! What joy filled our hearts to see the birds soar.






Wednesday, January 4, 2012

" Classroom Environment is Stronger than Will" Part 1.





The new year began in my classroom today but I had many opportunities for rest, service in the Ananda Community and rejuvenation over our holiday vacation.

One of my favorite things to do is create art with others and I was able to spend time with our Living Wisdom School's artist in residence, as we painted a cosmic mural for my classroom. 

In the months ahead, I will write about the nurturing aspects of the classroom environment and how effects the young child. I have been experimenting with this over the past ten years and we are just touching the surface as to the best ways we can serve the young child in their environment. In my classroom at the Living Wisdom School, I use as many natural materials and fabrics as possible. I like to bring nature into the classroom.  I use soft colors, natural lighting, prisms, mirrors, plants, crystals, aromatherapy, natural flowers, pine-cones, rocks, handmade felted materials, tree materials and beautiful music. Several of my materials are  handmade. All my materials on the walls are made from my art designs or the children's art. I do not use materials that have been purchased in stores for teaching aids.

I will save this topic for another time in greater length as a series, but I want to share a magnificent mural that we painted this past week. It was thrilling and fun to do.  
This mural is made from only the best art products and is on a fire proof paper to appeal to our fire code restrictions in our district.
  The photo was taken below after three coats of paint. We first applied gesso, acrylic polymer medium that was used on the very bottom layer to coat the paper. The result was magic. It turned the poster paper into a soft canvas to work on. At this point in the painting three light washes of aquamarine, marine blue and fuchsia were applied in a circular fashion. The paints were all student grade acrylics and applies with sponges. We did not want to have brush strokes visible on the paper. The paint layers were dried in between using hair dryers. This helped to speed up our process. We were watching the colors as they began to build on top of each other.

This was magical when I placed my finder in the gesso a faint moon face showed up. There are never mistakes in any mindful practice.

We used our fingers dipped in the gesso medium once again. Squirt bottles of aquamarine was also used to add texture and dimension.  Again more hair drying.


Small cosmic layers of designs added. These were individually wiped down and colored with an alcohol acrylic paint solution.

More light washes applied to the designs for blending the layers.
At this point of the process, I counted up to thirteen layers and we had only been at this for one day. I couldn't wait to see the final process completed. 
The next day arrived and more paint was applied in faint washes to deepen the colors.

A rich purple was now applied to tone down some of the green gesso

This is where the purple was added on top to check out the enhancement of all the colors. We added  another coat of deep fuchsia. 

We began the process of hand-painting all the small cosmic figures. My art teacher now wanted to surprise me and finish it at home. After an additional 10 hours,she was able to get the quality she was looking for. 


Every new year I like to experiment with my classroom, change the environment around, while keeping things fluid so when the children return the room seem fresh, exciting and new. 
I asked them what they thought of the new mural? Their comments to me were: "It makes me feel, kind ." Another four year old said: " It reminds me of love in my heart" Another boy said: "It is peaceful with bright light. 'The moon is bright."
As a teacher you can use this handmade classroom aid and provide the learning opportunity in several directions.
I believe through the children responses, they realized  by themselves what beauty and nature holds for them. What a great gift we can offer our children. A peaceful environment that touches their very soul from within.




















Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year: 2012



In order to capture 2011, I wanted to share it in some of my photos. May the light and joy of this year, carry all of us into the new year with a greater source of determination, courage and joy.

I was able to spend Christmas with two of my dearest friends from our early years at the Living Wisdom School.  The picture on the left is in 2006. The boys were in their first year of Kindergarten and the picture on the right is now in fifth grade. The boys live in different states.  Until August of 2011, they were in different countries. This was a lovely reunion for us all.





This is an arrangements of highlights: I was able to take two healing vacations to Washington's lavender festival and to our special retreat home in Palm Springs,California. I started my blog this past summer and the other photo was taken in my class from early 2011.












My husband and I moved upstairs from our home after 17 years in the Ananda Community.
High tea with my students at the end of the school year!
                                                       Remembering our dear friends




Our fourth and six graders at the Honda dealer showing them their electric car they built.
Fall Basil Harvest. The best basil I have ever cooked with.






Our first Labyrinth walk at Yoga Camp



Swimming at Yoga Camp with new friends



May we all be connected in love as we enter into 2012 together.

Happy New Year .

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Accepting a moment in Divine Gratitude




A couple of weeks ago I wrote a short entry about my new approach to the holiday season. I wanted to let you know that I am still slowing down and taking a day at a time. The world is speeding up and I have to constantly remind myself that in order to experience each moment I have to remain centered. Living at my center comes from my daily practice of meditation and prayer life.  I had a small break in my holiday schedule and was able to relax and catch up on some reading this afternoon.

This video was sent to me on Facebook a few weeks ago by my dear friend Julie Szybz from Hopscotch Photography.  Timing is everything and low and behold, I found this today. This film is like a walking meditation of gratitude as we remind ourselves about daily reconnecting to this inner awareness of life. It is truly timing and beautiful.  I hope you can take a moment of gratitude to watch it.



May your holiday season be filled with divine gratitude in every moment. 

Many Blessings,
Chandi



Friday, December 16, 2011

Festivals of the Light

 Today was our last day together in Preschool before our holiday break at the Living Wisdom School. 
Our winter snow altar in our classroom.
 The time for celebrating our world cultures and festivals goes by so quickly each year. I never want it to end. There is something so beautiful and captivating with the early dark evenings and all the lights that adorn the suburban neighborhoods.  I love all the illuminate lights and sharing the "Festivals of the Light"  from around the globe that start in early November with Diwali.

Diwali pinch pots with olive oil to light the lamps. 
Yesterday one of our Mothers in our classroom came to share her experiences as a child and the celebration of Hanukkah. All the children listened tentatively and quietly. They also were about to sample many new delicacies from the Hebrew tradition. We heard new songs, prayers and of course played the Dreidel game. 






















Chocolate Yiddish Gelt used in the Dreidel game


  


These were the little blocks that the children made for their family trees. On each side was a different symbol of love, gifts and with radiant stars of the season. 



His Christmas tree on his package for his Mom . We made many crafts with Christmas trees. Christmas trees first originated in Germany. I share the traditions each year from Germany since I was born there.


This is a double sided felted Christmas tree . The pieces are glued together with a yarn in between the layers, to hang on the tree. We used 'tacky" glue.  The sequins were the lights on our trees.  Very easy for Preschoolers. They love it.
May this season of light radiate your heart and may we share it with all whom we meet.

Many Blessings,
Chandi