Thesis Writing

I'm on the verge of having the words to write the last part of the research section of my thesis. It should have been done by last Monday, but I didn't have the words then. I think I might now.

I'm not sure why this part has been so much more difficult for me. The first part was really general, a commentary of why art is beneficial to children in the classroom, and in what way art broadens the mind and teaches something the three "R's" cannot.

The second part was targeting a younger age group (like my group) and more specifically about play. A little more specific topic than "art", but still a general argument for play, referencing studies that have been done throughout the last century on the benefit of play.

My intention for the third, and last, section that I'm writing now is more specific, to give detail on WHY play is beneficial, what the children learn through play, and why it is a valid preschool curriculum. I am arguing that play, given the right materials and environment, can be MORE educational than teaching the alphabet and numbers to a three-year-old, without actually denouncing academic programs.

I don't want to start an argument with the rather large segment of the population that believes that if children learn their alphabet at three, they can learn to read at four, and be reading at a fifth grade level by six. Every child is different, and I'm sure there are some that flourish in this environment. I am trying to present an alternative to rushing children into something they may not be ready for, and explain why it is just as good, if not better, for the child to wait. And play.

This information is something I've searched for (although not ferociously), for the last three years or so. I've learned a lot about developmentally appropriate methods of teaching young children in the various child development classes I've taken since getting into this field. More compellingly, I've heard many experts with incredible credentials talk about the brain development in young children, and how they need certain experiences in order to develop the the ABILITY to read and write.

With all the time I've spent learning something that isn't readily available to the average parent, I'd like to write something FOR parents that easily and convincingly explains what I've learned, backed by "experts" that will hopefully balance out the peer pressure that parents get to have the best, smartest, most talented, exceptional student.

However, because I have specific goals in mind for this section, it seems more difficult to achieve just the right materials. I've been fishing around for a while at trying to explain the collection of evidence I've heard from many different sources without really being able to succinctly compile a compelling argument. It sounds so logical and clear when I hear it, but it somehow gets jumbled and incoherent when I try to pass it on.

I think that's why I've been having such a difficult time writing this section. I want it to be JUST SO, and am scared I won't be able to get across what I want to. Anyway, I'll never know until I try so I guess I should stop writing here, and beginning writing there!

Waldorf Education

I have to say, again, how much I appreciate Waldorf education.

This year my son got his first "grades" teacher. In Waldorf training, kindergarten teachers go through a completely different specialization process than grades teachers, and the Waldorf method treats these ages very differently. Going into the "grades" is a big deal. Ideally, his first grade teacher will be his teacher through 8th grade.

Last year my son's teachers made his second year of kindergarten amazing. If you read my previous Waldorf posts, you know how much I loved his teachers last year.

This year... not so much. Since this school is a public charter, their first priority when hiring a new teacher is a California credential, then any Waldorf training as a bonus. If the teacher does not have both (which is likely), the school contributes to the cost of sending the teacher to Waldorf teacher training. Most of the credentialed teachers at this school are still going through some phase of their Waldorf training.

The teacher that had been originally hired to fill this spot came from another Waldorf charter school in the bay area, had both her state credential and had completed her Waldorf training. She had been a teacher at that school for several years, and was well qualified. However, she changed her mind about leaving her old school about a month before school started, and the school was left scrambling (I believe) to find another teacher.

Anyway I hope that was why they chose this teacher. She has no Waldorf experience besides the two weeks of training they could squeeze in before school started, and has no classroom experience either! She was a substitute teacher in the public schools before landing this job.

From what I can see, she loves her job. I can't imagine a more fun environment to teach, but perhaps I'm biased.

However, I've had several negative experiences with her already. I don't know if it is merely because she's new to teaching and isn't yet comfortable with dealing with parents, but so far her "method" is to ignore me and hope I go away, from what I can tell.

Frankly, I'm just about there. My son can be difficult to deal with. He's active, smart, and confident (a lethal combination), which means he's paying attention when you think he's not, bored and distracting anyone around him when he's not engaged, and answering all the questions whether you want him to or not. Basically a lot of work. Knowing this, I've tried to be as involved as possible in order to make her job as easy as possible.

However, if she's not interested, I'm sure I can find other things to do. I'm just concerned that her methods, if not what he needs, could alienate him from the learning process I've tried so hard to teach him to enjoy.

All that said, whatever he thinks of her (and I don't really know) is not affecting his learning. He loves his school, and LOVES main lesson. This is where they get the bulk of their academic training. This large chunk of the morning is when they cover math, science, writing, learning the alphabet, and whatever else they are supposed to learn in first grade. However, they learn all this through storytelling and drawing, and so every lesson is weaved into a tale that the kids then illustrate and copy into their lesson books, which are the Waldorf equivalent of textbooks all through the grades.

Last year, I would ask him at the dinner table to tell me the story he'd heard that day. In kindergarten, the teachers tell the same story every day for two weeks. By the third telling he was so bored with it, I couldn't get him to even tell me what the story was called. I stopped trying to get him to tell me the story once I saw how much it bothered him.

This year the story is shorter, and a new one is told each day. I've gotten out of the habit of asking him at the dinner table, but last night he volunteered the information. He told us he's learning 12 stories about 12 knights that are on a quest to find the perfect number, and that although he didn't have time to tell me ALL the stories, he'd be happy to tell me two per night until I'd heard all twelve. I have to say, that makes me super happy!

The Flu...

Yesterday I was sick with the flu. It hit like a tornado. Crashed in, hit hard, and wiped me out, all within 24 hours.

Wednesday I had a bit of a sore throat and a runny nose. Nothing drastic. Wednesday evening I went to bed early with chills, layering on the blankets and trying to get warm. Yesterday morning I woke up barely able to get out of bed. My body ached all over. It felt like I'd gotten into the losing end of a fight and had been kicked a thousand times all over.

I called all the parents and told them I was closing for the day. I try not to do this often, as it is such a huge inconvenience for them. But I couldn't help it.

My son gets out of school early on Thursdays, so I asked my carpool buddy if she would do the pickup for me. He got home soon after 1:00 and immediately came up to see how I was doing. He asked me if he could make me some soup, so I said yes. He learned how to open a can of soup and work the microwave after the last time I was sick and he tried very hard to figure out the microwave. After that, he made it a point to know how to use that, and the can opener.

He asked me if I wanted anything on the side. I told him I'd like toast.

He came back in a few minutes later with the bowl of soup. "Wow. I forgot to cook it!" were his first words, so he went back downstairs to nuke it. He came back to say "27 seconds". That's how long he'd cooked it. Oh well, it's the thought that counts. I choked down the lukewarm canned soup happily. What a sweet boy. He came back with the toast. The toaster oven was apparently set on broil, because only the top had been toasted. The underside was still cold! He said the bottom one (heating coil) was broken.

So then he asked if there was anything else he could do. I asked him to start a bath for me, and put in some herbal salts I have for clearing the sinuses. He did that, then disappeared again. When the bath was full, I got in, and he came back with two bowls of fruit salad (his specialty). I asked him if he'd made himself the sandwich he had wanted, and he said no. He said he had been too busy cooking for me! What a guy.

Today I'm much better. Open for business again. And so proud of my sweet boy!

I have a dream...

I am in the process of researching the next part of my master's thesis. This section is about the importance of play as an educational "curriculum" for early childhood education, and why it is important. I'm reading a lot of books. I haven't gotten yet to the point where I can start writing, which is causing a bit of panic (as it's due next Monday), but I am gaining some valuable lessons from the materials I've read so far.

Basically, I am trying to argue that children NEED uninhibited, unstructured play time, with the proper resources to develop their minds and bodies, in lieu of learning the alphabet and their numbers before the age of five. That the seemingly random play of childhood is working to grow the brain, build social skills, provide large and small motor activity to build strong bodies, and establish a means of working through the complexities of life in a non-threatening environment. Granted, play is important after five, but I'm arguing in favor of PLAYschools instead of PREschools.

Interestingly, the more I read, the more convinced I am that urban children, and my own in particular, are not getting what they need from their environment. Everything I have read tells me that my son doesn't have the necessary space, materials, and time to play like he should.

I went to visit a preschool in a nearby town, operated by a nationally renowned advocate of play, and almost wept at the possibilities and opportunities that most of the kids I know are missing out on. I wish I could provide this environment for even the kids in my care, but I am limited by space and carpet. I'm getting there, though. I'm adding things, little by little.

But not on the scale I'd love to see available to kids. Especially kids in these urban/suburban areas that don't get opportunity for uninhibited play. Either because they live on tiny lots, or because their "free" time is filled with structured activities they "need" to do, or because they aren't given the permission to get down and dirty, or any of the many reasons there are for busy parents, these kids are missing out.

I have a dream of offering something like this to kids in my neighborhood. Either on a small scale (a small preschool), or a large scale (full child care center), I want to give these kids an opportunity to play. One day, somehow, I'll make it happen. Hopefully before my son is too old to benefit from it.

Economic Woes...

Now that the news people seem to think the economy is bouncing back and on the upswing, it has finally hit my town.

My husband's company just started with the pay cuts and layoffs that have been in effect elsewhere for some time. Granted, we were lucky they didn't start sooner. They definitely should have, they haven't been doing their best business for a while. Now it's hitting home.

To top that off my business has been receding over the last six months. I had several clients lined up to begin in the summer. This would have completely filled all of my available space. In this economy that was a surprise all in itself.

But for one reason or another, none of these contracts were fulfilled. Unfortunately, this is a cyclical business, and these contracts didn't fall through until after the "cycle" of calls that were coming. That meant that not only did the spots not get filled, but I also lost the opportunity to fill them from any of the other calls I received.

I had to effectively lay off my part time helpers. I didn't have the income to pay their wages. But I still had my full-time assistant. I worried that if I cut her hours that she'd be forced to find another job, and then she wouldn't be available when I need her. I had enough income to support her and me. I cut out every other expense to make this work.

Then I pissed off a client. A full time client, no less. This client had been with me for over a year, and this surprised me. It was over something relatively small, and usually these kinds of personality issues show up early.

Regardless, now I'm really feeling the pinch. I need to cut the hours of my full-timer, which leads to a dilemma of still needing her when I need to pick up after school kids, but not needing her in the morning. Her prospects of finding a morning-only job are limited.

I hear what everyone is saying about the improving economy, but I'm not seeing it. I guess we dodged the bad-economy bullet longer than most and are feeling the effects now.

I had an interesting thought the other day. We've been in this economic slump for basically a decade. We've had small ups and downs, but we really haven't experienced job security or opportunity for a while. I wonder what that means for our future.