Never Quit and Greatness becomes Inevitable

I often find myself reflecting on children's abilities to tackle new tasks, solve problems and meet  challenges with undaunted determination.

In their first year of life alone they learn to lift their heads, roll over, crawl, walk, eat on their own, babble, talk, dance...The list is endless.

Children are an unstoppable force.

If we could harness that ability and carry it with us throughout our lives we would all achieve such greatness.

I'm not referring to the stuff that legends or heroes are made of, I mean the greatness that comes from doing and being the best version of ourselves; applying ourselves to the work we choose, the relationships we have and simply the way we respond to whatever life throws at us.

There are a handful of women who have been part of my life story who live and lived this way. The unsung heroes who set examples for others and in their own way make a huge impact.

I keep them in my heart and in my mind as I plunge ahead and greet each new day.

Lost in the Noise

If you are a baby boomer you will remember a childhood filled with adventure; days playing hide and seek, street hockey, family picnics at conservation parks, hop scotch, dodge ball, tag. Our parents left us to our own devices-often not hollering for us to come inside until the sun had set.

We skipped stones in rivers, fished, dug for worms and lost ourselves in the art of play.

We had little in the way of toys and certainly no electronics.

We made our own. We were imaginative and intuitive.

That was the childhood of yesterday.

It's no wonder the baby boomer generation will be remembered as one of the most successful in history.

Our children, the millennial's saw some of this as well. 

Much has changed in the last 40 years since I became an educator and a mother.

Today a barren landscape sits before us.

For the most part parks are empty, the roads are devoid of warriors playing ball hockey or tag. 

Where have all the children gone?

Are they sitting in front of computers, tablets, wrapped in video games and the never ending droning of baby shark songs?

Is this what childhood has become?

Parents running from one organized activity to another, thinking more is better, with little time for their children to erect block towers, splash around in rain water and dig for worms.

Children are handed tablets in infancy and people think its magnificent that an infant knows how to swipe.

Trust me its not.

This is a generation with their noses buried in cell phones-concerned with who has the most likes and followers, all the while the beauty of what makes a good relationships escapes them.

Let's face it, technology will only become more sophisticated. It is here to stay.

However as a society we must find a way to return to many of the things valued by the childhood of yesterday.

Our children deserve it and we must demand it!

Find Inspiration in Experiences from the Past

It can be challenging to be at your best all the time. Being a teacher is exhilarating but it is also physically, emotionally and intellectually exhausting.

So, it's perfectly okay to turn to your past experiences with children and use them to prompt new work and discussions around a project or topic. You don't always have to reinvent the wheel so to speak.

In fact, make it a habit to find ways to preserve work so you, like the children, can scaffold your learning journey.

In this instance, I used a book that I made to prompt the children.

There is Always time to Marvel

It's hard to believe that at times you may feel that you are at a loss as to what to explore with your students. In these moments just turn to Nature for inspiration, especially in the Spring when life begins anew.

All our children have been quite busy with all manner of bugs, birds, animals, trees, flowers and so much more.

With loose parts, we like to think big!

The Liminal Space-The Great In Between

What is the Liminal Space?

"The Latin word for threshold. A time between the what was and the what's next. A place of transition, waiting and not knowing. That moment right before you are about to take the plunge, next step and make a decision. It is an important space filled with choice and great power" 

www.jothi.ca

It is where all transformation takes place.

This is where children exist, in the Liminal Space as they are in a state of constant transformation; between the familiar and the unknown, a place where old beliefs are challenged and new ones are formed.

A space where there is no fear to move forward. As adults, fear is our greatest inhibitor. It holds us back because we have a need to know all outcomes.

Children do not have these limitations because their life experiences have not left them jaded and afraid. They have no need to control outcome so they plunge in new directions without fear and limitations imposed by fear of choice.

Childhood is a time of great joy and discovery.

By their very nature, children are inquisitive, eager to know more, they test their limits and seek answers. They are constantly making choices.

 The only way to move forward and break boundaries is to exist in the Liminal Space. 

Children are constantly making connections, most times subconsciously between what was, what happened and where to go next. I'm not referring to the choices they make knowing what consequences will follow, such as acceptable behavious.

 Instead I'm referring to the plunge into exploring, delving, seeking, questing and adventuring.