“…Having usable space decreases the friction between all the routines and people who live in a home or classroom. Whether you have a whole room for children, a corner in the living room, or just a special bookcase-turned-homeschool next to the kitchen table — that’s enough…”
Read More“…This question is a common one and likely one shared by many parents who have been homeschooling in the pandemic. A related question might be, why isn’t my child interested in learning at home they way they are at school? I’m going to give two answers, one being specific to your situation and another meta-answer that every parent and teacher should consider…”
“…We, adults, commiserate over our video apps, with smiles of disbelief and gestures of what-even-is-time?! But how do we tend to just such an existential crisis in someone who was literally just learning what, exactly, time is?
Like most things about preschoolers, we can’t change the feelings and behaviors that will arise as we shelter-in-place, but we can contextualize them, find meaningful ways to meeting children’s underlying needs, and learn to move together through times of discomfort…”
Read More…Many of us, especially parents and teachers are feeling tremendous pressure to make everything as capital-R right as we possibly can for the children in our lives. Why wouldn’t we? We love and respect the children and childhoods that are entrusted to us. It is literally and figuratively our job to give children consistency, security, and ensure they have everything they need to develop with the best chance of success and well-being.
But what do consistency, security, and development even mean in a life-changing crisis?…
Read More…if you sometimes feel that being a “Good Teacher” is a slippery slope of unceasing expectation...that’s because it is. The archetypal ideal, i.e., Good Teacher, is not and has never been one thing. The mores of the job have always reflected those of society’s dominant voices. But time moves on and so too can we unmoor ourselves from the unhelpful and oppressive narratives of past powers…
Read More“…Let your only resolution for the new year to think in broad strokes: What do you want life to feel like?…”
Read More“…the best thing to keep in mind is that this is the learning - the main, vital, critical thing the children need to learn how to do - be in the world with others…”
Read More“…As educators, we design environments and experiences. We use tools and materials. We hope to provoke new ways of knowing in children, families, and in ourselves. These are the mosaic-like pieces of our project. School itself is our large-scale medium for artistic, political, and philosophical progress. And it’s a group effort…”
Read More“As both a teacher and writer, freewriting is a practice that helps me process and understand my role within the life I live with children. Whenever I feel most stuck, I write. Not for this blog. Not for my job. But as a way to get clarity about I’m doing, feeling, and knowing deep inside. And while freewriting is a tool I discovered in my life as a creative, freewriting is not just for “Writers.” Freewriting is an accessible way of mindfully checking in with yourself, your thoughts, and your feelings…to put it simply: You just write. By Hand. For a while. “
Read More“…what does observation mean in a preschool classroom? What does it call on us to do? That we simply watch the children? That we can recall what they did in a day? That we know who gets along with whom and can account for the feelings the child shares at home. In some senses, yes. But really, observation is more than having a general sense of each child or interaction for the purpose of reporting. If used effectively, observation is the foundation upon which we choose our next steps as teachers...”
Read MoreMicah Card is a writer and educator in Los Angeles, CA.
No Magic Lecture is a blog about teaching, learning, and living alongside young children, though the principles here apply to all learners (including you!). Creating a meaningful life with children is about holding a vision and seeing it through together. The phrase “No Magic Lecture” means there is no one perfect thing that must make or break a moment, a behavior, a child, family, or classroom. It’s a reminder, reprieve, and an invitation. Welcome.
Micah Card is a writer and educator in Santa Cruz, CA. She believes in the power of children, thinking deeply and critically, and in reminding ourselves that the point of all this is to grow.
To learn more about Micah’s work and credentials, click here.
