Suggestion & Considerations for Your Registry

Before I get started in some of my favourite baby items, let me introduce you to a registry called www.myregistry.com. You can actually link items for any store or website all in one place and you don't have to be limited to one or two stores for your registry. That means if you want to include diapers from amazon, onesies from carter's, and bottles from babies r us, you can! It's just as easy to set up for this registry as you would any other one and it's all online which is PERFECT for a pregnant mama-to-be! Side note: you can create wedding registry's here, too!

While you may or may not use these items, I found myself running out or ordering items after I gave birth and it was the last thing I wanted to be doing at the time! It's nice to be prepared as much as you can without going overboard, of course. Please know that the specific brand of product I list below are what I enjoyed and what works for me and by no means ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for you to purchase. :)

• pumping bra
• breastpump
  
• car seat cover (winter/summer)
• swing & loungers
• boppy
• baby bjourn
• snuggapuppy swing
• carseat
  
• stroller
  
• nursing bras
• white noise machine
• baby monitor
  
• carseat mirror and shades for windows
• toys that support newborn development
•  (ie. tummy time, play gyms, black and white/contrast building)
• bath towels
• wash clothes
• chair for nursing
• wipes warmer (with dim light)
• humidifier
  
• high chair
• crib

Some products seem really exciting and generic when you think of "baby", but you don't really need these things until you meet your baby. Once s/he is here, you'll get to know him/her and realize if these little extras are worth investing in. Money is better spent on other products listed above that you know for sure you'll need.

• Pacifiers & Bottles: While this might be the most obvious thing to purchase new parents for a baby shower, consider that not all babies use pacifers or bottles. For example, mine was not interested in a pacifier at all (except for a month and that was maybe because I kept encouraging her to take it - ahhhhh!!). Did you know that there are such a variety of pacifiers and your baby might like 1 out of the 50 you buy? Just wait. You honestly may not even buy one in the first place. You'll know if you need one soon enough and they're super easy to get your hands on one. This is the same for bottles. Until you know if you're breastfeeding or bottlefeeding, you won't know how many bottles you'll need. This isn't to say that having one-two bottles on hand to be prepared is a bad idea, but rather, don't buy the grand bottle starter kit until you've determined you will be using bottles with your baby at all.
• Newborn Outfits: The first month feels like an eternity, but it's not. If I could go back, I would've invested in basic onesies and comfy clothing instead of the cardigans and dresses, etc. that I felt I needed. Looking back, I remember thinking I needed to "build a wardrobe" for this new person and that's just simply not necessary. You'll get what you need in terms of clothing as they become necessary. Also, your baby might not even fit into the "newborn" size. Did you know that clothing size is actually dependent on weight? Check the store label or website before purchasing a size because age and weight are so different!
  

Nursery Design: Functionally Appealing

*Photos coming soon*

Designing a nursery was probably one of the most overwhelming parts of my pregnancy. Most likely this was because I'm totally Type A and wanted everything just so. I remember having my husband adjust the floating shelves 1/2 inch and rotating the dot of the letter 'i' in my daughter's name sign multiple times so that it felt right. Yikes. While these things are lovely to have and look nice, in the long run, it's not what matters at 3am when you've been trying to rock your baby to sleep!

So then what makes our nursery functional? It really comes down to a few basic components.

1. A change pad on top of a dresser
We use the Hemmes dresser from Ikea because it is affordable, has so much opportunity for storage, and doubles as a change table. The idea here is that you aren't needing so much furniture in your nursery and it saves space to not include a separate change table.  I put a change pad tray that a very dear friend made for us on top of the dresser and inside sits the change pad and cover. 
We store diapers directly under the change pad section in the top drawer for easy access. The second drawer beside it we have medicines, creams, soothers, and other items we need to access quick!

2. Side Table & Dim Lighting

I found that a side table was necessary to store items for myself including a notebook and a pen for quick thoughts, phone charger, quick snacks, waterbottle, gum, earphones, kleenex, and extra waterbottles in case I ran out of water.

We experimented with lamps a little bit during the first month and learned that the tall standing light didn't work for us because it would shine directly into our baby's eyes when nursing. Another issue with it was that it required us to step on the button to operate, but because it was so far behind the recliner, it wasn't easily accessible. This could be a benefit to you, though, depending on your lamp location. Since ours was right behind the chair, w changed it out and opted for a small lamp to sit on the side table that I could easily pull the string to turn on and off in the dark or with one hand. Minor detail, big result.

3. Storage

As mentioned above, the Ikea dresser was essential in storing diapers and other items such as medicines and creams, but it also holds clothing. My inspiration for organizing the dresser came from this blog. As my baby grew, we changed out her clothing to match her age. As she outgrew items, they are stored in a clear bin labelled in the basement. Clothes that doesn't fit into yet is stored in the closet where we have a Kallax shelf. The top shelf holds books that are not currently on display on the bookshelf (I switch these out every so often) as well as stuffed animals, dolls, and other gems that we tuck away, while the inside has baskets for the 'next size up' clothing, crib sheets, blankets & quilts, toys for later, diaper genie refills, extra wipes and diapers.

4. Disposal

Aside from having a small garbage bin beside the recliner, a diaper disposal of some sort is key to keep the bedroom smelling clean and fresh. We put a diaper genie directly beside the change pad/dresser so that we never needed to walk away from our baby during a change to dispose of a diaper.

Empathy vs. Sympathy in the 4th Trimester

"Empathy fuels connection. Sympathy drives disconnection." 

- Brene Brown

When a person is struggling, hurting, suffering, etc., it's natural for human beings to offer sympathy. Think about when people are experiencing a loss; we are accustomed to say things like, "I sympathize with you". And while that's not wrong, what is truly a remarkable emotion during those times of difficulties is empathy.

Empathy is when you really bring yourself down in the trenches with another person. Brene Brown, a research professor and author of best seller "Daring Greatly", talks about the difference between empathy and sympathy in this video.

So... what does this have to do with motherhood? Well, everything! The most important feeling I experienced during the first few months after S was born was empathy from so many mothers who had been where I was. Often I would make a post on social media asking for support with a certain issue or topic or product and the responses were so overwhelming and wonderful. I would ask about baby carriers, reflux, colic, sleep, mental health, fitness, skin and hair concerns, baby lead weaning, and so much more. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all the people who reached out to me (and still do!!!!) with suggestions and thoughts and promises to be there for me in the future ,because they, too, have been there in those crazy early days post pardum with absolutely no clue what to do. These ladies are the #MomTribe... the community of women, who, throughout the fourth trimester, are there with you, not for you, because they get it. The 'new mom' feeling stays with you forever (so I've heard 😉) and having people who get that makes the world of a difference.

But, not all of the responses and comments were empathetic, they were sympathetic! And while sympathy isn't terrible, it's so much better to be empathetic... if you can, of course. Empathy has truly allowed me to connect with moms in a way I never thought I would connect with anyone. Really understanding what someone is going through and being there for them in a non-judemental way has actually changed me as a person. I now can see life through a new lens because of how easy it was for me to connect with so many Moms who reached out to me. In fact, I received so much support, I kept asking questions! And while I kept asking questions and receiving support, other friends would ask me to share the responses with them. (*Side note: This is where the need to maneuver this blog from solely education based, to sharing parenting supports.)

To give you an idea, these are some of the responses and ways I've received empathy from Moms:

• 3:00 AM Facebook chat: "This is the hardest thing you will ever do and I am right here with you"
  
• dropping off fennel seeds with instructions on how to prepare for potential relief of colic/reflux symptoms and a crib wedge to raise S's mattress
• "I'm going to come over right now and give you a break"  
• Care packages left on my door step to make the lonely nights/days when my husband was working a little less difficult
  
• Meal services & prepared dinners given to our family by family and friends
  
• phone calls listening to tears and desperation 
• contacts for support (doctors, consultants, nutritionists, allergists, etc.)
• hand me down swaddles, books, clothes 
• overnight care of our baby so we could sleep
• doula service
• frequent check ins
• "You are not crazy. You are tired." 

Before having S, I researched so much about being a new Mom and what my life would look like. Nothing could have prepared me for the sleep deprivation I was about to endure. Had I not had the courage to have conversations about mental health and wellness, I'm certain today would look a lot different than it does right now. I am so grateful to those people who have and continue to show empathy toward myself and other new parents. This isn't just about being a new mom. My husband also has received a phenomenal amount of support and check ins on our family. We are truly so blessed to be in a place where people send messages that sound like,"This is extremely hard and I'm sorry. I'm going to come over and we can figure this out together", and less like, "It'll be okay!"

So please consider... when you're speaking with first time parents, (or second, third, etc. time parents), especially in those first few months, remember that empathy matters. Think about how you feel when someone says "You'll get through this" and try to find a way to shift your connection to go a little bit deeper. Put your judgement aside and have a real conversation.

From the bottom of my heart, thank-you to the people who have empathized with me back then, and still today. Every connection and gesture, small or large, will never be forgotten and I am forever grateful for our friendship.

How to Create a Year End DVD For Your Class

"We didn't realize we were making memories... we just knew we were having fun." 

There are things about childhood that are just so delicate, like finding a bunch of twigs outside or laughing as you notice a toad jump its way back to the pond. Little people are just that - little. And they deserve to have their moments be valued and treasured by their families, but also very much so at school, by their teachers.

Since I have begun working with the school board, I have continued to do two things: shared documentation of children's learning via Twitter, and made a year end DVD for them to treasure forever. That is, as long as DVD's don't become obsolete in the too near future... gasp!

Capturing the joy in our students has been a passion of mine that I have shared with many teaching colleagues over the years. Luckily, each year I have been granted the opportunity to construct a DVD and I've been given so much great feedback from families and children that I want to share with other educators how it's done.

So, with that being said, I'm going to actually break it down for you in that I will show you how I organize my photos in Google Drive and how I use iMovie to put it all together.

Organize, Sort, Update

The utmost key factor I will share from the beginning is to STAY ORGANIZED. Putting together a video of the best moments from the year takes time. Precious, sweet, report card writing in June, time. Don't give up before you get started by looking at your photos on your 12 devices on the last week of school!

Before school begins or in the first weeks of starting, I always make a current year photo in my Google Drive account. So for this year, it would be called, "2018-2019". Within this folder, I have the 10 school months separated (September - June). I try to upload all of my pictures and student documentation within the week they are taken but sometimes that doesn't happen. Regardless, as soon as you want to clear out your documentation device, you have the folders ready to help you store them until you are ready to make the video! I totally recommend Google Drive or Google Photos for storing photos because it's what works for me, but you are welcome to use a different platform if that suits you better.

Once you have the media organized in your folders, you might want to take the extra step each month and delete repeated data so you aren't sorting through duplicates when you're ready to make the DVD.

For my videos, I use the Apple program iMovie.

Reflections on The 2016 Kindergarten Program Document

The deepest language of all ... is the language of relationships. It goes

much deeper than more easily measured skills like logical thinking and

problem solving. Learning is about making relationships, and this is

the language that enables us to absorb information and process it at

a deep level.

(Fraser, 2012, p. 304)

I am so pleased to have the new Kindergarten Program document in my hands! Since beginning my journey in the early years, I have awaited for this piece to guide my thinking in supporting young learners in society today.

Here is what I know so far:

• There are four frames of learning which are interjected with one another throughout the document that are aligned with the "How Does Learning Happen?" document:
• Belonging and Contributing (BELONGING)
• Self-Regulation and Well-Being (WELL-BEING)
• Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviours (EXPRESSION)
• Problem Solving and Innovating (ENGAGEMENT)

• The document has been enriched with so much goodness including:
•  embedded links to videos and articles to support the messages within,
• reflections from educators who have implemented FDK across Ontario
• reflection questions
• misconceptions
• opportunities for professional learning conversations

• The terms "teacher" and "ECE" are combined into "educator(s)

•  In chart form, the headings "Initially", "Eventually", "The Processes", and "Suggestions for Educators" to show the flow of what children might say at the beginning and how that will shift with scaffolding from educators

• Initial Observations and Communication of Learning (new reporting)

The Frames

The four frames are the basis for guiding educators and families through the curriculum. Briefly, this is a breakdown of their meaning:

Belonging and Contributing: the way in which children connect with the world around them, how they contribute to others and the community and their understanding of relationships

Self-Regulation and Well-Being: personal physical & mental health wellness, a child's way of thinking and feeling about themselves, regulating emotions and adapting behaviours

Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviours: an engagement and love of learning, communication of thoughts through a variety of ways, language and math

Problem Solving and Innovating: meaning making of the world through exploration, learning through a child's natural curiosity, innovated ways of thinking

Each of the frames are broken down into deeper descriptions. This is helpful in learning where the frames come from and to recognize how they reflect the overall expectations in more than one way. 

Embedded Links 

There are many videos that are embedded within the document. I have yet to watch all of them, but from what I have seen so far, there are snapshots of educator experiences and visions about their classrooms that are meaningful to the literature. If you want to look at the videos in a sequential order instead of click on them from the document links, you can go to the following link that brings you to the Edugains Website. Other video links are found within the document that mostly come from the Ministry of Education website.

One of my favourite parts of the document is the "Misconceptions" piece. These bullet points pop out throughout the document to help educators shift their thinking as they really work to stretch and expand their ideas of teaching and learning with young children. On page 27, there is a great example of how the Misconceptions are used through a comparison of traditional versus inquiry-based approaches that reads, 

 
Shift in Vocabulary

The partnership between Teachers and Early Childhood Educators is of strong value if treated as such. Sometimes the way in which we refer to one another hinders the strengths and talents that we each possess. I am very excited to see the phrase "educator team" within the pages, supporting the teams in 'letting go' of being responsible for a specific area of learning based on their education.

Process of Learning (Literacy & Mathematics)

The charting system shows what children might initially say or do at the beginning of the learning process and what they may eventually do at the end (The Kindergarten Program, 77). It also outlines the 7 mathematical processes: problem solving, reasoning and proving, reflecting, selecting tools and strategies, connecting, representing, and communicating.  

A New Report Card


Being an educator who contributes so much to writing report cards, it has been extremely difficult not to see my name anywhere on the reports that are given to children and their families. The new report card has placed the educator names at the top indicating that ECE contributions have been made. This is such an important piece to the value of early childhood educators observations and documentation of Kindergarten students and the necessity of these observations for reporting.  

They are differentiated between "Initial Observations" and "Communication of Learning" and Roman Catholic/Public School versions. They can be found in Growing Success: The Kindergarten Addendum beginning on page 18.

Final Thoughts
 
With plans to continue updating this blog post, I want to leave you with the video below which is a wonderful reminder from Stuart Shanker that we, as educators, must remember to practice being mindful in order to come home feeling energized and happy with our days at school.  

Additional Links:

CMEC Statement of Play-Based Learning  
Edugains Sample Report Card Document
Edugains Summary of Changes to Expectations 
 Edugains Curriculum Appendix (How each of the expectations fit into the 4 frames)

A Reflective Classroom Set-Up

I am so lucky to continue building a classroom with my teaching partner, Jill, for another year! When I think about how far we have come as a team in just one year, I feel so grateful! 

This year, instead of unpacking boxes, figuring out the way to our classroom from the staff room, and meeting the countless incredible staff at our then new school, we have time to breathe, think, reflect and ease back into our space. 

This will be my first experience continuing in the same classroom, at the same school, with the same partner. I get to welcome back our JKs who become SKs and also be just down the hall from the new grade one's!

I continue to feel connected to other educators through social media and I look forward to growing as an educator through this blog. After reading a blog post from Tracy and Cheryl's visit to another classroom, I felt a bit of inspiration in that a few changes in our classroom could do us good.

We have changed the flow of our day to accommodate less transitions which now include beginning our day with Outdoor Learning. Last year, we visited a school that began their day outdoors by having learning centres happen outside just as they would outside. Because we have shifted our morning time from inside to outside, children will also have the opportunity to "sign in" using "sign in rocks". They will find their name on the rock and place it from the "Not Here" basket to the "Here" basket. 

We have added a "Wonder Shelf" near the window which also separates the large carpet area from the art studio. This shelf holds clipboards, magnifying glasses, writing tools and will also hold "wonder journals" which we plan to introduce slowly to the students. 

Our whole group meeting space has relocated to the middle of our windows. I'm very excited about this because it opens up our classroom and connects so beautifully with the blocks and building space. I love that the shelves in our room are already along that wall, allowing us to use the previously "block shelves" for other uses such as the shelf for our wonder area! Our dramatic play area is now near our whiteboards. The whiteboards will be a great space for children to communicate their play!

We also have a new member of our class that has o'fish'ally "moved in" on Wednesday! His name is to be determined by our students and he is currently living in our Quiet Area. My hope is that he brings a sense of calmness to our space, but also gives the children a sense of responsibility and opportunities to learn.

One of my personal goals this year is to bring more of the outdoors, inside. For example, incorporating more nature and plants into our classroom space. How do you do this in your classroom? 

Thinking and Learning Made Visible: Iphoneography and Portfolios

The following photographs were taken at St.George’s Golf and Country Club. Please note that ideas, tips, and tricks surrounding portfolios and Iphoneography listed below are property of Joanne Marie Babalis.

 

Today, I had the pleasure of joining fellow educators learn from Joanne Marie Babalis as she spoke about capturing great photos and rich documentation for portfolios. When I walked up to sign in, I was instantly inspired. Joanne has a way of making everything beautiful. I have known this by following her blog, Twitter and Instagram accounts for some time Her lemon flower centre pieces (LOLO Floral and Event Design @lolo_floral) caught my eye as I peaked in the presentation room while waiting to go inside. Taking a look around, I noticed pieces of her new role at Anne Frank Public School, artifacts and books from her recent trip to Reggio Emilia, and the colourful array of paint, markers and children’s work on display. It was magical.

 

Joanne first spoke to the way she structures learning portfolios in a Kindergarten classroom. I have been a DECE in Kindergarten for two full years now and I have already grown significantly in terms of how I approach portfolios. However, today’s workshop has given me some serious tips and strategies for planning what goes into student portfolios going forward.

• interviewing students monthly can seem daunting – attempt to interview a student a day in terms of giving feedback similar to keeping running records in order to get through all children
• use a tally chart to ensure all children have representation of curriculum areas in their portfolio (can do monthly or end of term)
• what goes in a portfolio can also go on a blog – written professionally and ready to go
• include running records, beginning assessments (fine motor), math interview, etc. because they show growth
• having a “Monthly Learning File Folder” gives children a place to keep their work and goes home monthly after ‘personal best’ pieces are taken out

She talked about interviewing children at the beginning of the year in order to really get to know them. Learning about students and their interests, etc. is a process and takes time. I loved her idea of asking them questions like, “Why are you special?” or, “If you were meeting someone for the first time, what would you say about yourself?”. The portfolio also included a family interview that helps educators in the room learn about the child through the family lens. It Alaska questions that relate to culture, work, favourite things to do as a family, etc.

At the end of the day, there is a sharing time where a few students are able to share their writing, or guided reading, etc. I appreciate this being structured a bit as I currently struggle with what is “sharing worthy” in our classroom and how it will benefit all learners.

There were a number of Iphone Apps recommended in order to enhance photos taken. We had some time during the workshop to explore them. Here are four of my favourites:

Pic Tap Go – wide variety of filters, add lots of light, crop appropriately to square (full, crop or float)

iSplash – turn photo to black and white and highlight colour of choice

Insta Editor – add filters, labels, speech bubbles, text, band aid (blemish our faces) etc

Vintique – add filters, text, vignetting and other settings

Joanne provided many tips that offered guidance when capturing photos of children, provocations, or learning environments. I often find it challenging to organize pictures both professionally and in my personal life. She said that if you didn’t get the right shot, then try again right away, referring g to special photos as “Once in a lifetime photograph” (Reggio Emilia). Also, she suggested to delete photos right away if you don’t need them as an important part of staying organized. I don’t think I am alone in saying I have an abundance of photos and no clue what to do with them ;)!

 

Joanne, thank-you for giving educators the opportunity to learn from you. Everything from the venue to the materials displayed was impeccable! It is unfortunate that I was only able to attend one of the four workshops presented this summer, but I look forward to future workshops. I can’t wait to share with my friends & colleagues the tricks and ideas surrounding photos and portfolios!

Social Media as a Tool in the Classroom ANNOUNCEMENT!

It is with great excitement that I announce my first ever conference presentation date in the upcoming 27th Annual Early Years Conference.

Each year, Conestoga College hosts a full day Early Learning Conference to support the current trends in early learning and care in March. Earlier this fall, I was asked to consider speaking at this event on “Using twitter as a tool in the classroom”, a topic I have spoke about to students and small groups at the college. After readjusting the topic and expanding it to include additional social media outlets I use such as my personal and classroom blog, we have confirmed the title: “Using Social Media as a Tool in the Classroom”. Thinking back to last years experience where I learned and was inspired by Sarah Andrade and Tracy Pickard’s authentic teaching experiences, I am very excited to announce that I will be speaking at this year’s conference for the first time this March! 

Details and registration are to follow on the Conestoga College website and I will be adding to the blog when they do. Thank-you to all of those who have supported my interest in social media and value the ever-changing teaching methods in education!

Twitter: More than Just "What's Happening"!

 

Twitter has very quickly become one of the most common tools I use in my everyday life. Why? To connect. To share. To inspire others and learn about others who inspire me with their provocations, thoughts, and questions about children and education.

Anyone can benefit from using twitter. It is hands down, the quickest way to connect and share ideas with others who share similar interests. With 140 characters or less, tweets are a simple and concise way to get a message out on the web. I cannot imagine a better way to share a quick documentation piece with a brief message to families and other educators that could happen even multiple times daily! Twitter’s 140 character limit keeps messages straightforward and to the point.

Since I began working with Kindergarten children, I have turned to Twitter to share with families the wonderful learning that has taken place in our classroom daily. The feedback I received was incredible so naturally, I continued. On most days, I would tweet multiple times, doing my best to ensure all children were “tweeted about”. It is so important to me to be able to bring children’s learning to their families when their families cannot be with us to learn. And Twitter has been just that – a way that I could re-create the learning opportunities, wonderings, anecdotes and moments that went on in our classroom so that others could be involved as if they were right there with us!

Below are a few examples of ways I have used Twitter to share learning experiences with our families this past year.

This is a photo of an SK student's journal page. She drew, labelled, and reflected on our bean plan inquiry independently! 

 Here is a snapshot of a group of students participating in the process of making books. An SK student created one and then started a book club to teach others how to make their own books. He even helped them come up with topic!

 One of my favourite things about twitter is that you can actually be signed up for an account and not have to tweet anything at all. This is amazing because many of our families really just want to see what is happening with their child’s learning and would rather not participate in tweeting (which is totally fine, by the way ;)!) However, it is so, so, so much fun when a parent lets you know they appreciate something you are doing by favouriting, retweeting or replying to one of your tweets. This online family engagement has been a remarkable way to keep in touch with one another throughout the school year.

 

Once I established a ground for families to follow and involve themselves in our learning, I found myself connecting with other professionals and creating my very own PLN (professional learning network/personal learning network). Amoung these individuals are many insightful and thoughtful educators around the globe who are passionate about what they do with young children. From following other professionals, I began considering ways in which I could contribute to the conversations and how I could take part in the collaboration that was happening right at my fingertips. Since my initial sign-up with Twitter, I admit there are many ways in which I can continue to enhance my tweets to engage a larger audience, but for right now, I am content with the small connections that I can make in a big way. Having a PLN allows you to connect with others who may be promoting a professional development opportunity, sharing documentation pieces from their classroom, sparking thought-provoking questions in a chat (or a “twitter party”!), and general networking.

This Spring, I spoke at Conestoga College to share the benefits of using twitter in an early years setting. Here is a guide to using twitter that I have created including how to get started and a glossary!

Still not sure? Check out this article: http://dailygenius.com/how-and-why-teachers-should-start-using-twitter-right-now/

Unsure of how to convince parents and families to sign up? http://technicallyteamann.com/parents-not-on-twitter-no-problem/

After reading this post, I hope you consider the possibilities of using Twitter in your classroom. Think about the families you have in your classroom community and how they might benefit from the instantaneous connection you could provide them with. How could you include your students in using twitter and why would you want to? I strongly believe that children learn best when they are 100% connected to their environment and in control of their learning. If they have opportunities to share their learning with the world, why not help them do so? (Of course, consider being a digital citizen and teach your students what this means prior to handing over the device!)
If you’re new to twitter or have recently signed up, connect with me at @KEnfelis. I love to hear the ways in which others are engaging with twitter in their classrooms or professional networks!
Good Luck and Happy Tweeting!