• “Do you want to plan the wedding?” “Yes! I’m totally in love too!”
• “I love Uchiyama Sensei.” “Who doesn’t?”
• Having a student teach me a new way to tie a bow. How have I lived 46 years without knowing this?!
• Crafting fun with generous parents, creative children and delicious snacks.
• Always grateful, but especially so this week. So blessed.

The post Friday Reflections 12.22.2017 appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.

• In a lesson about the mysterious and curious “oo” sound, “Once I was hiking and I found a rock that had iron in it and I said, ‘Ooh, what is that?'”
• An impromptu “project period” after a particularly challenging morning painting lesson. The first graders obligingly made themselves adorable by breaking out into Christmas carols, taping “snowflakes” onto the classroom door and making a temple out of paper with a cut-out paper menorah.
• “Ms. Floyd-Preston, you’re the best storyteller.””I’m only a good storyteller because I have children who listen and love my stories.”

The post Friday Reflections 12.15.2017 appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.

I’ve been thinking lately about starting a practice of simply reflecting on the past week — no useful insights or dramatic inspirations required. I kinda wish I’d been doing it all along, but now that I’m at the beginning of the journey with this group, the time is right.

So, a photo. A couple of reflections. That’s it. And no promises that I’ll keep it up every week!

• A discussion about remembering to be kind, summarized by a student, “Well, if a friend calls you a name you should tell them it’s okay because it’s Christmas!”
• Painting the soul gesture of the vowels
• Interval flutes! So exciting! (“Will we get to take them home when we go to college?”)
• Our first tear-free day in the morning handshake line
• “Shepherds leave your flocks tonight. Follow yonder star so bright.”
• “What are some of the things we’ve already learned very well together?” (Many raised hands) “Being kind!” “Listening to the teacher!” “Working in our main lesson books!”
• “Ms. Floyd-Preston, I’m seven.”
• Three(!) spills during painting class but still successfully learning to pull off paint!
• A spontaneous class discussion about imagining the morning verse. “. . . To thee rise love and thanks,” is a heart floating to the sky and a glowing in the clouds.

The post Friday Reflections 12.8.2018 appeared first on A Waldorf Journey.