When I was in college Oprah Winfrey was doing a lot of television episodes about gratitude. I remember learning about the concept of a gratitude journal and the challenge to write down five things each and every day that you are grateful for. I wasn’t the happiest of people during these years, and this journal seemed to be just what I needed. I bought a notebook-it had a small, sturdy cover with a black and white image of the Brooklyn Bridge- and took the challenge. The hardest part was the daily commitment- harder than finding things to be grateful for. I’ve been teaching and coaching and consulting since 2000. Recently at my school we were asked to find a quote, or two, that speaks to us.
The teachers at my son’s nursery school just returned from the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance conference in Florida, and they are brimming with ideas about how to transform their classrooms. One teacher is making a point of putting a bird's nest, shells and seeds out on tables in the morning. Another teacher is involving the neighborhood to paint a collaborative mural on an exterior wall of the school. A third—after watching her three-year olds fight over a bottle of bubbles at the playground—decided to organize and document a class study in bubbles. As part of the work, she arranged various liquids in clear jars, passed out straws, and spent several days guiding children through
