Monday, December 06, 2010

Award Nomination (And A Bonus Update Offered As A Bribe)



Hey, this is kind of nifty. This blog has made the short list for Edublog's 2010 Best Teacher Blog Award. If it so behooves you to take a few extra clicks out of your day, I'd be flattered if you voted for Teacher Tom. You can get to the voting page by clicking this link right HERE. But make sure to come back. I have more things I want to tell you. I'll be waiting . . .

You're back! Thanks for the vote. I'm also excited to let you know that our good friends Donna and Sherry from Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning have made the short list for Best Group Blog. Please give them your love by voting HERE. But come back, okay? I have even more things to tell you . . .

Yay! I'm sure the entire continent of Australia is grateful to you. And now I'd love you to take another quick trip into the ballot booth on behalf of the talented and beautiful Deborah of Teach Preschool and Facebook fame, who has been short listed in the category Best Individual Tweeter. Vote for Teach Preschool HERE. And then come back, because I haven't stopped campaigning . . .

Okay, this is the last, and possibly best one of all. PreKinders has made the cut for Best Resource Sharing Blog. So one last time click HERE, and come back because I'm not finished with you yet.

So, now that you've done all that voting I want to tell you why. Preschool and preschool teachers kind of exist out here in a no-man's land, beloved by many for sure, but almost as often dismissed as "play school" or glorified child care, especially by those in power. This is not true in the self-contained little world here in my Seattle cooperative, but I know that my colleagues are out there fighting every day for the respect they have earned.

Juliet Robertson from I'm A Teacher, Get Me OUTSIDE Here! (a blog that should definitely have also been nominated) is responsible for getting us jazzed about these 7th annual Edublog awards, with the idea that those of us in early childhood education should have a place at the table. It sure would be nice if one or two of us could emerge on top. As far as I can tell no early years blog has ever won an Edublog award.

And for those of you who tuned in for more than just a bunch of blather about how us preschool teachers want you to love us (to really love us) I offer this update:

Still Getting The Kids To Do My Work For Me
A couple weeks ago I wrote about how the kids, unbeknownst to them, cleaned our dirty sensory table, over the course of several days.

In the end, however, there was still one more annoying task that needed to get done. I wanted the florist marbles (properly known as "dragon's tears" according to Alicia from A Magical Childhood) separated from the river rocks. So we set the tub in an overturned table with the simple statement: "Teacher Tom wants the jewels taken out."




Many hands do indeed make light work.

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18 comments:

Amber Greene said...

Hey Tom, glad I found you! How lovely to see a man working in early childhood! So lacking, and so needed. I feel refreshed by your commitment to EC education. I too, am an EC teacher but focusing now on parent education so that mums (and dads) really learn to value and love these early years with their children. I'd be honoured if you took a moment to check out my blog too. www.mamamoontime.com
Hope to see you soon! Amber

Play for Life said...

Tom you are such a sweetheart! Thank you so much for going in to bat for me and Sherry and our nomination. I've got to be completely honest and say I had no idea what the "edublog awards" were until Deborah Stewart informed us she had voted for "irresistible ideas" and I did some checking through Facebook to find out. Sherry and I have voted for You, naturally, Deborah, of course as well as PreKinders and funnily enough ourselves.
From what I know you're right about Pre-School education not having one any categories before so it would be FANTASTIC to see any one of us get across the line. Thanks once againt Tom for spreading the love around and good luck. If passion has anything to do with it you would definitely make a deserving winner!
Donna :) :)

jenny said...

Great post Tom: yeah, go preschools! And how could I not vote for a man who uses the word "behooves"?

Karen said...

Wow! I had no idea I had made it to this stage until just now reading your blog post! Thanks for voting for me!

Deborah said...

Haha Karen:) Tom - I love that you called me Beautiful and talented and now I am quite certain you need glasses:) LOL! Go Early Childhood!! Every already has my vote and I would love to see someone in this group make it to the top of the list!

Deborah said...

Ooops - I meant to say "everyone" already has my vote!

Morgan said...

Hi Tom! I'm so glad that you've posted this! I wasn't sure if others had nominated you as well, but I surely nominated you for Best Teacher Blog (and I nominated Irresistible Ideas... too!). I am so glad you both made it to the voting stages in the hopes that more and more people will get to read the amazing things you do. I love to read your blog regularly and find inspiration from your classroom.

Good Luck!!!

Morgan

Scott said...

It's great to vote for some of my favorite blog friends! And such great early childhood blogs.

Jason, as himself said...

Wow! Good for you. You certain do write the best teacher blog that I've ever read!

I've been trying to click over to vote...but is the link broken?

Jason, as himself said...

Never mind the broken link thing...my computer just has issues, I guess. I'm there!

Tonya Hache said...

Haha! My husband wanted his nuts and blots and screws to be sorted out for his workshop, so we decided to turn into a sorting activity for my 3 year old daughter! Check it out here in my latest entry what we set up for her:

http://rockabyebutterfly.blogspot.com/2010/12/muffin-tin-monday-books-nature-sorting.html

A Magical Childhood said...

I voted all around and hope you all get the credit you so fabulously deserve. :)

Laura said...

Voted! My husband and I love your blog and try to incorporate a lot of your ideas and daily play into our own two preschoolers every day lives. There are no cooperative pre-schools in our area and our children go to a private religious preschool; however, when they are home we have created a play based home (indoor and out)learning environment to ensure they are learning and experiencing through play! Kudos to you teacher Tom for making us better parents and ultimately successful, happy children.

Karen said...

Of course I voted for you! I'm a daily reader of your blog and facebook!!!
Good luck!

inspiredmontessori said...

Voted! And you deserve it! Good luck.

Juliet Robertson said...

Yes! I voted too! Thanks for the mention - quite honestly I don't feel that I'm in the same league as the "Power Bloggers" like yourself, Sherry & Donna and Jenny.

However I'm quite cross that "Let the Children Play" didn't make the shortlist. I hope Jenny will still be blogging as enthusiastically this time next year because I'm determined to ensure her blog doesn't slip through the net the next time round.

I'm making a note on my calendar and will begin the guerilla tactics in the middle of November...!

Meanwhile EVERYONE please spread the word and get Teacher Tom more votes. And all the other pre-school blogs too.

miss merril said...

Teach Tom for Prez :) You got my vote, thank you for an ever inspiring blog!

Amanda Helmkamp said...

Congratulations on the EduBlog Nominations! I tweet your posts ever time you update. Thanks for all of your stories and great ideas. You got my vote. Blessings