tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post4876850113882147917..comments2024-03-26T07:07:14.304-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: I Have This. I Don't Know What To Do.Teacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-29166584217496393082014-05-14T10:51:21.338-07:002014-05-14T10:51:21.338-07:00Hello Teacher Tom,
First, I love and appreciate ...Hello Teacher Tom, <br /><br />First, I love and appreciate your posts - thank you for doing what you do! <br /><br />Second, I, too, wanted to find a link to that video of the interactions about "the can". I see that you said you couldn't find it but would ask - did anything come of that? <br /><br />I did see that Tom Drummond seems to have a website now that has lots of resources, though I don't see that one there. Maybe it's hidden somewhere I can't see it? Here's the site, in case you don't know about it: http://earlylearningstories.com/<br /><br />Thanks again!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09190608710034327535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-56835853053242306422011-04-26T16:52:07.704-07:002011-04-26T16:52:07.704-07:00@Jess . . . thanks for the tip. I'll check it ...@Jess . . . thanks for the tip. I'll check it out!<br /><br />@Lucille . . . I do think a balance is possible, although you're probably asking the wrong guy. I've never taught anywhere but Woodland Park and while I do a little "instructing" every now and then, always with the idea of giving it up the moment the kids get restless, almost everything we do is straight ahead play-based and there's no pressure to do it otherwise.<br /><br />@Rainbow Angel . . . I'll see if I can find it. Thanks!Teacher Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-86946928996247059822011-04-26T14:03:46.366-07:002011-04-26T14:03:46.366-07:00Back in our Peace Corps days, my husband was the s...Back in our Peace Corps days, my husband was the science department at a new rural school. He inherited chemicals from someone and found them on the floor in the sun on his first day. His job involved teaching the students enough of the syllabus to pass the West African School Certificate. Laboratory work was required. Soon he had built a lab and collected water on the roof in barrels which ran into sinks in the new room. <br />The students criticized his methods at first because the experiments didn't always 'work'. There was much discussion of what an experiment actually is. They had thought it was a teacher showing them how to arrive at the 'correct' answer. They learned his definition quickly! Amazingly, every student passed!<br /><br />Later on, with our son, Cuisinaire rods were used at his pre-school. To this day they appeal to me because they are so beautiful. But I find that a great deal of exploratory time is necessary before some of the games can begin. Touching and feeling and talking and making pictures with them before ever thinking of sizes and math! I think that exploring time is important for all sorts of things, no matter the age. I think that is one reason kids are better with computers than I am. They have no fear of exploring "what happens if you click here" and try something.Gardenbughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04397016484686334001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-24825479552660950622011-04-26T01:42:37.885-07:002011-04-26T01:42:37.885-07:00By the way, there is a wonderful (brief) video tra...By the way, there is a wonderful (brief) video trailer available to watch on Amy Valen's website: <a href="http://www.augusttojune.com" rel="nofollow">www.augusttojune.com</a>. <br /><br><br /><br><br />Anxious to hear your thoughts about it after you check it out. Highly recommend seeing it in its entirety at some point if at all possible. Now if only the Obama's would watch this film and learn about how children really learn best, which absolutely IS NOT... "No Child Left Behind."<br><br /><br><br />Warmly,<br><br />Chantal<br /><br><br /><br>Earth Caring Rainbow Angelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10225974227151177004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-72992168313220209032011-04-25T21:39:52.399-07:002011-04-25T21:39:52.399-07:00Tom - This is such an interesting topic. Thanks s...Tom - This is such an interesting topic. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. And, I love your main blog photo. ; )<br /><br />Heather <br />PreschoolBuddy.com &<br />localfunforkids.comHeather @ PreschoolBuddy.comhttp://www.PreschoolBuddy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-7258937824119497992011-04-25T11:31:17.933-07:002011-04-25T11:31:17.933-07:00Hey Tom,
I'm soooooo happy to see this discuss...Hey Tom,<br />I'm soooooo happy to see this discussion occurring on here. It is such an incredibly important one that is addressed brilliantly in the new film "August to June" with Amy Valens. It takes place in a Marin County Public Parent Participation Cooperative Elementary School. Very worth hosting a screening of this for all your parents to see. <br />www.augusttojune.comEarth Caring Rainbow Angelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10225974227151177004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-72178018755497648422011-04-25T05:10:38.194-07:002011-04-25T05:10:38.194-07:00I enjoyed reading your post today. I've taught...I enjoyed reading your post today. I've taught kindergarten in public school for 23 years and the changes that have developed are heartbreaking. We do a lot of teacher directed lessons but an experienced teacher can find ways to "sneak" in developmentally appropriate practices. My question to you is, Do you think it is possible to have a balance between the two approaches?Lucillenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-10925657212927034432011-04-24T20:31:49.418-07:002011-04-24T20:31:49.418-07:00Have you explored The City and Country School webs...Have you explored The City and Country School website? It's based in NYC and of course private and super expensive. However, why couldn't we use schools such as these as a model for all public schools? It's proven. It works. Let's do it! :)Jessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-90539587253756055342011-04-24T19:58:56.719-07:002011-04-24T19:58:56.719-07:00If Tom's video is online, it isn't easy to...If Tom's video is online, it isn't easy to find. I looked for it this morning while writing this. I'll try to get in touch with him and see if he still has it. I was from over a decade ago, so I don't have high hopes.<br /><br />@Alex and Abby . . . thanks for the links. I'll check them out.Teacher Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-49885297909146362662011-04-24T19:54:53.871-07:002011-04-24T19:54:53.871-07:00I also would love to see Tom's video. I love ...I also would love to see Tom's video. I love all your musings and am right there with you in terms of pedagogy. I just saw this video and thought you might be interested: http.//DrTae.org/Abby Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10234502424471071832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-88124574437378599962011-04-24T17:49:23.800-07:002011-04-24T17:49:23.800-07:00I love the "I have this." So inspiring ...I love the "I have this." So inspiring to consider that such a statement can lead to so much interest, learning, inquiring, predicting and so on.Deborahhttp://www.teachpreschool.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-49266239383615662922011-04-24T17:15:43.518-07:002011-04-24T17:15:43.518-07:00Your post reminded me of this video about the tend...Your post reminded me of this video about the tendency of the school system to teach children to seek just one answer at the expense of divergent thinking and thereby creativity: http://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/rsa-animate-changing-education-paradigmsAlexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-18003575484904494052011-04-24T14:40:39.863-07:002011-04-24T14:40:39.863-07:00Is the video of Tom Drummond and the paint availab...Is the video of Tom Drummond and the paint available online? I would love to view it.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17812008193172298399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-89737442299495165822011-04-24T13:39:18.704-07:002011-04-24T13:39:18.704-07:00Hi Tom,
I have a new 3.5 year old in my life and I...Hi Tom,<br />I have a new 3.5 year old in my life and I've noticed that I instinctivly(?) started following this method with him, rather than trying to "teach him" stuff. Somehow, I just thought it would be more interesting and fun to ask him questions about new things, rather than to tell him about them. And it *is* more fun and more interesting. Part of me thought I might be doing something "wrong", though, and I'm happy to read your post and get some reinforcement. <br />Thanks and happy Spring!<br />EliElinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-81794219672854621252011-04-24T09:40:26.740-07:002011-04-24T09:40:26.740-07:00Many parents, carers, grownups and children know a...Many parents, carers, grownups and children know about this different paradigm of learning and have long before school came along, and even without formal, published scientific study (see: autodidactic learning/unschooling/life learning). Living our lives like this has been an incredible experience, and one our family would (thus far) not trade for school (the way school is today) for anything!<br /><br />I've long thought about how stifling memorize-and-regurgitate is for children, but it must not be that much fun for teachers either!<br /><br />Thanks for your post.kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08183686721305419157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-7698945255070396952011-04-24T09:01:00.456-07:002011-04-24T09:01:00.456-07:00Tom. Thanks for the Easter morning post. Always am...Tom. Thanks for the Easter morning post. Always am inspired by your perspective and your style in which you offer your ideas in the blogosphere.<br />Ensuring time for children to be the meaning makers of "this" or "that" - it is the richest experience as an early learning educator, absolutely.<br />Love the connection to your own inspiration teacher and his Can of Paint. Reminds me of a day in my 4s/5s class when a child brought in a bag of tomatoes from his garden. We ended up having a long Tomato investigation at meeting - dialogue, squishing, rolling, comparing, all that. We finally cut one tomato in half to explore inside and a child exclaimed "That part looks like a Stegosaurus!" as he examined one particular cut piece. We then had Tomato Dinosaurs around the room for the rest of the week and adventure stories written to bring TD to life.<br />Meaning makers. Can of Paint. Bag of Tomatoes. Best job.Jeanne Zuechhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04937382280710368749noreply@blogger.com