Various inspirations

Soak up

I find that all of the information and perspectives that I bring to these posts come from the ideas and perspectives of others. But isn't that the same for everyone? We build on information that we've received, adding more insight (hopefully), and sharing more knowledge, more facets to the same diamond. Well, I wanted to take a moment to share with you some of the sources of my inspiration. They are often a mix of books, podcasts and conversations. In the future, I hope to have a separate page on my blog that is dedicated to gathering different resources, both for teachers and everyone else. I've been trying to embrace this extended time of sheltering in place by engaging in

"sponge work" And no, Montessorians, I don't mean the practical life activity that aids children in building the muscles in their hands by transferring water from one bowl to another via sponge. I just mean taking the time to learn as much as I can through reading lots of books, listening to lots of podcasts, and generally trying to engage my mind and body in activities that will promote health and godliness. I don't know what my future holds in any respect. So I might as well better myself in this "in between" time. With that said, below you'll find a list of books,podcasts, and practices that I've engaged in to promote my own mental health and journey in godliness. I hope you enjoy. Check out my podcast to hear more about my thoughts regarding these resources

Podcasts

All Things Montessori (shout outs to Jamie and Rachel)

Montessori Notebook (Simone Davies)

Code Switch (NPR)

The Urban Alternative (Pastor Tony Evans)

The Daily (New York Times)

Books

Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan

Invisible Man Ralph Ellison

Montessori and Mindfulness by Susan Mayclin Stephenson

We were eight years in power Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Holy Bible by God

Practices

Pray (to Jesus)...a lot

Meditate (just keep breathing)

Take walks often

Get your hands in the dirt (garden if you can)

Write (gratitude journal, blog, letters, etc.)

Talk to a human, perhaps two; they can be big ones or little ones

Comments

A return

It's been a long while since I've used writing as an outlet for thinking about Montessori pedagogy. But I have been using my voice in other ways. When I was growing up, I was slow to speak and would more likely be found writing in a journal rather than talking to others. There are some tendencies (not in the Montessori sense) that stick with you, even into adulthood. But lately, even in shyness, I've been speaking more rather than writing; sometimes to my colleagues regarding the lessons I've learned about the classroom; sometimes to parents to remind them that they are doing the most difficult of jobs, and that I know they're child well. But what I'd forgotten is how the written word has a magic to it that cannot--or perhaps ought not--be forsaken. It is in the written word that the ideas of one person can be conveyed, at least in part, to a completely different person. And in that transfer, hearts can be shared as well as minds. It's how I learned about...

Riches beyond compare

Right now I am on Spring break, so it allows me the opportunity to be able to write. I'm thankful for this. But I am also thankful for the privilege of being able to teach in a lot of different spaces, to children of all ages. Teachers are an interesting breed, especially those guides of young children. They tend to have such big hearts, yet can also be prone towards wanting to control our little towns inside our classrooms, forgetting the bigger picture. Depending on the type of guide you are (in public school, or private school, Montessori or otherwise) you have such a limited time with these little ones. The mark that you have on their lives will go well beyond your own. The same is true for the families we get to serve. Usually we are with them at the beginning of their journey as parents. So it speaks to the type of impact we can have on everyone in the household. What a privilege to carry. And yet it's so exhausting. The self control and thoughtfulness is far be...

Woke to Blackness (Origin Stories part 2)

What is this hand holding onto? From the earliest time that I can remember, there was an understanding that I had to be careful. My parents taught me to look sharply at my surroundings, at the media that I encountered--mostly on the television--and to act accordingly. On one level, I understood that when I went out into the world, I represent my family name; it was important that I held that name in honor. But it wasn't until later that I began to put the pieces together--that one of the major reasons I had to be careful and do things differently was because I was a black person. I wasn't given "the talk" per se. There wasn't a specific moment in my teens where my mother and father pulled me to the side to remind me that, because of the color of my skin, if I were stopped by the police, there were certain strategies I needed to employ to get home alive. Honestly, I didn't have a lot of friends growing up and the opportunity to use the family car was limited ...

Grace and Courtesy

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