Favorite excerpts from Finnish School Article
kkraczek1969
Hello, I'm a newbie around here, but I have found the discussions
fascinating enough to jump in- hope no one minds!
Kristin
These are my favorite excerpts from an article I found on the Finnish
School System.
Learning by doing
Back to the classrooms: some of the groups are being taught in their
own home classrooms, they are studying Finnish and mathematics, for
instance. For these lessons, the pupils determine weekly targets with
their teachers and choose the tasks they then carry out at their own
pace. Some groups are taking their turn in the workshops, learning
through practical training and by doing things themselves. For
instance, each group spends a week at a time in the magazine workshop,
working on their group's own publication. Few textbooks are used, but
the children carry a number of different notebooks around in their
rucksacks, and in these notebooks they record information and various
tasks. The lessons are by no means spent in silent memorization; the
children walk around, gather information, ask for advice from their
teacher, cooperate with other pupils, and occasionally even rest on
the sofa. The classroom situation is active, but the teacher never
lets go of the reins the teachers in this school have authority,
which reduces the need for authoritarian methods.
The art class
The duration of a lesson is ninety minutes. The pupils usually spend
the thirty-minute recess outside, regardless of the weather. There are
fixtures for outdoor play in the schoolyard, and next to the school
there is a large sports field that the pupils are free to use for
football in the summer and skating in the winter.
The school follows the pedagogical principles of the Frenchman
Célestin Freinet, who underlines learning by doing and community
orientation. Mrs Ristolainen-Husu points out that both the Finnish
national core curriculum and the Helsinki city curriculum comply with
Freinet's ideas, but that the Strömberg School takes the model one
step further, since the facilities have been designed to support
workshop study and pupil activity from the very beginning.
This also means that the school has age group integrated classes, i.e.
each group has children from two different age groups. Differences may
be substantial between children of the same age, but in an
age-integrated group differences are taken for granted and there is
less comparison. Those who are slower or faster than average are given
tasks that suit their needs.
In Finland, school education stretches over a long period of time;
most people do not qualify for their professions before the age of 20,
and a significant number of higher education students do not do so
before the age of 25. The goal is lifelong learning; there are plenty
of further training opportunities supported by the public sector for
adults already working in an occupation, and it is by no means a rare
phenomenon for people to learn a new profession later in life.
Religion is taught with due respect to family values
Most Finns are members of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, and their
children participate in instruction in their own religion. Members of
other religious groups are also entitled to instruction in their own
religion if a minimum of three pupils form a study group.
Those who are not members of a religious group are exempted from
instruction in religion. Instead, they study ethics throughout their
school career, comprising instruction in ethics, religions and
interpersonal skills.
Options for both pupils and teachers
Options increase as the school career proceeds. Apart from this, many
municipalities have upper comprehensive and upper secondary level
schools with weighted curricula focusing on subjects such as music,
art or sports.
The teaching staff in Finnish schools is highly educated.
Qualifications for all school levels require a Master of Arts
university degree including extensive pedagogical study and
qualifications in special subjects.
The high educational level of teachers allows them to plan their work
and choose their methods independently. The Finnish school system is
based on a culture of trust, not on control, and teachers are active
in developing their own work. With their own work, they set an example
of lifelong learning.
Understanding children's needs the key to success
According to the survey, the strength of the Finnish school system is
that it guarantees equal learning opportunities regardless of social
background. Instead of comparison between pupils, the focus is on
supporting and guiding pupils with special needs. Very few children
need to repeat grades.
The success of Finnish pupils is explained by a number of factors.
Small children's feelings of safety and motivation are increased by
the fact that they are taught by a single teacher and that no grading
is used in assessment. Relations between teachers and pupils are
natural and warm in Finnish schools. Special attention is paid to
creating a pleasant and stimulating school environment.
Finland has a comprehensive library network with an advanced level of
services, which supports school education. Finns are extremely avid
readers. A further factor supporting the learning of foreign languages
is that Finnish television uses subtitles instead of dubbing
foreign-language programmes.
fascinating enough to jump in- hope no one minds!
Kristin
These are my favorite excerpts from an article I found on the Finnish
School System.
Learning by doing
Back to the classrooms: some of the groups are being taught in their
own home classrooms, they are studying Finnish and mathematics, for
instance. For these lessons, the pupils determine weekly targets with
their teachers and choose the tasks they then carry out at their own
pace. Some groups are taking their turn in the workshops, learning
through practical training and by doing things themselves. For
instance, each group spends a week at a time in the magazine workshop,
working on their group's own publication. Few textbooks are used, but
the children carry a number of different notebooks around in their
rucksacks, and in these notebooks they record information and various
tasks. The lessons are by no means spent in silent memorization; the
children walk around, gather information, ask for advice from their
teacher, cooperate with other pupils, and occasionally even rest on
the sofa. The classroom situation is active, but the teacher never
lets go of the reins the teachers in this school have authority,
which reduces the need for authoritarian methods.
The art class
The duration of a lesson is ninety minutes. The pupils usually spend
the thirty-minute recess outside, regardless of the weather. There are
fixtures for outdoor play in the schoolyard, and next to the school
there is a large sports field that the pupils are free to use for
football in the summer and skating in the winter.
The school follows the pedagogical principles of the Frenchman
Célestin Freinet, who underlines learning by doing and community
orientation. Mrs Ristolainen-Husu points out that both the Finnish
national core curriculum and the Helsinki city curriculum comply with
Freinet's ideas, but that the Strömberg School takes the model one
step further, since the facilities have been designed to support
workshop study and pupil activity from the very beginning.
This also means that the school has age group integrated classes, i.e.
each group has children from two different age groups. Differences may
be substantial between children of the same age, but in an
age-integrated group differences are taken for granted and there is
less comparison. Those who are slower or faster than average are given
tasks that suit their needs.
In Finland, school education stretches over a long period of time;
most people do not qualify for their professions before the age of 20,
and a significant number of higher education students do not do so
before the age of 25. The goal is lifelong learning; there are plenty
of further training opportunities supported by the public sector for
adults already working in an occupation, and it is by no means a rare
phenomenon for people to learn a new profession later in life.
Religion is taught with due respect to family values
Most Finns are members of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, and their
children participate in instruction in their own religion. Members of
other religious groups are also entitled to instruction in their own
religion if a minimum of three pupils form a study group.
Those who are not members of a religious group are exempted from
instruction in religion. Instead, they study ethics throughout their
school career, comprising instruction in ethics, religions and
interpersonal skills.
Options for both pupils and teachers
Options increase as the school career proceeds. Apart from this, many
municipalities have upper comprehensive and upper secondary level
schools with weighted curricula focusing on subjects such as music,
art or sports.
The teaching staff in Finnish schools is highly educated.
Qualifications for all school levels require a Master of Arts
university degree including extensive pedagogical study and
qualifications in special subjects.
The high educational level of teachers allows them to plan their work
and choose their methods independently. The Finnish school system is
based on a culture of trust, not on control, and teachers are active
in developing their own work. With their own work, they set an example
of lifelong learning.
Understanding children's needs the key to success
According to the survey, the strength of the Finnish school system is
that it guarantees equal learning opportunities regardless of social
background. Instead of comparison between pupils, the focus is on
supporting and guiding pupils with special needs. Very few children
need to repeat grades.
The success of Finnish pupils is explained by a number of factors.
Small children's feelings of safety and motivation are increased by
the fact that they are taught by a single teacher and that no grading
is used in assessment. Relations between teachers and pupils are
natural and warm in Finnish schools. Special attention is paid to
creating a pleasant and stimulating school environment.
Finland has a comprehensive library network with an advanced level of
services, which supports school education. Finns are extremely avid
readers. A further factor supporting the learning of foreign languages
is that Finnish television uses subtitles instead of dubbing
foreign-language programmes.
kkraczek1969
Sorry everyone, wrong board, but still a fascinating article! :)
>
> Hello, I'm a newbie around here, but I have found the discussions
> fascinating enough to jump in- hope no one minds!
>
> Kristin
>
> These are my favorite excerpts from an article I found on the Finnish
> School System.
>
>
>
>
> Learning by doing
>
> Back to the classrooms: some of the groups are being taught in their
> own home classrooms, they are studying Finnish and mathematics, for
> instance. For these lessons, the pupils determine weekly targets with
> their teachers and choose the tasks they then carry out at their own
> pace. Some groups are taking their turn in the workshops, learning
> through practical training and by doing things themselves. For
> instance, each group spends a week at a time in the magazine workshop,
> working on their group's own publication. Few textbooks are used, but
> the children carry a number of different notebooks around in their
> rucksacks, and in these notebooks they record information and various
> tasks. The lessons are by no means spent in silent memorization; the
> children walk around, gather information, ask for advice from their
> teacher, cooperate with other pupils, and occasionally even rest on
> the sofa. The classroom situation is active, but the teacher never
> lets go of the reins the teachers in this school have authority,
> which reduces the need for authoritarian methods.
>
>
> The art class
>
> The duration of a lesson is ninety minutes. The pupils usually spend
> the thirty-minute recess outside, regardless of the weather. There are
> fixtures for outdoor play in the schoolyard, and next to the school
> there is a large sports field that the pupils are free to use for
> football in the summer and skating in the winter.
>
> The school follows the pedagogical principles of the Frenchman
> Célestin Freinet, who underlines learning by doing and community
> orientation. Mrs Ristolainen-Husu points out that both the Finnish
> national core curriculum and the Helsinki city curriculum comply with
> Freinet's ideas, but that the Strömberg School takes the model one
> step further, since the facilities have been designed to support
> workshop study and pupil activity from the very beginning.
> This also means that the school has age group integrated classes, i.e.
> each group has children from two different age groups. Differences may
> be substantial between children of the same age, but in an
> age-integrated group differences are taken for granted and there is
> less comparison. Those who are slower or faster than average are given
> tasks that suit their needs.
>
>
> In Finland, school education stretches over a long period of time;
> most people do not qualify for their professions before the age of 20,
> and a significant number of higher education students do not do so
> before the age of 25. The goal is lifelong learning; there are plenty
> of further training opportunities supported by the public sector for
> adults already working in an occupation, and it is by no means a rare
> phenomenon for people to learn a new profession later in life.
>
> Religion is taught with due respect to family values
>
> Most Finns are members of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, and their
> children participate in instruction in their own religion. Members of
> other religious groups are also entitled to instruction in their own
> religion if a minimum of three pupils form a study group.
> Those who are not members of a religious group are exempted from
> instruction in religion. Instead, they study ethics throughout their
> school career, comprising instruction in ethics, religions and
> interpersonal skills.
>
> Options for both pupils and teachers
>
> Options increase as the school career proceeds. Apart from this, many
> municipalities have upper comprehensive and upper secondary level
> schools with weighted curricula focusing on subjects such as music,
> art or sports.
>
> The teaching staff in Finnish schools is highly educated.
> Qualifications for all school levels require a Master of Arts
> university degree including extensive pedagogical study and
> qualifications in special subjects.
> The high educational level of teachers allows them to plan their work
> and choose their methods independently. The Finnish school system is
> based on a culture of trust, not on control, and teachers are active
> in developing their own work. With their own work, they set an example
> of lifelong learning.
>
> Understanding children's needs the key to success
>
> According to the survey, the strength of the Finnish school system is
> that it guarantees equal learning opportunities regardless of social
> background. Instead of comparison between pupils, the focus is on
> supporting and guiding pupils with special needs. Very few children
> need to repeat grades.
>
> The success of Finnish pupils is explained by a number of factors.
> Small children's feelings of safety and motivation are increased by
> the fact that they are taught by a single teacher and that no grading
> is used in assessment. Relations between teachers and pupils are
> natural and warm in Finnish schools. Special attention is paid to
> creating a pleasant and stimulating school environment.
>
> Finland has a comprehensive library network with an advanced level of
> services, which supports school education. Finns are extremely avid
> readers. A further factor supporting the learning of foreign languages
> is that Finnish television uses subtitles instead of dubbing
> foreign-language programmes.
>
Tina
Carol, that's true, I hadn't thought about that!! We were traveling through Kansas on our way to Idaho there right after Thanksgiving and got trapped by a blizzard and had to find a motel in a dinky little town, and when we finally found one and got in the room, the power went out. My mom happened to have glowsticks in her bag of stuff (I think she must be Mary Poppins!!) and she gave the kids each one, they were so happy!! I wasn't so happy, as I got smacked with glow sticks all night long, but the kids were able to settle down and sleep, so it was worth it I guess.
°Ü° Tina Rod. °Ü°
Dysfunctional Domestic Diva
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
°Ü° Tina Rod. °Ü°
Dysfunctional Domestic Diva
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
We had a good day yesterday, and I thought I'd share it.
The morning began with all four of us watching a video in the girls' room.
That was cozy. Then things fell apart. When it was over I asked if either
of the girls wanted to go to Sunday School. Faye did, and I said that she
only had 20 minutes to get ready - get dressed, eat breakfast, etc. This
could get long, but I'll make it sure by saying that this led to crying,
screaming and misery for all of us. Dh and I handled it terribly. We
treated Faye disrespectfully and each other. It was a true low point. I
was in tears as Dh took both girls to Sunday School.
Later Dh and I talked about the morning and what we could have done
differently. All four of us felt terrible. I shared the train metaphor
with him. I said I knew we all felt horrible; that I was noticing that
interactions between all members of the family lacked respect at times,
and that the changes had to start with us. He agreed. Amazingly, neither
of us suggested forgetting this whole path. I really think we're beyond
that, which is exciting in and of itself. we did talk about how difficult
it is right now to see where we want to go but to still be operating under
old habits and old voices. One of the things we mentioned about how the
morning could have been different was that we could have brought food into
the room during the video, because I'm sure all of our sugar levels were
low by the time the video was over.
We don't take food in the bedrooms at this point. My uptightness
also manifests itself in not wanting crumbs ''all over the house''. Dh
asked if there was any way I could let go of the crumbs thing. I said I
guess anything is possible. He asked if I WANT to, and I realized I
couldn't say yes to that. In thinking about that I once again remembered
Ren saying that there is a little girl inside me trying to hold my world
together. I said that to dh and then I started to break down. I said, "If
I can't control the crumbs... if I can't even control the crumbs..." I
couldn't even go on. I cried and cried. Dh came and held me. I was now
physically exhausted. We committed again to respect of all members of the
family, of trying to stay in the moment...
Later in the day, Dh took the girls to the park and the library,
and then we all met at a pizza place for supper. When we got home, I got
out some of those glowsticks you can get at the dollar store. We turned
out all the lights in the house, and the girls led dh and I around the
house with the help of their lights. That turned into a game of hide and
seek, with the person who was hiding using the glow sticks to point the
way to where s/he was. We had a great time. In the middle of it, Faye said
"I love you Mama. I love you Papa. I love Annika too, but she's not here."
(she was hiding at that moment). Annika says that spontaneously often, but
Faye does not, so it was quite special. After hide and seek, the girls
wanted us to sit around the glowsticks like a campfire and sing songs. We
did, and we ended this time with Annika singing a made-up song and then
Faye singing a made-up song. Annika's went like this: "Christmas is
special, with Santa and reindeer bringing present and presents and more
presents. Oh Christmas is special to me. I hope Christmas will always be
special to you and me." Then Faye sang: "Mountains are pretty, and so are
flowers in spring-time. Summer is fun. In fall we have such a wonderful
time. In winter I like to make snow angels and snowmen too. Always
remember the most important is love." All this sung in the darkness with
only the light of the glowsticks. Dh and I both cried.
Afterward Faye kept saying what a great day this had been. She
thanked me and thanked me for getting out the glowsticks. Right before bed
she came to me again and said, "Mama, you had the idea, and we all made
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you, and I thank you. And I
forgive you for screaming."
Wow. Yes, this is the path for us. At times it can be so simple, just
following their lead, and it brings so much joy. I don't know when I've
last seen Faye that happy. (she's our HS one) We're going to hang in
there. Thank you again for all your support.
Gayle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The morning began with all four of us watching a video in the girls' room.
That was cozy. Then things fell apart. When it was over I asked if either
of the girls wanted to go to Sunday School. Faye did, and I said that she
only had 20 minutes to get ready - get dressed, eat breakfast, etc. This
could get long, but I'll make it sure by saying that this led to crying,
screaming and misery for all of us. Dh and I handled it terribly. We
treated Faye disrespectfully and each other. It was a true low point. I
was in tears as Dh took both girls to Sunday School.
Later Dh and I talked about the morning and what we could have done
differently. All four of us felt terrible. I shared the train metaphor
with him. I said I knew we all felt horrible; that I was noticing that
interactions between all members of the family lacked respect at times,
and that the changes had to start with us. He agreed. Amazingly, neither
of us suggested forgetting this whole path. I really think we're beyond
that, which is exciting in and of itself. we did talk about how difficult
it is right now to see where we want to go but to still be operating under
old habits and old voices. One of the things we mentioned about how the
morning could have been different was that we could have brought food into
the room during the video, because I'm sure all of our sugar levels were
low by the time the video was over.
We don't take food in the bedrooms at this point. My uptightness
also manifests itself in not wanting crumbs ''all over the house''. Dh
asked if there was any way I could let go of the crumbs thing. I said I
guess anything is possible. He asked if I WANT to, and I realized I
couldn't say yes to that. In thinking about that I once again remembered
Ren saying that there is a little girl inside me trying to hold my world
together. I said that to dh and then I started to break down. I said, "If
I can't control the crumbs... if I can't even control the crumbs..." I
couldn't even go on. I cried and cried. Dh came and held me. I was now
physically exhausted. We committed again to respect of all members of the
family, of trying to stay in the moment...
Later in the day, Dh took the girls to the park and the library,
and then we all met at a pizza place for supper. When we got home, I got
out some of those glowsticks you can get at the dollar store. We turned
out all the lights in the house, and the girls led dh and I around the
house with the help of their lights. That turned into a game of hide and
seek, with the person who was hiding using the glow sticks to point the
way to where s/he was. We had a great time. In the middle of it, Faye said
"I love you Mama. I love you Papa. I love Annika too, but she's not here."
(she was hiding at that moment). Annika says that spontaneously often, but
Faye does not, so it was quite special. After hide and seek, the girls
wanted us to sit around the glowsticks like a campfire and sing songs. We
did, and we ended this time with Annika singing a made-up song and then
Faye singing a made-up song. Annika's went like this: "Christmas is
special, with Santa and reindeer bringing present and presents and more
presents. Oh Christmas is special to me. I hope Christmas will always be
special to you and me." Then Faye sang: "Mountains are pretty, and so are
flowers in spring-time. Summer is fun. In fall we have such a wonderful
time. In winter I like to make snow angels and snowmen too. Always
remember the most important is love." All this sung in the darkness with
only the light of the glowsticks. Dh and I both cried.
Afterward Faye kept saying what a great day this had been. She
thanked me and thanked me for getting out the glowsticks. Right before bed
she came to me again and said, "Mama, you had the idea, and we all made
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you, and I thank you. And I
forgive you for screaming."
Wow. Yes, this is the path for us. At times it can be so simple, just
following their lead, and it brings so much joy. I don't know when I've
last seen Faye that happy. (she's our HS one) We're going to hang in
there. Thank you again for all your support.
Gayle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
~"Mama, you had the idea, and we all made
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you, and I thank you. And I
forgive you for screaming."~
OMG...I'm sitting here crying now. This whole post was a really
beautiful example of healing and growth.
I'm SO glad your dh is there as support, that's huge.
Wow.
A practical suggestion....get some tray tables, or a cheap plastic
tablecloth to throw on the floor when they eat somewhere that bothers
you. A bit of remedy while you're trying to heal that scared child
within.
Hugs,
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you, and I thank you. And I
forgive you for screaming."~
OMG...I'm sitting here crying now. This whole post was a really
beautiful example of healing and growth.
I'm SO glad your dh is there as support, that's huge.
Wow.
A practical suggestion....get some tray tables, or a cheap plastic
tablecloth to throw on the floor when they eat somewhere that bothers
you. A bit of remedy while you're trying to heal that scared child
within.
Hugs,
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
[email protected]
"This
could get long, but I'll make it sure by saying..."
---oops this was supposed to be 'short'
"Mama, you had the idea, and we all made
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you,
---oops again, this should have been 'without you'
Gayle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
could get long, but I'll make it sure by saying..."
---oops this was supposed to be 'short'
"Mama, you had the idea, and we all made
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you,
---oops again, this should have been 'without you'
Gayle
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
WOW!
Thank you so much for sharing that...now I want to share, too!!!
Lisa
_____________________________________________________________
Netscape. Just the Net You Need.
Thank you so much for sharing that...now I want to share, too!!!
Lisa
_____________________________________________________________
Netscape. Just the Net You Need.
[email protected]
Thanks Tyra. It's so nice to have people with whom to share this.
Gayle
Gayle,
How beautiful! You daughters' songs made me cry. That is so powerful. I
will say that since I have embarked on my radical unschooling path, my
older son, Khalfani, says I love you, Mommy so much more. I am so happy
for you!
Love
Tyra
on-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Gayle
Gayle,
How beautiful! You daughters' songs made me cry. That is so powerful. I
will say that since I have embarked on my radical unschooling path, my
older son, Khalfani, says I love you, Mommy so much more. I am so happy
for you!
Love
Tyra
on-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
Great! Please do.
Gayle
WOW!
Thank you so much for sharing that...now I want to share, too!!!
Lisa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Gayle
WOW!
Thank you so much for sharing that...now I want to share, too!!!
Lisa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
So nice of you to share in the tears.
Thanks for the practical suggestions too. Those are key right now.
Gayle
~"Mama, you had the idea, and we all made
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you, and I thank you. And I
forgive you for screaming."~
OMG...I'm sitting here crying now. This whole post was a really
beautiful example of healing and growth.
I'm SO glad your dh is there as support, that's huge.
Wow.
A practical suggestion....get some tray tables, or a cheap plastic
tablecloth to throw on the floor when they eat somewhere that bothers
you. A bit of remedy while you're trying to heal that scared child
within.
Hugs,
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
Visit your group "unschoolingbasics" on the web.
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Thanks for the practical suggestions too. Those are key right now.
Gayle
~"Mama, you had the idea, and we all made
the fun, but we couldn't have done it with you, and I thank you. And I
forgive you for screaming."~
OMG...I'm sitting here crying now. This whole post was a really
beautiful example of healing and growth.
I'm SO glad your dh is there as support, that's huge.
Wow.
A practical suggestion....get some tray tables, or a cheap plastic
tablecloth to throw on the floor when they eat somewhere that bothers
you. A bit of remedy while you're trying to heal that scared child
within.
Hugs,
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
Visit your group "unschoolingbasics" on the web.
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Mother Earth (Tyra)
Gayle,
How beautiful! You daughters' songs made me cry. That is so powerful. I will say that since I have embarked on my radical unschooling path, my older son, Khalfani, says I love you, Mommy so much more. I am so happy for you!
Love
Tyra
How beautiful! You daughters' songs made me cry. That is so powerful. I will say that since I have embarked on my radical unschooling path, my older son, Khalfani, says I love you, Mommy so much more. I am so happy for you!
Love
Tyra
----- Original Message -----
From: alder7run@...
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 7:54 AM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] Our Sunday
We had a good day yesterday, and I thought I'd share it.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
Gayle,
Thank you for sharing. I think many of us have at times fallen apart in the early part of the day and have defined our whole day by this one moment in an otherwise glorious day. I have a few thoughts on transitions as they seem to be the worst part still in our home.
Really breif the kids before hand, letting them know your plans. It is ok to be late, even to Sunday school. A rushed attitude is what sets my HS kids off. They totally pick up my energy. I do it still, 11 years along this path. Bring food and clothes to the kids and help them as much as possible. Tessa often changes and eats in the car. She's 6 and transitioning from pj's to clothes is difficult for her. Somehow out of the house is easier for her to handle. And acknowledging it is a transition and it is difficult helps me stayed in the moment of getti g ready and not already feeling late.
BUT, my main reason for posting a reply is to say how warm I felt reading how your night ended, full of love all around by the warm glow of glowsticks. Eveyone connecting, forgiving, laughing and loving.
And I needed to say My big strong 9 in 2 days son blows me a big kiss and says I love you mom every time I drop him off at his swim practice.
Mary
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Thank you for sharing. I think many of us have at times fallen apart in the early part of the day and have defined our whole day by this one moment in an otherwise glorious day. I have a few thoughts on transitions as they seem to be the worst part still in our home.
Really breif the kids before hand, letting them know your plans. It is ok to be late, even to Sunday school. A rushed attitude is what sets my HS kids off. They totally pick up my energy. I do it still, 11 years along this path. Bring food and clothes to the kids and help them as much as possible. Tessa often changes and eats in the car. She's 6 and transitioning from pj's to clothes is difficult for her. Somehow out of the house is easier for her to handle. And acknowledging it is a transition and it is difficult helps me stayed in the moment of getti g ready and not already feeling late.
BUT, my main reason for posting a reply is to say how warm I felt reading how your night ended, full of love all around by the warm glow of glowsticks. Eveyone connecting, forgiving, laughing and loving.
And I needed to say My big strong 9 in 2 days son blows me a big kiss and says I love you mom every time I drop him off at his swim practice.
Mary
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
"BUT, my main reason for posting a reply is to say how warm I felt
reading how your night ended, full of love all around by the warm glow
of glowsticks."
Speaking of glowsticks, my kids figured out they look really cool in a
jar of water one time. Very ethereal.
Sandra and I had a conversation about glowsticks once and she said it
looks really cool if you attach two glowsticks to LONG yarn or string
and throw them up over branches in a tree.
Can you imagine a tree full of glowsticks? How cool.
When I was gone once, and an unschooling Mum was helping take care of
my kids, I left a bag of fun stuff for them. They had those glowsticks
that are thin and long (necklaces) and Millie wrapped them all through
a whiffle ball, then rolled it around to each other in the dark. I
heard ALL about it!
I'm sure there are a million ways to enjoy glowsticks..they're so cool.
Oh! There's this great discount site I like to visit. They had all
different colored glowsticks last time I was there...aqua and purple
and white etc....
Check out sciplus.com. Some really fun and bizarre stuff there...gets
your creative juices flowing!
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
reading how your night ended, full of love all around by the warm glow
of glowsticks."
Speaking of glowsticks, my kids figured out they look really cool in a
jar of water one time. Very ethereal.
Sandra and I had a conversation about glowsticks once and she said it
looks really cool if you attach two glowsticks to LONG yarn or string
and throw them up over branches in a tree.
Can you imagine a tree full of glowsticks? How cool.
When I was gone once, and an unschooling Mum was helping take care of
my kids, I left a bag of fun stuff for them. They had those glowsticks
that are thin and long (necklaces) and Millie wrapped them all through
a whiffle ball, then rolled it around to each other in the dark. I
heard ALL about it!
I'm sure there are a million ways to enjoy glowsticks..they're so cool.
Oh! There's this great discount site I like to visit. They had all
different colored glowsticks last time I was there...aqua and purple
and white etc....
Check out sciplus.com. Some really fun and bizarre stuff there...gets
your creative juices flowing!
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
camden
We love glow sticks !! We buy them buy bulk on ebay. When we have a party
they are the hit, the kids & adults love taking a handful of them & making
stuff. On Halloween we decorated our whole yard with them. The kids had a
blast decorating the playhouse. Alex even made a really odd (creative but
odd) costume out of them :) We also decorated our pine tree out front with
them.
The other thing they come in handy for is when our lights go out. We string
them all over the house & don't need any candles or oil lanterns going ( &
with a crew of 6 they are safer than candles or lanterns). They last all
night.
Carol
they are the hit, the kids & adults love taking a handful of them & making
stuff. On Halloween we decorated our whole yard with them. The kids had a
blast decorating the playhouse. Alex even made a really odd (creative but
odd) costume out of them :) We also decorated our pine tree out front with
them.
The other thing they come in handy for is when our lights go out. We string
them all over the house & don't need any candles or oil lanterns going ( &
with a crew of 6 they are safer than candles or lanterns). They last all
night.
Carol
> Sandra and I had a conversation about glowsticks once and she said it
> looks really cool if you attach two glowsticks to LONG yarn or string
> and throw them up over branches in a tree.
> Can you imagine a tree full of glowsticks? How cool.
>
> When I was gone once, and an unschooling Mum was helping take care of
> my kids, I left a bag of fun stuff for them. They had those glowsticks
> that are thin and long (necklaces) and Millie wrapped them all through
> a whiffle ball, then rolled it around to each other in the dark. I
> heard ALL about it!
>
> I'm sure there are a million ways to enjoy glowsticks..they're so cool.
> Oh! There's this great discount site I like to visit. They had all
> different colored glowsticks last time I was there...aqua and purple
> and white etc....
> Check out sciplus.com. Some really fun and bizarre stuff there...gets
> your creative juices flowing!
>
> Ren
> learninginfreedom.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
Danielle Conger
camden wrote:
You can put the glow necklaces (don't know about the other stuff) in the
freezer, and it will preserve their glow for months.
--
~~Danielle
Emily (8), Julia (7), Sam (5)
http://www.danielleconger.com/Homeschool/Welcomehome.html
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"With our thoughts, we make the world." ~~Buddha
>Just in case someone might not know this...
> The other thing they come in handy for is when our lights go out. We
> string
> them all over the house & don't need any candles or oil lanterns going
> ( &
> with a crew of 6 they are safer than candles or lanterns). They last all
> night.
You can put the glow necklaces (don't know about the other stuff) in the
freezer, and it will preserve their glow for months.
--
~~Danielle
Emily (8), Julia (7), Sam (5)
http://www.danielleconger.com/Homeschool/Welcomehome.html
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"With our thoughts, we make the world." ~~Buddha
multimomma
Our kids (and us parents) love glowsticks too, but they cut them open and fingerpaint glowy
stuff all over our house. It was rather disconcerting the first time I realized that this was how
they were playing with them, but it's really cool to find a heart drawn by your four year old on
your toilet lid ;-)
Melissa
stuff all over our house. It was rather disconcerting the first time I realized that this was how
they were playing with them, but it's really cool to find a heart drawn by your four year old on
your toilet lid ;-)
Melissa
--- In [email protected], camden <ccoutlaw@d...> wrote:
>
> We love glow sticks !!