My Connections to Play

"Play is training for the unexpected."

Marc Bekoff
Contemporary American biologist

"When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero."

Fred Rogers
American children’s television host
1928–2003

My beloved American girl doll.  I was 8 when I got her for Christmas.  Yes, I cried.  I was so excited.

 

 

Seems so simple a street.  Though this is not the exact street I learned to play on it gives you a good idea of the starting off point for our imaginations.  My best friend and I used a street similar to this one as a starting off point for many imaginative games.    We play lifeguards, runaway princesses, shot HGTV TV shows and pretended it was a house for our American girl dolls. 

Play was a huge part of my childhood.  I like to think of myself as a master of imagination.  My friends and I created stories that lasted years and we always preferred to be outside pretending (please note that I lived in one of the rainiest cities in Washington State, but we could of cared less).

My mom was a big supporter of play.  We had to play outside.  There was no choice about it.  We played in the yard, in trees, next door neighbors yards, in the forest and on the front steps.  

I feel that play is very different from even 10 years ago.  I feel that children are kept inside for safety reasons and they prefer the TV or computer.  I can remember my mom saying that I had to be outside for certain amount of time during the day.  Most the time she would say you have to find something to do and I can remember grumbling about it but I would always find something and then I would end up staying out for longer periods of time. We always had TV when I was growing up but it was very limited when we were allowed to watch it.  I am trying to think of my earliest memory watching TV.  I can remember periodically watching Sesame Street but I don't remember watching TV until I was about 8 or 9.  I have observed on several occasions parents using TV or the computer as a babysitter.  I see children obsessed with TV shows at an early age.  My niece is two and she could say "wiggles" by 18months.  It makes me sad, that children are literally becoming obsessed with TV and computers.  I think that it is parents role to monitor how much of TV or computer a child is using.  It is important as educators and parents to help children understand how fun play is and what we can use to make our world playful.  Children are often content collecting pine cones or sand dollars or flowers.  It can be fun to use kitchen utensils and nuts and bolts.  My hope is that parents and educators realize how much they used play is their everyday life growing up and how they turned out to be intelligent people.  

Relationships

Relationships are one of the most important aspects of my life.  I am never without someone, someone to share excitement, love, sadness and knowledge.  Relationships are so important to me because it encompasses everything that I do from my personal life to my school life I am always building relationships. 

There are many people whom I have built strong relationships with, some live close and some are animals. :)

My mother and father is my strongest relationship.  I adore my parents, both were special education teachers and therefore we have a lot to talk about.  My parents are my biggest supporters, but are also my biggest resource.  Our relationship is positive because of the love and mutual respect that we have for one another.  We maintain our relationship by talking continuously and finding time to spend with one another.  For example, I talk a lot with my Mom about the field of early childhood because she knows so much and it is a common interest. Also, I might go house shopping with my Dad because he loves it and enjoys spending time with me in that way.

Other important relationships to me are some of my best friends that I have developed over the years.  I still have friends from first grade.  We grew up together.  Some of us went to college together and some of us did not, but through it all we have remained friends.  I have one friend who lives in New York City (opposite side of the country from where I live) and we maintain our relationship by talking at least monthly (and hopefully I can go visit her this next year).  Other friends live closer to me and we try to see each other every month or so.  It can be very hard to get people together.  Sometimes peoples work schedules can be tricky but the important thing is that it can be done, you can make time. 

My relationship with my work colleagues is very important.  I teach children who have significant needs and the special education team that I work with would not work well if we did not have a positive relationship.  I work very closely with my Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist and Occupational therapist.  We have bi-weekly meetings and my SLP and OT push in to my classroom to help me with specific strategies with each child.  I do not think that I could do my job without them, they are more than helpful and go above and beyond for our students.

Lastly, my dog Winston.  I just love him so much (maybe obsessed).  I am lucky that my dog is a cuddle bug.  Sometimes when days are so overwhelming at school I can come home to him and it seems to make everything go away.  He is a true kindred spirit.

 Obviously he is precious...

It can be very challenging maintaining relationships.  I have learned that it takes a lot of work sometimes to keep those partnerships.  My best friend and I have had several ups and downs over the years trying to stay in communication with each other.  Sometimes we are so close and other times it feels like we are very far away.  I keep reminding myself that a relationships takes two people and that we both need to try and keep in communication if we want to maintain our relationship.

A special characteristic that I see in these relationships is a common interest.  With my parents it everything in my daily life, with colleagues it the students we work with and the passion for the job and with my friends it might be music, books or traveling. 

There can always be a common interest with people; sometimes we just have to be willing to find it.  This is what I keep in mind when I am working with parents always find a common interest.  I feel that sometimes the common interest might not be their child, but it might lead to an opening to begin a conversation about their child.  For example, I got a new student this year and I had heard a very difficult parent was coming along with her.  I invited her into the classroom the first Friday her daughter was there and brought her out to recess with her child.  I asked about the adoption process for her child and she gave me a weird look. I explained that I have always wanted to adopt children from China and that I taught there last year. She immediately told me everything and we had an instant connection.  This mom was ecstatic to be talking about something she knew about and ever since then we have had an amazing relationship. I will always remember this experience and keep it in mind with each parent that I work with.  I will also remember to never pre-judge my parents based on someone else’s experience with them.  Always take the time to get to know parents individually.