OSU Graduating Class of 2014

Today marks a pivotal point in my career as an Early Childhood Professor!  As I write this I'm sitting waiting for the graduation class of 2014 to take their seats, and begin their educational journey as graduates of the Early Care and Education program.  This is significant because within the graduating class are students who became staff, and students who have applied themselves educationally and embarked on a new career of being a reflective practioner.  These same students entered my classes unaware of how they would be challenged in their thinking, how we would build relationship over time, that would cause disequilibrium and create real learning connections.

As an early childhood professor, I've learned that the practical application of theory into everyday experiences changes the very work of the teacher and the student.  I look forward to watching these same students, as they change the face of the education systems that they are apart of.

My joy is that my theory of adult learning and respecting adults for the knowledge they bring to the classroom is taking shape.  The idea that we as teachers have a story to share, our story and our experiences that bring us together.  My hope and aspiration is to create a learning environment that reclaims the wonder of childhood, exploration, inquiry for the adult learner.  Igniting a new generation of teachers that naturally gravitate to wonder, reflect, and exploration as they engage young children.

Today, I see the realization

A Moment of P.A.U.S. E.

Today I chose to stop and PAUSE, and begin to write. The past few months I have placed on my weekly planning form Take time to pause and reflect and write 2 pages a day, in the hope that as I commit to 2 pages of writing my manuscripts would develop and a book would emerge. Realizing that without a vision ahead of me, the books would just continue to be an idea floating around in my head. This book is a culmination of the last 15 years of my life, and the actual documentation of how Developing People, Inc. was conceived and lived out through the everyday experiences of my life over a fifteen year period, or a decade and a half since we began to describe ourselves after a 10 year period, as a decade to document the span of time in periods rather than years. So I have been working in the field of Early Childhood Education for three decades, WOW! That's 30 years of time that has passed. I will be 4 decades and 8 years old this year(that's 48 in November, just two years away from my 5 decade mark). My how time flies. So today's PAUSE made me think of this: P- Positioned A -Aware U - Uncluttered S - Serene E - Expecting My definition of pausing is to take a moment to consider what's ahead, a breather from the hectic schedule and life happenings ahead or just completed. It takes on new meaning, when you begin to cultivate your dreams and aspirations as a writer ( yes a writer, you have just declared it in print, that you are a writer. Whoo hoo! Let the writing begin!) If you are new to my blog, my writing usually ocurrs as I'm thinking, so it brings up after thoughts, that are caaptured in the parenthesis. (If you just want the meat of the word as they say, just skip the parenthesis to get to the story.) So today, I just ended a board meeting with Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma - ECAOK and decided to take a PAUSE to write this blog. My setting is a cozy little coffee house, called Foolish Things in Tulsa, OK, located just blocks away from my meeting location. My norm is to get right back into the grind of my day, and hop back on the freeway and drive the 2 hours to home, work, workout, and the next task for the evening. Instead, today I PAUSED. My PAUSE made me think of being Positioned, Aware, Uncluttered, Serene, and Expecting. I am positioned and ready to begin my journey as a writer. My collection of books about writing, spaces for writers, how to write, how to begin, has been growing over the past 2 decades ( Smile). Have I read them all, no! Only perused them to create the perfect setting, the perfect writing basket, the perfect pens and writing utensils, the perfect collection of journals to write in, and so on. Each of those perfect means, has not yielded a writing or a book, only a collection of things for writers. I am POSITIONED! let the writing begin. AWARE The more I experience as a woman, wife, and mother, the greater I am aware of the people and things around me. Being aware is what centers my focus on my purpose an existence. Being aware keeps my sanity on most days, and makes me a better person. To PAUSE and be AWARE causes even greater perspective. This past week, I was in Rockland, Maine for a conference and took a morning meditation class. Just the simple act of presenting myself for the class, and honing in on my breathing, and body was life changing. My head was clear, my mind was focused, for that short period of the morning. Of course, when I had an opportunity to take my boys to the library what did I search for, books on Christian meditation of course. (It's on my nightstand for reading the next time I PAUSE). UNCLUTTERED This is my lifelong goal, to be uncluttered! In my thoughts, in my living spaces, my workspaces, everywhere. We will just leave it at this simple thought, instead of cluttering the page, with thoughts about uncluttering and how much work is ahead. SERENE I have discovered that when I PAUSE, it creates the most wonderful presence around me. SERENE spaces make me smile, breathe and take in what's around me. I can create it with a picture, a flower, a plant, music playing in the background. The key to being in a SERENE place is to hold on to it, even when you have to leave. Knowing that you can create it wherever you are, and whatever is going on. It's like fresh linen on your bed, with the windows open and the sea roaring in the air. It's the whiff of a home-baked muffin, or a fragrant flower like fresia's that you catch walking by. EXPECTING The greatest work of PAUSE is that it creates an expectation that something great is about to occur. We are no longer stuck in the mundane day to day interactions, but we have created a new world of opportunity. I expect great writing to occur, because I began to write today. So join my in a daily PAUSE, and reclaim your day, your hour, your moment. Selah