As I approach my 1 year anniversary of working at Beansprouts, I have been reflecting on the many things I have loved about our amazing program! So for this blog post I offer you: 101 Things I Love About Beansprouts!
- Love. I wanted to be somewhere there was love and I found it at Beansprouts.
- Dancing. There is always dancing at Beansprouts.
- The food is amazing. And healthy. And so delicious.
- Holding babies. The babies in our care are so well loved and cared for.
- Children who play the piano for me and sing from The Sound of Music.
- Hugs. I am hugged all day long.
- No bleach. We use natural cleaning products with no toxins.
- Children telling me they love me before they leave for the day.
- We can do our morning meeting outside when it’s nice out.
- Pre-K reminds me every day that we are a family.
- We use real glasses for water. It teaches us to be calm and careful.
- That reminds me: We drink water. No juice. And we have milk with our cereal.
- My children call me by my first name. It's personal and I love it!
- A child once asked me “Why don’t deer want to eat us?”
- Some parents walk through my room just to say hi. I'd miss it for sure.
- During my breaks, I get to rock babies but I don’t have to change diapers.
- All of our rocking chairs belonged to someone’s grandmother or mother.
- Siblings in different classes stop and hug each other in passing.
- A year later, the “new” playground is still so much fun.
- The moose. I’m told every day that it is “Gigi’s Moose”.
- The number of parents who came to help with the new playground.
- The clever t-shirts: “Give Peas a Chance” and “Lettuce Be Friends”
- Taking field trips with Pre-K.
- Learning philosophies centered around child interest and play based learning.
- The learning philosophies are everything I have believed in for the past 15 years.
- It’s one of my favorite places to be.
- Starbucks is right down the road. I like hot chocolate.
- If you enter the building after 11am, it smells amazing because lunch is ready.
- The Director is one of the best I have met. I said yes because of her.
- The staff is like family.
- We take care of our space and it teaches our children to do the same.
- A fellow teacher gives me hope. I feel honored to work with her.
- The new gym on rainy days.
- The new gym on sunny days too.
- Pre-K celebrates birthdays.
- Beansprouts celebrates every staff member’s birthday. We love birthdays!!
- The overall program is one of the most unique programs in the business.
- Dance parties.
- Checklist Friday. Pre-K makes a checklist of things to do and they’re all fun!
- We have a Facebook page. I am a devoted social media fan.
- We have a male teacher who is nurturing, caring, attentive, and fun.
- Angela Garrison. I would have said yes the moment I met her. She’s got “it”.
- The absolute amazing families I have come to love over the past year.
- Most kids call me “Lissa” and I love it.
- Their laughs are contagious.
- When I didn’t feel well, Pre-K set up nap mats so I could rest. It made me cry.
- The children remind me to dance like nobody is watching. And to shake it.
- One teacher walks on releve because she’s a dancer. So do her kids.
- I get the middle classroom. It means I get to say hello to everyone.
- Our neighbor shares natural treasures she finds (like walnut shells!).
- Did I mention the love?
- I’m pretty sure one of the parents is my super-secret-best-friend. #besties
- Pre-K goes on super-secret missions to make it under cover before it rains.
- One of the assistants offers to do my dishes every day.
- When my grandmother died, one of Pre-K told me she was still in my heart.
- One child comes all the way back in if she forgets to give me a hug goodbye.
- We use Handwriting Without Tears. I am a huge proponent of this program.
- Baking cakes from scratch taste so yummy.
- I can focus on each child’s potential and individualize their learning.
- The amazing amount of cupboard storage in my room.
- We do Spirit Weeks.
- The Polar Express movie day was a highlight of the year.
- Centers are labeled at the child’s level.
- We have a policy that allows appropriate technology in our classrooms.
- My supervisors nod when I say I have an idea. It usually involves video-making.
- We have walkways in the front of the building.
- We encourage our nursing mothers to come anytime to nurse their babies.
- In fact, we have an open door policy to ALL of our families.
- We are open during vacation weeks. And during the summer.
- Our food is nutrient rich, balanced, organic, and made fresh every day.
- Orange and green go so well together.
- My grandmother’s rocking chair sits in my classroom.
- We have developed a perfect balance of play and learning activities.
- Daily sheets have made a comeback.
- Old Pre-K children come back to give hugs and tell me about their days.
- We laugh every day.
- We are part of an amazing community in Freeport.
- Our mission: Nourish the mind…
- Nourish the body…
- And Care for the environment.
- During the school year, we offer enrichment specials: yoga, dance, and tumble.
- We are handicap accessible. That means my Dad can come visit my classroom.
- Wolfe’s Neck Farm is right down the street. We love to visit the farm!
- The classroom environment is recognized as an important tool in learning.
- Everyone seems genuinely happy to be here and be together.
- We have staff training days. These days are some of my favorite.
- My classroom has a full wall of windows.
- Our toys and learning materials are natural and non-toxic.
- We facilitate a love and curiosity for learning about our world.
- We educate and care for the whole child: social, emotional, cognitive, physical.
- I get a lunch break. I usually spend it visiting other classrooms.
- In Pre-K, our rules are inspired by kindness, courage, responsibility, and honesty.
- We encourage independence but are here to help when needed.
- We keep our learning materials in woven baskets on wooden shelves.
- We are inspired by the educational philosophers of the past.
- There is something magical in what we are doing here.
- Our teachers are leaders in the field of early childhood education.
- There is a window out of which children can wave to their Moms and Dads.
- Special family events like the Harvest Lunch and our upcoming Tea Party.
- I feel like I am an important part of something really special.
- Oh, and one more thing:
- LOVE.