One of my bedside books for the past few months has been: Musicophilia, Tales of Music and The Brain by Oliver Sacks. I think I’ve mentioned before that I rarely read a new book from front to back at first opening! According to his bio Oliver Sacks is a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia […]
When you work in institutional childcare (can I call them ‘day orphanages’?) there are many things that contribute to a child’s well being – or otherwise. Of course, the manners and attitudes of the staff play a big part in how a child behaves. It also matters if staff portrays an overly upbeat and cheerful […]
A little over a week ago I participated in the most awesome programme of my life. September marks 40 years since I started my teacher training (completed in 1972) in England — against the odds but that’s another story! My recent intensive week studying the practical work of Hungarians Magda Gerber and Emmi Pikler as it […]
There are actually parents out there in the world who can’t take their 3 year old and their infant to the supermarket, together? That was a conversation I overheard between several mothers this week! I was astonished. Not that I haven’t heard it before. People for whom I’ve worked in the past have told me “I […]
The conversation that’s ringing in my ears was one I had in January with my dear friend in Nebraska. She was relating that one of her grandchildren had come down with chicken pox (despite the vaccination!) and that since her health was so vulnerable (pancreatic cancer) she couldn’t be around him. She also recalled that […]
I always knew there had to be other people around who thought like me about living creatures and last month I found one of them. One of those people is Monty Roberts. The author of ‘The Man Who Listens to Horses’. The book I alluded to in my last post. You may know of him as the […]
Found this blog, in my unposted blog file, which goes along with the book I am currently reading — more of that later. All vulnerable living creatures recognize their need for tenderness, and gentleness. They recognize it even more when they receive it just when needed. I encountered a situation a few weeks ago with a […]
A little over year ago I’d had one year to get in the habit of writing every day and posting to this blog. Those of you who have been curious about my writing will be aware that I’ve written intermittently since last year when I finally found a paying job that I had been wishing for […]
My car is a stick shift 1973 VW Super Beetle that I bought in 1976. Since that year was the 200th anniversary of the United States the price stated in the For Sale ad was $1776 – I think we agreed upon $1500 as a suitable sale price. Prorating the cost over the past 33 years […]
I just can’t believe that Maria meant teachers not to talk to the children in their classrooms. There seems to be a prevailing so-called ‘Montessori training’ that advises teachers of babies, toddlers and 3–6 year olds to just sit back and ‘observe’. How on earth can children learn their language? It’s even more important when […]