November Editor's Letter

Many moons ago I was student teaching during the holiday season. My cooperating teacher told me that to decorate the room, I could just have the kids make the ornaments she always makes with them. I appreciated not having to come up with something on my own. She described the ornaments to me and then said she used clothes pins to affix them to a small tree. It sounded easy enough. So I had the kids create the ornaments, and I clipped them to the tree with the pins. When I was finished, I stepped back and thought to myself, “Well, it looks like a tree of clothes pins to me, but I did what she said.” Later in the day, my cooperating teacher stopped by and burst out laughing when she spied the tree. What she had meant in her instructions was to have the kids affix the ornaments to the clothes pins, then put them on the tree. I simply pinned them up. That episode is just one of many that have shown I am a visual learner. I have to see something to grasp it. Knowing your child’s learning style has many benefits. What is your child’s style?

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Ready or not, it’s on its way! Although I have so, so much for which to be thankful, I have to say as I write this, my carpets are being cleaned--and so today, I am thankful for clean carpets! What’s one little thing for which you are thankful today? Finding one thing each day for which to give thanks can help kids develop a grateful heart. And, if you have relatives in town for the holiday, we have you covered.

Happy Thanksgiving, Kansas City!