Welcome to my blog

I have designed this blog with parents and teachers of young children in mind.  I hope you will find this blog helpful as you enjoy the journey of the early childhood years. I have spent my life working with young children and I have walked in your shoes as a parent. Please use this blog as a resource and a place to share ideas with others. Our collective wisdom and experiences shared will be the 'village' of support we long for in raising healthy, happy, productive citizens of our world. 

Blessings to you and your family, 
Becky O'Hearn
Head of Early Childhood 
Wichita Collegiate School

Brains at Work Through Play

Young children flex their brain 'muscles' through play.  I hope you will take 5 minutes to watch this gem about the important brain development we work on each day at WCS.  This video explains the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instruction, juggle multiple tasks successfully, set and achieve goals, and control impulses.  Thanks to Harvard University for sharing this with us.

Executive Functions: Skills for Life and Learning

Enjoy!

Expectations and Emotions Effect Learning

On Monday we had the privilege to learn from Dr. Judy Willis for our professional development day at WCS.  Dr. Judy Willis is a board certified neurologist from Santa Barbara, California who has been fascinated with how the brain learns.  She was so highly interested in understanding the impact emotions and expectations have on learning that she embarked on her own research.  In the process, to inform her research she felt compelled to become a classroom teacher.  She wanted to see first hand how students respond to instruction in a school setting.  I quickly realized how lucky I was to get such valuable information on a typical in-service at my school. I thought I knew quite a bit about the brain and her presentation would be a review, but, oh was I wrong. There is so much more I have yet to learn. I was fascinated the entire six hours of Dr. Willis's presentation and I left with my brain full but wanting more.
 If you are a 'learning and brain research junkie' like I am I think you will enjoy hearing her speak. I have added a video clip from one of her presentations a few years ago. This clip is 25 minutes long, so grab a snack and take a break while you watch.  Dr. Judy Willis TEDxASB

 Dr. Willis has authored many books and the next one on my reading list will be How the Brain Learns Best.  Here is more information about Dr. Willis if you want to learn more:
https://www.edutopia.org/users/judy-willis-md

I am very thankful for the wonderful opportunities for professional development I have at Collegiate.
Gratefully,
Becky

Early Childhood Physical Education: Dad's Day 2016 is out of this world!

Kathy Wagner and the EC team did not let the rainy weather spoil our special day on Friday.  Thank you Kathy for providing extra activities when we had to move Dad's Day inside last Friday.  These photos show the joy on the faces of the children and their dads!

Early Childhood Physical Education: Dad's Day 2016 is out of this world!: Click here to view pictures in the above slide show. Even though "the force" seemed against us for our Early Childhood &quot...

Thank you for joining our school family

School is off to a great start and the teachers, staff and I want to commend you parents on a job well done. You have prepared your child for a successful transition to school. I imagine you are feeling as proud and relieved as we are.  Getting young children ready to make a major change to their daily routine can seem overwhelming, but you all did it beautifully!  For your efforts I give you my gratitude and appreciation. We will work diligently as a team throughout the year for your child's optimal school experience. One of the tenants of our philosophy is to develop a sense of belonging in each child.  This sense of belonging, like in a family, will develop empathy and motivation in each child.  These emotional and social skills will lay the foundation on which optimal learning occurs. There are a myriad of other benefits as well which we will discuss in more detail at our parent discussion groups.  Here is a link to a brief video of the Conscious Discipline basics by Dr. Becky Bailey.  Please take a minute to watch this video to learn more about our approach to classroom management and join us on Sept. 21st at 8:15am to learn more. Video: Conscious Discipline Basics
Gratefully,
Becky and the WCS early childhood team

I love this time of year

I love this time of year.  It has been a joy to see the children make a successful transition from home to school. School started smoothly this week with great energy and positive expectations for the experiences we will share together. I especially appreciate the support and affirmation the parents offer the teachers as we embark on this special journey. Teaching is a unique profession in that every year one gets to start over from the first day of school.  The teachers have worked diligently to prepare their classrooms and curriculum. They have planned every detail from the first minute of the first day to ensure that the classrooms flow smoothly and every child feels at home.  We are a school family and all are welcome here.

Parenting Perspective Brings Peace of Mind

Over the past week I have been reflecting on the enormous impact mothers have on the children I serve.  At Mom's Day on Friday I witnessed over 200 children sharing nature-inspired activities with their mothers. I enjoyed watching the special moments each mother and child experienced together and the unconditional love shared. Collectively when looking at the entire group I noticed the beauty of diversity. I was reminded that the relationship between mother and child is uniquely designed by the family culture each stems from.  There is not a magic formula to be a good mother or one right way to parent a child. The mothers I know work hard to be a great mothers.  They love their role as mother and put much thought and energy into taking great care of their children.  If I could do one thing to help moms, I would help them understand that their child needs nothing more than their time. If you are a mom please hear this: "You are perfect just the way you are! Stop reading parenting blogs of the 'super moms', stop comparing your life to a 'pinterest perfect' image and just be you! You are all your child needs to be a healthy, well-adjusted human being. Trust yourself as a mother. I do!"
With love and gratitude,
Becky

Please enjoy this article from Tedtalks on this topic.
Reflecting on Parenting Around the World