Ignite Learning Together

I have a ritual at the end of the year where I reflect on what has happened in the past year. What did I learn? What do I want more of and what do I want less in 2026? In my journal I call it highs and lows and it helps me remember and take responsibility for all parts of it—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Usually, once I have enough distance from an experience, I am able to find gratitude even for the really hard parts of my story in some way. Sometimes it’s tempting to just keep busy and keep focused on the future. However, I’ve learned that taking time to pause and appreciate what you’ve come through builds strength, resilience and grit. What about you? Do you have any year end rituals?

Sometimes being a kindergartener is hard, especially when you were born or in utero in 2020. These five year olds have had a very different start to life than other children. They were born in a time filled with uncertainty.
Maternal care looked different as there were so many questions about the spread of COVID and vaccinations, limited visitors at the hospital and in the home during early infancy.
A time in a family’s life that is normally filled with joy, family, and celebration was rattled with fear, isolation, and sadness.
Those “COVID babies” are now kindergartners and they (and their parents and teachers) need a little extra help and lots of love as they enter the world of elementary school. It can seem big and scary.
Even though they are surrounded by many teachers and admin who care for them deeply, their safe person and safe place is home.
One way teachers and parents can build the bridge between home and school is through rituals and structures that build predictability and safety.
One of our favorite structures is the Friends and Family board. Ensuring that every child has a photo of their family at school and that it is accessible throughout the day when they are missing their family can bring comfort and ease the sadness.
Another helpful structure is including rituals throughout the day. help strengthen bonds with children and their teachers and between children. The more rapidly we can help children build connections the more confidence they will have in this new space. Finding a secure relationship with a safe adult at school can make all the difference for children struggling with separation.
Some individual children need something a little extra to help them make the transition from home to school. The child in this photo has really struggled to adapt to school. We worked with mom on some ideas to help. Creating a “kiss cup” that he could bring to school full of kisses from home turned tears into smiles and hopefully a step in the right direction toward calm, connection and learning at school! 🌟

I’m in Odessa, TX today sharing about the importance of visuals in the healthy development of young children and found this super helpful visual for adults too! Visuals aren’t just for kids and this is an important one. In an effort to help children be respectful in the hallway, many teachers say,”catch a bubble.” That does, in fact, stop the talking most of the time. However, we take things a step further by telling them what we WANT them to do. “Use a whisper voice” is one option. Another helpful phrase is, “Breathe with me and walk quietly down the hall.” Such a brilliant visual reminder here! ❤️⭐️🤫