We are just back from a short trip in the south east: Civil War battlefields, Revolutionary wigmakers, and carriage rides on cobbled streets. The dutiful children will ask "So, how was the trip?" and may look at a few pictures, but the grandchildren are the ones who can be inspired (and - whisper - educated) if approached correctly.
Send post cards - not the "wish you were here" scrawled message, but with just an interesting fact or two in words and handwriting kids can read. The postage rates have gone up, but 34 cents still buys a lot of smiles. Great as the electronics are, when there is real mail in the box, it is memorable. And it can start the conversation when you next talk.
Take a kids eye view of your visits. Remember kids love information about pirates, animals, and anything their parents would call "gross." Jot down stories, incidents, factoids to share in tiny bits later.
Pictures are great, but show
the ones relevant not to your interests, but theirs. Is it more fun to see the blacksmith or the wigmaker? Is life in the colonies taught in Grade 4 or 5? Which child likes horses and which one is a dancer?
Be available for reports, projects and further interest. If you are nearby, volunteer when the class learns about the start of the Civil War. Bigger projects can come alive with your power points easily sent online. Stay alert for games, craft projects, fiction books to share, enhanced by your (very brief!) stories of "When I was there..."
The day may come they will want to accompany you, or you will open the mailbox and fine...a postcard!
Send post cards - not the "wish you were here" scrawled message, but with just an interesting fact or two in words and handwriting kids can read. The postage rates have gone up, but 34 cents still buys a lot of smiles. Great as the electronics are, when there is real mail in the box, it is memorable. And it can start the conversation when you next talk.
Take a kids eye view of your visits. Remember kids love information about pirates, animals, and anything their parents would call "gross." Jot down stories, incidents, factoids to share in tiny bits later.
Pictures are great, but show
Be available for reports, projects and further interest. If you are nearby, volunteer when the class learns about the start of the Civil War. Bigger projects can come alive with your power points easily sent online. Stay alert for games, craft projects, fiction books to share, enhanced by your (very brief!) stories of "When I was there..."
The day may come they will want to accompany you, or you will open the mailbox and fine...a postcard!
No comments:
Post a Comment