Mirror Sites:
CSUDH - Habermas - UWP

California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan, Transcend Art and Peace
Created: November 2, 2001
Latest Update: November 2, 2001
jeannecurran@habermas.org

Sharing with Young Children

On Thursday, November 1, 2001, Keshia D. Hundley wrote:

I know it's been a while since i responded, but i was waiting on the right time to give my preschooolers the art project of drawing how they feel about the wtc bombing. The idea I had in mind was to try not to mention it in class for a while, so that i could see what they have heard in other places such as.... home, church, or from other adults. As i opened up for discussion today I realized that the children still have strong feelings and know what is going on around them at all times. Even though you think they are not listing, their ears are wide open.

PS..We never got to drawing the pictures because the conversation was so interesting.

From Big Kesh!

On Friday, November 2, 2001, jeanne responded:

Keisha, you did an excellent job on this project. You created structure for the children, and then you allowed them the space and freedom to alter your structure to fit their needs. We desperately need more teachers with such skills. I hope you'll go back to the drawing project, so that we can share some of their feelings with children from the Middle East. You can ask them to select the pictures they'd like to send to express what they feel. Because they are pre-school, we will include them with ours, if that's OK.

And you're right. Children know and feel far more than we realize. Children are also Others, in the sense that they have not yet been as thoroughly constrained by dominant discourse as we have. That permits their imaginary the freedom to go beyond those things we are so sure we "know."

love and peace, jeanne

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