Linda Jans, Samuel Whiskers
Linda has been a teacher at Paddington since 2013. After living in England for 7 years, Linda moved to Colorado from the Netherlands to pursue a BA in Theater and Psychology from The Metropolitan State College of Denver. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree. Linda has three children who have gone through the British Primary program in Oxford, England and at Steele Elementary, where she worked with Kindergarteners. Linda is also a jeweler, enjoying the craft show scene with other creative local parents.
To an adult, dandelions are weeds that need to carefully be eradicated to preserve pristine lawns. Sure, their leaves may taste good in salads, but their bright yellow petals are otherwise harbingers of gardening doom.
To a child, dandelions are wonders among the vast expanses of neat grass. They soar proudly above the blades with majestic yellow head, full of placeable petals. Wait a bit and they become clouds of blowing fireworks. See if you can blow all the seeds of in one go! Then, there’s their name; dandelion. Dandy Lion! Has there ever been a more perfect flower?
Children are explorers and their discoveries are brand new and exciting. When they share these with me, our conversations are filled with wonder, rich vocabulary, and many new questions. To me, teaching early childhood is all about wonder. Children learn when they are engaged and interested, my job is to facilitate their journeys with support, encouragement and safety.
I get to go out into nature and look for bugs that are classified by their stinging abilities, help build super fast ramps, receive the most decadent play dough birthday cupcakes and watch pirate shows from a coveted front row seat, after showing my beautifully cut and decorated ticket stub. We choose how we see the world, dandelions are everywhere. I will always choose to see them as magical wonders of nature.
To a child, dandelions are wonders among the vast expanses of neat grass. They soar proudly above the blades with majestic yellow head, full of placeable petals. Wait a bit and they become clouds of blowing fireworks. See if you can blow all the seeds of in one go! Then, there’s their name; dandelion. Dandy Lion! Has there ever been a more perfect flower?
Children are explorers and their discoveries are brand new and exciting. When they share these with me, our conversations are filled with wonder, rich vocabulary, and many new questions. To me, teaching early childhood is all about wonder. Children learn when they are engaged and interested, my job is to facilitate their journeys with support, encouragement and safety.
I get to go out into nature and look for bugs that are classified by their stinging abilities, help build super fast ramps, receive the most decadent play dough birthday cupcakes and watch pirate shows from a coveted front row seat, after showing my beautifully cut and decorated ticket stub. We choose how we see the world, dandelions are everywhere. I will always choose to see them as magical wonders of nature.