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Play is the thing

8/7/2014

4 Comments

 
We left Colombia on Saturday morning, just 5 days ago. How does it feel like my time in Colombia was so long ago?

I've been back to my own school for the past three days, mostly working to get my room cleaned and organized and ready for the kiddos. Tomorrow we have our first faculty meeting/ professional development day of this new school year. The topic?

PLAY.

In a letter from our school Directorship, tomorrow we're tasked with this: "
Let’s spend one day experiencing, exploring, and discussing how PLAY manifests in our nervous systems to help us create social relationships and emotional regulation."

We'll be learning about the idea promoted by
Jaak Panksepp, current neuroscientist, who "believes that PLAY is one of 7 biological motivational systems in the brain that promotes self-regulation, and that it is one of the brain’s major sources of joy."

Now, I really didn't need a neuroscientist to give validity to our play in Colombia, but I appreciate the segue between school life and real life, between work and play, about living fully and nurturing relationships and how we got to play in Cartagena!

In Cartagena, our days were full with joy, inquiry, intense reflection and intense connections. There were school visits and taxi rides, coordination and collaboration with my fellow American teachers, hotel showers, and lessons and presentation preparations.

And their was The Heat.
I came to understand that there were five of experiencing Cartagena together -- Jen, John, Sherri, Michael, and The Heat. And not just heat;  heat + humidity. While billions of people live in similar climates, I do not, and The Heat was a companion I have not known so intimately in my life. Yes, we met when we lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and when Sarah and I were in southern China in July 2011. But The Heat seemed to be in a cranky, hot-mess kind of mood in Cartagena (and, I can honestly say, I do not love Cartagena any less because of it.)

I think that if it were not for a few times in which we played, I would not have been so mentally and emotionally and even physically resilient. Our play in the waters of the Caribbean Sea gave me the chance to laugh. To let go of the stress of the day. I was able to connect anew with my friends. Splashing in the waves, bopping in the water, being overtaken by a wave, closing our mouths before swallowing a big-ole- gulp of salty water, snorkeling - It was a salve for my soul, leaving me feeling buoyant  and deliciously human.

Thank you, Sherri, John, and Michael for playing in Cartagena.


4 Comments
Guillermo LopezOssa link
8/7/2014 12:04:38 pm

Dear Jen

You guys really know how to have fun and share it. We TEA had a blast with TGC. Thanks for unity and sharing!!!

Reply
Sherri Anderson
8/7/2014 02:01:06 pm

Oh Jen, you are such a good writer. I've actually taken a few classes on the subject of play- it's cool stuff. Would you mind sending me that picture of me and the waves? I know a certain mom in Michigan that would love it. I hope you keep studying Spanish- you would gain so much so fast, and I mean more than just the language...

Reply
Angelica Guevara Bernal link
8/8/2014 02:07:41 am

While reading your post I felt again that heat of Cartagena! Your pictures are so refreshing!! Well, play is the thing because it is the moment in which we become children again, we magically join knowledge with affection. In playing we show reinforce human values and recognize that all work has to have its dose of joy! Thanks for sharing!! Hope to keep learning much more from you!

Reply
Dana Van Tilborg
8/10/2014 06:48:57 am

I wish Play was a major topic at my school! I find that play and fun are underestimated in the classroom and I love that you and your school focus on it! It's a legitimate part of education and we should celebrate it more!

Reply



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  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • Think Global - Svalbard
    • The Polar Bear Express
  • Vamos Explorar!
    • Background and Inspiration
    • The Geo-Inquiry Process >
      • Student Blog Posts
    • Expeditions into New Mexico Wilderness Areas
    • Content and Curriculum Resources
  • Think Global - Finland
    • Introduction
    • Education in Finland
    • International Expressions of Global Education >
      • Global Education Concepts and Definitions
    • Case Study: Global Education in Finland >
      • Global Education Initiatives Timeline
      • Themes of Global Education in Finland
    • Curriculum Development >
      • Resources for Teachers
      • Finland Blog
    • Gratitude and Dedication
  • Think Global - Germany
    • Teach Global - Germany
  • Think Global - Colombia
    • Journal
    • Think Global Resource Guide >
      • Essential Question
      • Standards Based Global Education
      • Global Education Unit: American Indians and Indigenous Peoples of the World – Past, Present and Future
      • Digital Learning Environment Inventory
      • Local Resource Guide
      • Global Education Unit: Being American: An examination of the struggle for civil liberties for historically disenfranchised groups of Americans
      • Global Education Student Assessment Tools Inventory
      • International Project -Based Learning Opportunities
      • TGC Teacher Blogs
  • Teach Global
    • Think Global - Peru >
      • Virtual Field Trip to Peru >
        • Tasty Peru Tour
      • Peru Teacher Resources
    • Virtual Field Trip to Pakistan
    • Social Justice Heroes from Across the Americas
    • Global Leadership Odyssey Project: Introduction Videos to Students in Cartagena, Colombia
    • Colombia Lessons and Presentations
    • Schools Around the World
    • Ancient China
    • iEARN Global Learning Circle - Spring 2014
  • Chaco Canyon Trek 2018
  • Non-clickable Page