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Storytelling: A Way to Connect with Our Preschoolers and Reflect on Our Teaching with Teacher Tom

    If you’re looking for a deeper connection with your children, students, and preschool families… then perhaps you need to come together through stories! Join us today as we learn from Teacher Tom, one of the greatest storytellers in the preschool world!

    Teacher Tom has been in the preschool space for over 20 years now. During that time, he used the power of storytelling to form amazing relationships with both kids and parents. At one point during his career, he visited a preschool in Greece where his storytelling skills exceeded even the language barrier!

    If you want to find out how he did that (it’s a great story!) and learn how to leverage storytelling in your own classroom, tune in right now!

    How Teacher Tom Found Out That Preschool Was His Calling 

    For the past two decades, Tom Hobson, better known as Teacher Tom, has been the sole teacher at the Woodland Park Cooperative Preschool. Since 2009, he’s been writing his daily blog on preschool teaching and his experiences, he’s published two books, and he’s currently offering an amazing course for teachers and parents. But how did his story begin?

    Teacher Tom says that he never had any intention of being a teacher. But, some 20 years ago, he found himself as a stay at home dad. In an attempt to organize a fun social life for his daughter and himself, Teacher Tom considered different options. When he heard about cooperative schools, he knew that was a solution for them. And as his daughter moved on to kindergarten, Teacher Tom “stayed behind”.

    But Wait, What Is a Cooperative Preschool?

    A cooperative preschool is a school that is owned and operated by the parents who enroll their children. The teachers are the only ones getting paid, while the parents handle everything else, from scheduling to operations and coordination. The parents act as a governing body and decision-makers, but they also attend the school and take part in classes as assistant teachers. 

    In fact, that’s precisely how Teacher Tom got his start! He was an assistant teacher in his daughter’s co-op school and he liked it so much he decided to move his new career forward. 

    According to Teacher Tom, every preschool environment becomes a community of children, but a cooperative school becomes a community of families. Everyone is working together, including kids, parents, siblings, grandparents. If it takes a village to raise a child, then a cooperative preschool is one of the ways to create that village.

    The Healthiest Place for Kids to Be Is Outside

    Although Teacher Tom lives in the Pacific Northwest, he never lets rain deter his teaching plans. A big part of those plans is taking the kids outside, as he believes this is one of the healthiest things you can do for kids. 

    So, there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes. Kids under Teacher Tom’s tutelage wear high boots and raincoats so they can enjoy fun activities that are possible only in the rain! Teacher Tom cites rain painting and playing with clay as his favorite rain-time activities. 

    He urges parents and teachers to find ways to be outside as much as possible. It’s not only healthy but much more fun than staying inside!

    Teacher Tom’s Storytelling Adventures in a Greek Preschool

    Over the years, Teacher Tom has been invited to speak about his teaching approach all around the world. When I asked him to share some of these stories, he immediately thought of Greece. He visited there a couple of times, and each time he was fascinated by the connection he and the kids established. 

    The first time, they drew pictures to communicate and share stories. He brought his signature red cape and the kids found a million ways to play and have fun with Teacher Tom. The other time, a teacher at this preschool asked him to tell the kids a story. However, the kids spoke Greek and didn’t know a word of English. But, his Greek colleague wanted to run an experiment and Teacher Tom happily went along.

    He told a short and simple story to the kids, using a lot of hand gestures and body language. At the end, the kids were asked what the story was about. They had it almost 100% nailed! Teacher Tom was fascinated to see they had overcome a language barrier in such a simple and powerful way. 

    In fact, he believes that storytelling is the essence of human nature. It’s the best way for us to learn. Of course, there are many learning styles, but storytelling goes back to our hunter-gatherer days when we would sit around campfires and exchange information through stories. In Teacher Tom’s view, a great story is the best way for kids to learn.

    The Technology of Speaking With Children So They Can Think

    Teacher Tom just put out his new e-course called The Technology of Speaking With Children So They Can Think. It’s a six-part course that he’s been working on for the last 20 years. 

    Teachers and parents who had access to this research told him that the material was transformative, so he knew he had to spread the good word. The basis of the course is in the fact that so much of the language we use with children actually prevents them from thinking for themselves. 

    Teacher Tom’s course offers practical ways to use language so you can create an environment in which children will do their own thing. Critical thinking skills are developed early on, and this course is a great tool to ensure your kids become independent and happy thinkers!

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