Antarctica, which contains the South Pole, is the Earth's fifth largest and least populated continent with no permanent residents, averaging 1,000 in winter and 5,000 in summer. Some 98% of the continent is covered by ice. And yet, visitors to this inhospitable land will find a place to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary – the Chapel of Santa Maria Reina de Paz (Queen of Peace), built out of metal storage containers and located on the Chilean military base of King George's Island, Antarctica.

The chapel serves an average population of 100 and signifies the great love and devotion to Mary, as the Mother of God, that exists in even the most unexpected places. It stands in contrast to the Basilica of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil, one of the largest churches in the world and one of an inestimable number dedicated to Mary under any one of her many titles.

Mary's titles stem from her relationship with Jesus, humanity, and the Church. Some titles are attributed to first use by saints, as in Mary Help of Christians, by St. John Chrysostom, and Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, by St. Jerome. Others arise from pious tradition or the geographic locations of the faithful.

In addition to Mary's many titles are the many faces of Mary, commemorated in thousands of Catholic churches and cathedrals around the world. Prominent in the United States is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, which houses more than 80 chapels and oratories honoring the Mother of God and representing people from every corner of the globe. 

Among the Basilica representations of Mary are those that depict her as African, Austrian, Chinese, Cuban, Czech, Filipino, French, German, Guamanian, Hungarian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Korean, Latin American, Lebanese, Maltese, Polish, Slovakian, Slovenian and Vietnamese.

Students are most likely familiar with images of Mary with light skin and hair and blue eyes or a young Jewish girl with olive skin, brown hair, and eyes. They may also be familiar with images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in which Mary appears as an Indian princess, or as Our Lady of Kibeho, a Madonna with black skin who spoke with schoolgirls in a small Rwandan town in Africa.
 
The Marian month of May is an excellent time to introduce students to some of the many other faces of Mary, helping them understand the diversity and universality of the Catholic Church.

Display varying images of Mary in the classroom. Be sure to tell the students the title of the image and the origins. Use the various images for prayer during May.

Encourage students to share their cultural images of Mary. Invite them to draw an image of Mary that means the most to them and encourage them to share any Marian traditions they may celebrate at home with the class.
 
Whether you are teaching a pre-school program, elementary, or high school program, be sure to pay attention to the artwork in your RCL Benziger resources for beautiful and unique images of Mary, as well as in Our Family Devotions, Popular Devotions from Around the World, which includes several different Marian devotions.

Also, check out Our Family Prays, Catholic Prayers and Traditions for Adorning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

About the Author
Mary Regina Morrell, mother of six and grandmother to nine, is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.

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In our video series, My Emotions, we talk a lot about becoming shepherds to our own flock of feelings.  This is great symbolic language for children–this idea that we have all of these feelings that are roaming around inside of us, like sheep in a field.  

Every now and then, one of those sheep runs astray and needs our special, focused attention.  As the Shepherd calls each sheep by name–as God calls us all by name–we do the same with our feelings.  This is the idea of naming it to tame it, putting a name to our feelings so we can process them and figure out how to move on.

Oftentimes in education, especially in the current political climate, people criticize how we focus much of our time on “feelings” instead of academics.  Teachers are likely to experience pushback every now and then when they focus on social-emotional learning as opposed to more measurable, “academic” skills such as math or reading. So often we overestimate children’s ability to regulate their emotions and underestimate their ability to understand our explanation and coaching through their upset.  

Think about how we teach reaching, or how we teach our children to learn animal names and sounds.  We practice, we make it playful, and we create environments where children can explore and build understanding throughout the day.  Children are naturally born feeling–emotions are equal parts sensations in the body and thoughts in our mind–but not born with the language to understand or mechanisms to process what they are going through.  Why shouldn’t we teach emotional language and regulation the same way we teach reading–through practice, play, and modeling?

Here’s your challenge for this week–an upset adult is unable to calm an upset child.  When you feel upset this week in the classroom, talk about it out loud and model for the children what you are feeling.  I was always taught to put on my “game face” when I was teaching but realized there was power in showing some of my feelings on my sleeve. 

We can normalize feeling frustrated, sad, or happy with children by talking about what we do when we feel this way.  For example, the next time you feel frustrated in the classroom, say it out loud, “I am feeling frustrated.  My hands are in fists, and my heart is racing.  I am going to take a deep breath to calm down.”  See how the children respond–and what they do the next time they feel frustrated too.

About the Author
Amy S. Kronberg is an early learning consultant and adjunct professor at the University of Dayton. Mrs. Kronberg began her work in early childhood education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Early Childhood Education Center, where she learned about the Reggio Emilia philosophy, child-centered curriculum, and playful learning environments.  She moved to Dayton in 2013 to complete her Masters of Science in Education, studying early childhood leadership and advocacy so she could learn to support children and families in understanding the value of and celebrating play.  She is currently all but dissertation in Educational Leadership at the University of Dayton and specializes in early learning consulting for local nonprofits, infant and toddler learning, and social-emotional development.

The month of May is special to our Blessed Mother Mary. During the month of May, draw closer to Mary in your own prayer life and invite your students to get to know her better. Mary is a perfect example of discipleship. She prayed and listened to discover God’s will for her.  She was faithful to her Jewish faith, which promised that a Messiah would come. She was open to hearing God’s direction, and she responded quickly and fully.  She didn’t always know where the path would lead, but she courageously took the step into the unknown will of God. She faithfully persevered with her son, even to the cross.

Mary was a catechist. With St. Joseph her husband, she introduced Jesus to the rites and statutes of the Law of Moses, prayed the Psalms, and taught him the history of Israel. Jesus learned from Mary and Joseph to attend the Sabbath services at the local synagogue and to travel once a year to the Temple of Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

Mary in the Bible: 

All that is known of Mary is found in the Bible, specifically in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles.  She played a vital role in salvation history and committed her life to her family, making a home for Jesus and Joseph. As the Catechism tells us, “Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary. The Church is nothing other than “the family of God.”  (CCC, 1655)
The following are New Testament texts that include some reference to Mary. Select one or more texts and reflect on their meaning for your own life as a disciple.

• Events surrounding the birth of Jesus: Matthew 1:1-2:23 and Luke 1:5-2:52
• Mary during the public ministry of Jesus: Mark 3:20-35, Matthew 12:46-50, Luke 8:19-21; 11:27-28
• Mary in the gospel of John: John 2: 1-12, John 19: 25-27
• Mary and the Church: Acts 1: 6-14

Do we contemplate and ponder the spiritual events in our lives?  Do we act quickly and obediently to God’s call in our lives?  Do we model faithful Christianity?  

Activities for the Classroom:

Have students look up and read one or more of the New Testament texts in which Mary plays a role. You could also print out the readings ahead of time and assign small groups to read the Scripture passage silently. For younger students, tell them the story aloud. Ask: What did Mary do in this story?

Ideas for prayer in honor of Mary for your classroom and at home:

• Create a special prayer space with an icon or image of Mary. It is lovely to add flowers to the table.
• Pray the Hail Mary or a decade of the rosary each day during the month of May.
• Make a wreath or crown for Mary and add it to your prayer space. 
• Engage students in offering this prayer service honoring Mary, from Catholic Resources. 
• For more activities for all grade levels, see these additional free resources from RCL Benziger, Mary, Our Lady.

About the Author

Dr. Lauri Przybysz specializes in equipping families to live their vocation to be domestic churches and signs of God’s love. Lauri received the Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic University of America, and she has been both a Catholic middle school religion teacher and a faith formation coordinator at the archdiocesan and parish levels. She is the mother of six children and grandmother of 21.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by plants that grow in the most unexpected places, like the tree that grew up in the 1-inch metal pole of a stop sign on our corner and got big enough to provide a bit of shade until someone decided to cut the branches off. 

Or the little tree that grew between two panes of glass in our family room window. One pane was cracked (for a long time) and a seed found its way in and grew quite large until we could finally replace the window.

I recently found a small blooming flower growing out of a missing screw hole along the ground in the shopping cart return at the supermarket. It was lovely, a stark contrast to the paved parking lot with no growth in sight. And who hasn’t marveled at the flowering treasures that routinely grow up in the cracks of even the most well-traveled pavement?

These finds always remind me of the persistence of new life. They are hopeful and encouraging, something we need especially when times are difficult.

Perhaps that’s why I am so fond of Mary Gardens. With May being the month of Mary, and falling within the Easter season, the seasons of resurrection and new life, Mary Gardens provide the perfect opportunity for a faith lesson that remains visible for a good part of the year (depending on your climate).

Mary Gardens have been traced back to medieval times when flowers took on significance as symbols of Mary’s life and attributes. Gardens were created to honor Mary by gathering together those flowers around a focal point in the garden, most often a statue of Mary.

Some schools and parishes may already have a Mary Garden, but there is no reason why a smaller, more compact version can’t be creatively added to a classroom – in a corner, on a windowsill, or as part of the prayer table, using potted plants or even a small container garden.

This shortlist of Mary flowers is a start for picking flowers for your Mary Garden. Even one plant, such as an indoor rose, placed by a statue of Mary is enough to remind children daily of our relationship with the Mother of God.
During May, the garden may serve as a focus for prayers at the start and close of the school day should and include Marian prayers. Students may be assigned on a rotating schedule to care for the garden.

Lily – Perhaps the most well-known of Mary’s flowers, the lily, known as Madonna Lily, symbolizes Mary’s purity. The Angel Gabriel is often depicted at the Annunciation with a lily in hand. The lily, also known as the “Easter lily,” has the most significance as a symbol of new life during the Easter season because it grows from a bulb in the cold earth (tomb) and rises to be reborn as Christ rose from the dead. 

Rose – Is symbolic of Mary under her title of Mystical Rose. There are many legends of Mary associated with roses. Also, the Rosary is sometimes made with rosebuds or represented in art as a garland of rose which sometimes adorns the Blessed Mother.

Iris – Known as the “sword lily’ most likely because of the blade-shaped foliage, which symbolized the sorrows that ‘pierced her heart.’ It is related to Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows.

Marigold – Known as “Mary’s Gold” by early Christians who placed the flowers around statues of Mary in place of coins. A legend shares the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt where they ran into a band of thieves who took Mary’s purse. When they opened it, marigold blossoms fell out.

Violet – Known as “Our Lady’s Modesty,” the flower is said to have blossomed when Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” to the Angel Gabriel.

To learn more about Marian traditions under more than a dozen of her many titles, check out RCL Benziger’s Our Family Devotions: Popular Devotions from Around the World. It’s a great resource for classrooms, too.
The University of Dayton Marian Library has a wealth of resources on Mary Gardens for those who would like more information.

About the Author
Mary Regina Morrell, mother of six and grandmother to nine, is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.

Teaching in early childhood is such a dynamic, complex, and creative process–with no two days ever truly the same. You have the joy of celebrating all sorts of milestones big and small, like losing the first tooth, first days of school and last days of school, learning to read, or feeling those lightbulb moments in each kiddo in the classroom. It can be exhausting and exciting all at the same time!

But in working with young children come many other challenges: changing tides in policy, curriculum, leadership, family engagement (or disengagement), opinions on what children should be learning, and when.  All of these contribute to the mental load: that running ticker tape in our minds, the constant to-do list, and active decision-making, on top of those sweet children’s voices asking questions nonstop.  It can be a lot to manage–-and a lot to maintain sanity.

I want you to take a moment to think about all of the challenges you face and write them down on a piece of paper in two columns: label one column “THINGS I CAN CONTROL” and the other “THINGS OUT OF MY CONTROL.”  

For example, as classroom teachers and the leader in the classroom, we can focus on being mindful, answering children’s questions, or saying a quiet prayer when we get overwhelmed.  Those are all things we can do or control in our own day.  

In things out of my control, you can put things down like policy changes, upset families, or a child coming into school in an upset state.  Here is the distinction I want to make–we have to be careful of the things we cannot control and focus on how we can respond to them.  

We cannot control policy changes or when a parent or family has become upset. We can adapt, reflect upon, and change how we respond. Taking a quiet moment to breathe, pray, or be present can help us to respond positively to the challenges of our days.

Many teachers have growing frustrations with teaching.  A recent survey by the National Association of Educators mentioned that nearly half of teachers surveyed plan to leave the field sooner than they had anticipated. 

A primary source of this frustration is trying to control too many things, and burning out as we work to be everything to everyone.  Remember that list of things you can’t control?  Tear it off your paper and throw it away.  Focus on the things you CAN do, and channel your energy into building strong relationships with students and their families, having open and positive conversations with your administrators, and you’ll be amazed as God rolls that stone away.

About the Author

Amy S. Kronberg is an early learning consultant and adjunct professor at the University of Dayton. Mrs. Kronberg began her work in early childhood education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Early Childhood Education Center, where she learned about the Reggio Emilia philosophy, child-centered curriculum, and playful learning environments.  She moved to Dayton in 2013 to complete her Masters of Science in Education, studying early childhood leadership and advocacy so she could learn to support children and families in understanding the value of and celebrating play.  She is currently all but dissertation in Educational Leadership at the University of Dayton and specializes in early learning consulting for local nonprofits, infant and toddler learning, and social-emotional development.

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). We cannot see someone’s faith, but we can see its signs in their lives. Being a believer means that one lives a certain way — walking with the Lord, doing justice, loving-kindness, and living peaceably among all people. Christian discipleship means practicing what Jesus preached. Discipleship is found in a relationship with Christ and a commitment to his mission of "bringing good news to the poor, liberty to captives, new sight to the blind, and setting the downtrodden free" (Luke 4:18). 

The Bible speaks of visible "fruits of the spirit" that are characteristics of a Christian – evidence of faith. St. Paul made a list of these fruits in his letter to the Galatians:  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control (Gal 5: 22-23). These are the attitudes, behaviors, and traits that someone who believes in Jesus Christ should show. Every Christian is continually maturing toward Christ-likeness and the Word of God helps us to understand how the Holy Spirit guides us!

• Uncovering the Evidence: Make a chart on the marker board, a poster, or on a handout with the Fruits of the Spirit at the top of each column. Brainstorm with students some actions they would expect to see in a person who is a faithful disciple of Jesus. For example, under Patience (also Kindness and Self-Control): My friend waited for me to finish my project so that we could walk together. Under Love (also Joy and Faithfulness): Grandma sent me a note to encourage me before the tournament.
• Identifying the Witnesses: Ask students to name people they know – or have learned about in their classes – that exemplify each of the fruits. Let the students discuss and decide how to list the “evidence” on the Fruit of the Spirit chart. Since all good actions are fruits of the same Spirit, you can expect that an action or a person could be evidence of multiple “fruits.” Consider the Saints of the Week from your current lessons. You will also find stories of dozens of holy witnesses in the Saints Resource. Example: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary gave her wealth to feed the poor – list under Generosity, Love, Gentleness. Saint Peter Claver ministered to enslaved people, protected them, and taught them about Christ – listed under Faithfulness, Peace, and Joy.
• Interdisciplinary Project: Invite students to make connections to other subjects in the curriculum. Ask: “What events and people have you learned about in Social Studies, Health, or Reading classes that could be added to the chart?”
• Showing the Fruit: As an art project, invite students to choose one Fruit of the Spirit to illustrate. They could draw a picture or a comic strip of someone demonstrating their faith this way.

About the Author
Dr. Lauri Przybysz specializes in equipping families to live their vocation to be domestic churches and signs of God’s love. Lauri received the Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic University of America, and she has been both a Catholic middle school religion teacher and a faith formation coordinator at the archdiocesan and parish levels. She is the mother of six children and grandmother of 21.

There is something remarkable about a mother’s love. It is unconditional, eternal and sacrificial, tender, generous, strong, and wise at its best. It is a refuge, something to trust, treasure, and celebrate.

The Church has embraced that treasure and the entire month of May to honor and celebrate the remarkable love of Mary, the Mother of God, who is also our mother. It is a centuries-old tradition, appropriately taking place during spring’s beauty and time of rebirth, reminding us that Mary gave new life to the world when she said “Yes,” to God and became the mother of Jesus.

Children may not fully understand the religious teachings behind Catholic beliefs, but they understand the importance of a mother’s love. Embracing the month of May as a time to help children get to know Mary, as a mother, as a comforter, and as a saint, will help them develop a life-long relationship with the Mother of God.

Our Catholic textbooks, like Blest Are We Faith in Action series, and Be My Disciples, offer important lessons about Mary and a reminder that Catholics do not worship Mary, but, rather, honor her as the Mother of Jesus, Mother of the Church, and our best model of faith.

During May, consider adding some of these Mary moments to your classroom and discussions, and help children get to know Mary better.

Portray Mary as the mother of us all. Most pictures and statues of Mary are crafted in a European style of light skin and hair. Add some images of Mary that reflect her Middle Eastern heritage and others that reflect images of our multi-cultural mother. There is a wonderful collection for review in an article by Aleteia – 10 Stunning images of the Madonna and Child from around the world.

Have a classroom May crowning. Many parishes have May Crownings, but having a crowning of a Mary statue, or even a wreath of flowers around a Mary picture in a classroom, is something that all students may be a part of and then see every day. If possible, include a Marian hymn children can sing. If the statue is on the classroom prayer table, consider adding a box or jar for the student’s prayer intentions to Mary.

Pray for a decade of the Rosary. The Rosary is a prayer that honors Mary and helps us meditate on the life of Christ. Religion textbooks like Blest Are We and Be My Disciples include an explanation of how to pray the Rosary. Check with a parish Altar Rosary Society if Rosary beads are needed for the students. They often have extras on hand.

Share Mary in Scripture stories. Scripture doesn’t include a lot about Mary but there are enough stories to show snippets of Mary’s life and her unwavering presence throughout Jesus’ ministry. Read these stories to, or with, your students and encourage them to talk about what they learned about Mary from them:   The Annunciation, Visitation, Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, Finding of Jesus in the Temple, Wedding Feast at Cana, Crucifixion, and Pentecost.

About the Author

Mary Regina Morrell, mother of six and grandmother to nine, is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.

Many years ago, while visiting a Catholic school Kindergarten program, I sat in on a lesson which the teacher was presenting to children seated in a circle on the floor. She was trying to get across the point of how we learn right from wrong and the people who help us learn those values. She was working up to the fact that God always teaches us things, even adults, and helps us make good choices because God loves us.

The teacher talked about her boss, the school principal, and all the things the principal helped the teacher learn. She pointed out that everyone has a boss of some kind, even the Holy Father, the Pope.

“Do you know who the Pope’s boss is,” she queried, certain she would get the answer she was looking for.

A little boy waved his hand with gusto, barely able to keep his seat. “I know, I know,” he said. The teacher asked him for his answer. Without hesitation, the little boy replied, “His mom!”

The wisdom of children.

Certainly, for a time, parents are bosses, but they are always teachers, the most important teachers children can have. But there are other people in the life of a child who helps inform and form the child.

The role of the teacher is extraordinarily important in the lives of children. Eleanor Roosevelt thought it was so important that, in 1953, she petitioned Congress for a National Day of Recognition for teachers. The National Education Association (NEA) in partnership with the Kansas State and Indiana State Boards of Education, lobbied Congress so the day might be recognized. The first National Teacher Day didn’t become an official national day until 1980. Today it is celebrated on May 3.

How might National Teachers’ Day fit into the religious education classroom?

Talk about Jesus’ teachers. Scripture says that Jesus grew in wisdom, grace, and age before God and the people. When his parents found him in the temple in Jerusalem, he was among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions (Luke 2:46-47). Religious education was part of the upbringing of the children (Colossians 3:15-17). Teaching Scripture, praying by singing psalms, and fostering a spirit of gratitude to God were important aspects. We see that Jesus, the consummate Teacher, had teachers of his own. Who might students see as Jesus’ teachers? Discuss the roles of Mary and Joseph, and the great teachers, Rabbis, of Jesus’ time.

Educate with love – and gratitude. Speaking with students, teachers, and parents, Pope Francis once said, “One cannot educate without love. You cannot teach words without gestures, and the first gesture is the caress: to caress hearts, caress souls. And what is the language of the caress? Persuasion. One teaches with the patience of persuasion. Witness, loving-kindness, caresses, persuasion.” Encourage your students to identify those people who have taught them with loving-kindness. Provide an opportunity for your students to express their gratitude to that person through a personal note, or for younger students, through art. While your students may wish to express their gratitude to you, encourage them to think of who else might be a teacher for them – school principal, coach, crossing guard. Or perhaps, Jesus, God, or a special saint?

Join your students. Create your own thank you to someone who has taught or mentored you. Let your students know that you are also expressing gratitude for a teacher's gift in your life. Your personal note may be an act of loving-kindness that makes a beautiful difference in someone’s day.

For a resource to help children learn about the life of Jesus through Scripture, consider the RCL Benziger grade-level series - Blest Are We Faith in Action - School Edition Grades K-8.

About the Author

“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

At Mass, we frequently hear an excerpt from one of the letters of St. Paul proclaimed. In the days before cell phones, texting, and even organized mail delivery, Paul spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in the methods available to him. During your religion classes, invite your students to learn more about this Apostle who kept up a lively correspondence in the early Christian community. 

St. Paul is often considered to be the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity. However before he was known as a champion for Christ, he was actually known for persecuting Christians and was even present when the first martyr, St. Stephen, was stoned to death. His life changed dramatically when Jesus appeared to him and called him to tell all people about the Risen Lord. You can learn more about St. Paul in the Saints Resource.

Paul traveled widely to cities throughout the Roman Empire of his day, establishing more than a dozen churches to carry on the work of evangelization. Since he could not stay very long with these new Christian communities, Paul wrote them letters that someone else would hand-deliver the next time they visited that town. The letters were often read aloud in the assemblies and 13 of his letters were eventually included in the Bible. In his letters, Paul declares his own faith in Jesus, gives advice about how to live the Christian life and reminds people of God’s loving care for them. 

Putting Our Faith into Writing. Although St. Paul’s letters have come down to us over the centuries, our communications with our friends and families usually are in the form of short and disposable electronic messages. Writing letters is becoming a lost art, and young people do not often write about their faith in a letter for someone else to read. Have students write a letter describing why their faith and Jesus are important to them. 

Learning More about St. Paul’s Letters. Use the Letter to Titus in a classroom lesson. It has just 46 verses long but is a good example of St. Paul’s writing style. Here is an abbreviated section to read to younger students: Chapter 1, verses 1-4; Chapter 2, verses 11-15; Chapter 3, verses 4-8. Students in middle grades could read the whole letter. They will discover that Christian disciples experienced many of the same challenges that they encounter in their daily lives.

Writing Letters to Our Friends. Have students write and send a short letter of encouragement to someone.  Examples are soldiers, the sick, and those preparing for Baptism or Confirmation.
Consider subscribing to Praying the Scriptures, the online resource that supports teachers in learning and reflecting on the Sunday Scriptures in the classroom and at home.
 

About the Author
Dr. Lauri Przybysz specializes in equipping families to live their vocation to be domestic churches and signs of God’s love. Lauri received the Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic University of America, and she has been both a Catholic middle school religion teacher and a faith formation coordinator at the archdiocesan and parish levels. She is the mother of six children and grandmother of 21.

As a kid, I often felt a little bit like an outsider. It wasn’t because of anything I could figure out at the time, but I think it was twofold. I longed to feel connected to my peers, but I didn’t have the words to describe the big emotions that I was feeling.

As a professional working in early childhood education, I started to acknowledge that I still didn’t have the words to figure out what I was feeling so deeply. I understood the value of the connection between children, as well as between children and their caregivers. This included their teachers: how could I help children figure out how to express what they were feeling if I didn’t have the words to figure it out for myself?

Much of my work after I left the classroom in 2013 has focused on figuring out how to find my own professional voice so that I could help others figure out how to do the same. I often refer to this as being fluent in the language of emotions: some people have a conversational understanding of emotions, using the basic words like angry, sad, and happy. 

When we become fluent in understanding our emotions, we have a broader vocabulary to describe what it is that we are feeling both emotionally, spiritually, and physically within the body.

My aim in sharing these thoughts with you is to help you, the early childhood teacher, feel seen. 

Through a variety of projects that I have worked on with RCL Benziger and the Stories of God‘s Love program and the new My Emotions Video series, I have been working on supporting teachers in talking about this flock of feelings. 

We have these sort of emotional sheep that we are tasked with caring for; sometimes one of our sheep may go astray, but through connection and thoughtful reflection we can bring it back to the flock. These emotional sheep can be a metaphor for working with children who are displaying challenging behavior or they can be a metaphor for our own emotions. 

When we spend more time sitting with our emotions, reflecting on our triggers, and understanding that these feelings are a gift from God, then we can help others to do the same. 

The goal is to share with you ways you can the problems you face more clearly, practical strategies for tackling these problems, the brainy background to what is happening in the classroom, and ideas for bringing back the joy of teaching. The work you do with and for children is critical to their development–thank you for all that you do.

About the Author
Amy S. Kronberg is an early learning consultant and adjunct professor at the University of Dayton. Mrs. Kronberg began her work in early childhood education at the University of Michigan, Dearborn Early Childhood Education Center, where she learned about the Reggio Emilia philosophy, child-centered curriculum, and playful learning environments. She moved to Dayton in 2013 to complete her Masters of Science in Education, studying early childhood leadership and advocacy so she could learn to support children and families in understanding the value of and celebrating play. She is currently all but dissertation in Educational Leadership at the University of Dayton. She specializes in early learning consulting for local nonprofits, infant and toddler learning, and social-emotional development.