Tag Archives: learning

Teacher Feature: Ducklings Explore Bubbles

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This teacher feature focuses on the older infant (Duckling) class’s exploration of Bubbles and the development of their classroom exhibit: HOME during the month of May. At this point of the year, students in the Duckling class were between the ages of 14-20 months old.  

Preparation:   

Why and how did you choose the visit? 

The Ducklings were showing their teachers an increased interest in helping clean the classroom throughout the day. After each meal at school, the Ducklings would ask to help with a “Task,” such as wiping down the table, carrying dirty dishes to the kitchen, and putting the laundry in the laundry room. The students were excited to help and to mimic what their teachers were doing. The Duckling educators decided to follow that interest.  

What were your topics of exploration?  

This month-long exploration was all about Bubbles. Each week focused on a different way to encounter bubbles: Laundry, Dishes, and Bathtime. The class then spent the last week of the month discussing how we can take care of the spaces and things in our home. The unit concluded with the classroom Exhibit entitled HOME to show off all their hard work.  

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)  

There were a few learning objectives for the Bubbles unit. A major focus was for the Ducklings to gain a sense of autonomy and independence in their space. Throughout the month, the students had opportunities to decide how they wanted to interact with the lesson. For example, there were spare clothes available to the students during the week on Laundry. They could then decide if they wanted to practice putting on and taking off the clothes, pretend to wash them in the model washer and dryer, or work on hanging them up on the clothesline set up in the classroom. Having these options available allowed the students to decide for themselves where their interests lay and to work on a variety of gross and fine motor skills.  

Caption: Two infants practice hanging clothes on a pretend clothesline in their classroomPicture 

Caption: Duckling infant class explores spare clothes and laundry baskets on the floor with their educator.  

Another goal was to create a positive association with cleaning as it can be a difficult part of a child’s daily routine. By allowing them to create a mess and then have them help clean it up, the teachers could show the students that cleaning up after ourselves (a skill they will continue to develop later in life) is just as engaging as the mess making.   

Implementation:   

What was most successful about your lesson?  

The most successful part of the whole month was watching the Ducklings get objects dirty and then get excited to clean them. It was a real full circle moment for the class. Over the course of the month, they would return to this cycle a number of times. First, they painted with dishes and utensils and when they were done painting, they cleaned them in soapy water. The class repeated this activity with toy cars in “mud” (brown paint) and then, again, using their full bodies. By the end it was clear to the teachers that the students understood that something gets messy and then it gets clean.  

Caption: Duckling students painted with their toys cars in “mud” (brown paint) and later washed the cars clean at a “car wash.” 

Another successful element was the cardboard washer and dryer Calla and Kevon built prior to the unit. The Ducklings quickly learned that they could move clothes from one machine to another and that the washer and dryer were only meant for clothes. It was great to see their gross and fine motor skills as well as their spatial reasoning skills in action as they moved clothes and turned the dials. 

Caption: Duckling student shows off her laundry and coordination skills by moving the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer 

How did the lesson reach your objectives to expand the topic?  

Each week the Ducklings got to focus on a different way they could clean and interact with bubbles. They would have similar experiences, such as painting and then cleaning up, but the methods would be different enough to expand their understanding of cleaning.  

The Ducklings were able to build on their prior knowledge of what it means to clean in order to understand how to clean with the new objects in front of them. For example, they were used to seeing their teachers clean the table with washcloths and liked to help rub down the table. The teachers took the class to Within These Walls at American History to discuss laundry. When presented with a washboard, typically used for cleaning clothes, they talked about how they could “rub, rub, rub” their washcloths on the board just like they would on the table. When their teacher placed a modern washboard basin in front of them, the Ducklings quickly associated that washboard with the one they had seen in the museum.  

Caption: Ducklings went to visit the laundry portion of the Within These Walls exhibit before returning to their classroom to do some washing of their own. They took their washcloths and got them clean in their soapy water buckets.  

What was successful in terms of your preparation and logistics? 

What made this lesson so successful was having everything prepared in advance. The Duckling educators knew that they wanted to spend an entire month talking about bubbles and cleaning, so they spent time thinking about how to break that down into smaller topics. This enabled the team to dive deeper into each topic but still create a cohesive lesson as the month progressed. 

The Duckling team also intentionally revisited spaces and concepts. They took more than one visit to Inside These Walls during their month-long unit. This allowed the Ducklings to become a little more familiar with the space and more comfortable engaging with the exhibit. They followed a similar thought process for their art lessons during the month. By using a similar formula for their art projects, they allowed their art making to become a routine. The children were able to know what to expect and, therefore, they spent more time exploring and engaging with their projects.   

Reflection:   

How did you document the lesson in order to reflect back on the work? 

The Duckling’s month-long exploration on Bubbles culminated in their classroom exhibit entitled HOME. The students spent so much time exploring bubbles and cleaning that it felt like the perfect topic for an exhibit and to have their adults come and see their hard work.  While not every project was displayed for the exhibit, the Duckling team chose to focus on displaying work that showed the process of getting things dirty and then getting things clean. The art around the classroom was the biproduct of that exploration.  

Caption: Ducklings students made bubble art by making bubbles with colored water and transferring the bubbles onto paper. Once dry, those art works were hung on a pretend clothesline for their classroom exhibit.   

The teachers also decided to bring back out the different cleaning stations they learned about during the month. There was a pretend bathtub, a toy kitchen, the washer and dryer, the laundry line, as well as brooms and dust pans. These stations were in place for the Ducklings to show their adults all the new gross and fine motor skills they developed over the month.  

Each station was brought out because it spoke to the interests of the children. There was a way for each child to engage, and work samples were present for each student.   

Caption: During the exhibit, one Duckling was exciting to show off her fine motor skills back at the clothesline.  

What could you have done differently to better achieve your objectives and expand the topic? 

There is always room for improvement in lesson planning, and if the Duckling team were to do this lesson over, one thing that they’d like to do is to scaffold some of their exploration out a little differently. For example, instead of putting up a clothesline, hanging clothes on it, and just letting the children explore, the team would have liked to break it down into smaller experiences first. Like just practicing pinching the clothes pins open and shut, then trying to balance clothes on a more solid clothes line, then transitioning to a string line. This slower introduction would have helped the students make their own connections.  

What was challenging regarding logistics?  

One challenge was finding the balance between experiencing getting messy and ensuring that the students are safe. Water play, and full-body paint exploration, can get slippery if the educators aren’t keeping a close eye on the situation. It can be a fine line between letting the children explore as they want to and making sure they keep their bodies safe. The Duckling team did their best to let the children explore freely by working to mitigate the mess before it happened. During water play, for example, they covered the floor with towels ahead of the play.  

What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson? 

The biggest recommendation is to let the children experience the real thing, whenever possible. If the class is discussing how clothes get laundered when they get dirty, spend a day doing just that! Let the children get their clothes dirty, have them change, and then walk them through the steps of washing their clothes and take the time to investigate each step. The Ducklings loved being involved in the many steps of keeping themselves and their classroom clean. 

Creating Intentional, Reflective Spaces: SEEC’s Commitment to Meaningful Classroom Environments 

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Introduction 

 Earlier this year, educators across SEEC’s vibrant community came together for an all-class meeting led by our Office of Engagement and Administrative Team. With representation from every classroom serving children from 2 months to 4 years, this gathering was an opportunity to reflect, share, and envision the future of our learning environments. 

The heart of the presentation focused on how classroom environments at SEEC should be more than just spaces—they should be reflections of what’s happening in the life of each class. They should be intentional, curated, and consistent across our community. As a lab school that integrates museums, community connections, play, and object-based learning, our environment serves not only as a backdrop, but also as an active participant in the learning process. 

The display boards in the Art Studio about the children’s exploration of Pacita’s Painted Bridge; the top left board discusses the inspiration from the art with descriptive posters, the top right board features a “Talking with Art” theme with children’s art and comments, the bottom board showcases multiple photos and descriptions of children engaged in the process of creating their pieces. 

Documentation is …   

“An effective piece of documentation tells the story and the purpose of an event, experience, or development. It is a product that draws others into the experience—evidence or artifacts that describe a situation, tell a story, and help the viewer to understand the purpose of the action”  

   – NAEYC 

Art display featuring a colorful collage with images, patterns, and cellophane fish, all pinned on a wall. It also features photographs of the children creating the fish, an image of Untitled by Simon George Mpata and a description plaque of the children’s exploration. 

Guidelines for Curated Spaces 
 

The administrative team outlined several key guidelines for building and sustaining rich classroom environments. One major takeaway was the idea of keeping displays fresh and relevant by changing them out monthly in alignment with each class’s unit of learning. Educators were encouraged to use real photos whenever possible, and to be mindful of how someone without any context—a new family, a visitor, or even a child—might engage with the documentation they encounter. 

Importantly, the team challenged educators to think beyond the bulletin board. Documentation should be thoughtfully showcased, using the full range of space within the classroom to reflect learning, discovery, and growth. Typed descriptions should support the visuals, offering clear, intentional narratives about what is happening and why it matters. 

A display featuring multiple photos of children in our Threes class engaging in the process of creating lanterns, and a text panel describing their exploration of lights during the holidays, complemented by a display of their lanterns. 

Showcasing the Extraordinary 
 

Another theme of the presentation was recognizing and intentionally showcasing the extraordinary work that is happening every day in our classrooms. Documentation is a tool for storytelling—and those stories should be shared with our caregivers, our peers, and the children themselves. It fosters connection, supports classroom community, and builds trust with families. 

We revisited an important question: Who is documentation for? The answer was multifaceted. It’s for children, who deserve to see their learning reflected back at them. It’s for caregivers, who want to understand and engage with their child’s experience. It’s for fellow educators, directors, and even for each of us as individual educators—a way to reflect on and grow in our own practice. It’s also a window for new families into the values and rhythms of SEEC classrooms. 

Left: An outdoor class exhibit with a child and their caregiver viewing paper artworks.  

Right: A caregiver reading a description of their child’s class art display while two children and two educators engage in play and story time. 

Engaging Children Through Environment 
 

The team emphasized that placement matters. Documentation intended for children should be placed low enough for them to engage with it—yes, even to touch it. When we introduce materials thoughtfully and set expectations, children can interact with their learning environment in respectful and meaningful ways. 

We also explored how the environment itself can shape classroom behavior. A carefully arranged, engaging, and responsive space can reduce challenges and support deeper exploration. Our surroundings can either hinder or enhance the work we do—and we have the power to use them intentionally. 

Wall display at child level featuring one of our Twos’ class artworks and a descriptive plaque, in a classroom setting. 

From Discussion to Action 
 

The presentation concluded with an open dialogue. Educators discussed practical concerns—how to manage time constraints, where to print documentation, and how to embrace the idea that children will interact physically with the materials on display. 

In the five months since, educators across SEEC have taken this guidance to heart. Classrooms are now filled with purposeful documentation that highlights the daily wonders unfolding in our community. From toddler rooms to preschool spaces, there’s a renewed commitment to documenting learning not just consistently, but meaningfully. 

As we look ahead, our goal is to continue growing in this work—pushing ourselves to create environments that don’t just display learning but deepen and celebrate it. 

Top: A display in our older infant class featuring the work of Alma Thomas alongside the children’s artwork. Bottom: Abstract paintings and textured art pieces by one of our toddler classes, and a central portrait of Piet Mondrian with a description of the children’s exploration of his art.