My Science Lab Dream

I should title this post Beyond Leaves and Acorns... At the end of last year I was looking forward to the next and began setting my own personal goals and trying to decide which or what area I would focus on so that I could improve in that area. I have always wanted to create a Science Center or a Mini Classroom Lab. Over the years I have searched high and low and low and high for inspiration and ideas and I always have come to the same dead end... leaves and acorns. First, I am a biology girl and yes, I love leaves and acorns BUT it this truly the only idea or inspiration available for developing young scientists? This summer I finally decided to take action on my dream of a Mini Classroom Lab and decided to allow time for this process to grow and develop over time but keeping to my own personal pact that I would move beyond the leaves and acorns and learn through trial, error, success and failure and finally discover what inspires young children to question and inquire and help them move beyond valid and valuable questions that remain unanswered and sometimes unanswered for a lifetime... And finally, I would stop focusing on what I did not have or could not get and permanently remove those stumbling blocks from my mind so that I could focus on what I could accomplish beyond leaves and acorns. As we enter into Science Week on TBA, I will take you through the steps and decision making process I went through to set this up in my own Kindergarten classroom.