Sally Ure has been educating for almost thirty years, 25 of which have been spent on Nantucket with Sandpipers. She is mum to Alexandra, who is a performer and writer.
Educational and Formative Training
Post Graduate Teaching Certification St Lukes, Exeter University, Devon, UK.
Lower primary education, 4 to 8 year olds. Studied how to facilitate learning in ten subjects along with the study of global educational methods such as Montessori, High Scope, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Head Start etc. Studied history of educational psychology; Piaget, Vygotsky etc. Chosen self study and thesis Multiculturalism v Anti Bias cross curricular study
Safe Place: Trained Volunteer in Children’s Safety Programming
Program served all preschools and elementary classes on Nantucket. in the early 1990s
Indoor and Outdoor Classroom Design Certification
1997 Harvard and Tufts Summer Program with Anita Olds.
UU Church
12 years. UUA Trained Religious Education Director, Youth Group Advisor, OWL Sexuality Education Program Educator and Facilitator.
Nature Education
Classes attended with Audubon, Nature Explore, Auchlone Nature Kindergarten, Claire Warden Mindstretchers Inc.
Continuing Education
Experience with 2 to 6 year olds for 25 years through Sandpipers. I complete classes every year, with ongoing reading to inspire and inform.
Inspirations
Educational Background
My Mother, The child whisperer. Always magical, playful and imaginative I watched my mother charm every young child she came across with whatever she could reach around her. Openhearted, unconditionally loving, and so adored. She made a rich world using found and household objects with very little money.
My Childhood. Lots of outdoor play in all weathers. Time to explore, dream, ponder. A secret spot at the end of the garden, an amazing magically designed park with “allees”, fish pond, secret yew tree maze, climbing trees. On my doorstep, wheat fields, marsh and woodland and streams. Tight knit neighborhood where all the mums were my “Aunties”. An Elementary School that taught rigorous academics woven through with lots of drama, storytelling, mixed media art and special projects. Many lessons were taken outdoors in the courtyard, field, and ubder the trees on the campus. Field trips galore to Roman and Norman castles, Tudor manor houses, and their grounds. Trips to forests, windmills, ancient sites and stone circles.
Reggio Emilia, where young children stay with one teacher/ group for three years, creating strong bonds and trust levels. Time is given for children to take an area of interest and delve deeper instead of rushing on to the next “unit”. I love the commitment to linking the community/ neighborhood with the learning environment and curriculum.
Maria Montessori and the use of everyday household objects, helping parents understand that there is opportunity to learn math coordination and social skills even in setting the table. I love the focus on self reliance, and the adherence to child led investigation.
Claire Warden of Mindstretchers and the Nature Kindergarten of Auchlone, Scotland, because it informs and supports my belief in the importance of learning outdoors and in nature, with strong pedagogical underpinnings.
The English National Curriculum and its whole child approach creates a strong foundation with which to learn, but includes language, literacy and math at the earliest of ages, as emergent skills like walking and talking, and through the most developmentally appropriate means.
Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory. Seeing intelligence through the broader context of 8 separate but interconnected intelligences enables all children to feel valued wherever they are developmentally, and promotes belief in themselves as successful learners.
Waldorf. Keeping natural environments and equipment at their core.
I am a big fan of Lev Vygotsky’s work.
Zone of Proximal Development definition