The Power of Claiming Face
In August Maya did a CLAIMING FACE Educator Training through the Arts Council for Monterey County. The participants were bursting with creative energy and passion. After the class, we received this wonderful quote from one of the participants that reminded us why we do this work.
Filed under CLAIMING FACE, Events, Maya in the Classroom | Tags: CLAIMING FACE, creative process, creativity, educators, empowerment, review | Comment (0)I want to extend my deepest appreciation for the training class with Maya Christina Gonzalez. It was just a wonderful experience for me as a mother, artist and teacher.
So many important points were discussed regarding children’s self esteem and feeling like they belong in our world and to participate in our society. I’ve always taught with the underlying intention for children to recognize their place in our world and to feel great about themselves on all levels.
Maya has developed a great program that Continue reading »
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Art,
CAEA Conference in San Jose this weekend
The CSLA/CLA conference last weekend in Sacramento was a blast, and now we’re off to San Jose this weekend for the 2010 California Arts Education Association conference. Maya will be presenting an Intro to Claiming Face workshop on Friday, Nov. 19th from 12:30-1:45pm. The conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose from Nov. 18th-21st. More details about the conference on their website.
Plus earlier in the day on Friday Maya will be working with a group of student teachers at California State University Monterey Bay with her colleague and friend, Dr. Miguel Lopez. One of the goals of the sessions with these students is to present a case study in relation to Claiming Face and what it can accomplish in personal lives as well as in the classroom. Along with creativity and reflection, students will have the rare opportunity of practicing presence with Maya. One of the three main tenets of Claiming Face. We hope to share more about the outcome of this case study as a great way to continue to articulate the powerful work of Claiming Face.
Filed under CLAIMING FACE, Conferences, Maya in the Classroom | Tags: CLAIMING FACE, conference, creativity, educators | Comment (0)Listen to Maya read I Know the River Loves Me on the SF Public Library Children’s Storyline
The San Francisco Public library has partnered with Children’s Book Press to promote Hispanic Heritage Month and the Children’s Storyline. Children’s Book Press generously granted the library permission to record I Know The River Loves Me: Yo sé río me ama by Maya Christina Gonzalez in four languages. Maya recorded the English language version for their growing Storyline library.
You can listen to her read the book by Continue reading »
Filed under General, Maya in the Classroom | Tags: children, hispanic heritage month, library | Comment (0)Reading to the kids of Nickerson Gardens
Last week I flew to Los Angeles for an American Federation of Teachers media event on August 19th. As a child, unions were a natural part of life to me. I grew up with talk of Cesar Chavez, as well as shop talk about the electric union my father belonged to. So I was honored to be included in supporting the union that supports some of my favorite and most respected fellows: educators.
The event took place at the Head Start Center, deep in the Nickerson Gardens Projects in Watts, Los Angeles. The outside walls were covered with fading, but powerful renditions of Martin Luther King Jr. and inspirational words. The images reminded me Continue reading »
Filed under Events, Maya in the Classroom | Tags: children, event, family, neighborhood, outreach, school visit | Comment (0)Endings are Beginnings
Ahh…well here it is, the end of the school year. The feet are standing in summer already. School is like a memory. It was a very busy Spring up until the very end. And while the school visits are over, we are heavy into our next big project, our latest venture, Gender Now Coloring Book, but more about that later.
It’s time to remember and close the books on this last school year. May 13 we went into Paul Revere Elementary School here in San Francisco. I was asked to come visit the school by the mother of one of Zai’s close friends, Virginia, who I adore. So not only was Virginia there (they met in nursery school and became deep friends) but for the first time Zai got to come visit me “at work.” 
This made it extra special. I always tell her tales of my adventures, but I LOVED having her there in person. I always have a lot to learn from kids, but having one of my greatest teachers with me, my sweet Zai, was awesome.
The very next day Matthew and I were off to El Granada Elementary School near Half Moon Bay. I got to talk to some excellent Continue reading »
Filed under Maya in the Classroom | Tags: children, family, fun, library, presentations, school visit | Comment (0)
