tasks that challenge them in completely new ways. This was evident for example in a recent activity where tribe groups were given a backpack with water, snacks, binder twine, a tarp, paper with pencil and a compass. The scenario they were presented with was of being lost in a forested area and needing to prepare to spend the night as darkness is falling. A quiet, demure, tiny girl with low academic skills and
many assessed areas of deficit immediately took charge of the situation. She organized her tribe mates, planned the best shelter, reserved food and water for later, expressed concerns about firewood supplies. She quickly earned the admiration of children who had thought her a lesser colleague in learning. The experience had a lasting effect for this child, building con- fidence and stronger ties within her peer group. This success has been repeated over and over, particularly amongst children with special learning needs or challenging behaviours.
Your starting place If you don’t already incorporate outdoor learning begin with
a commitment to one hour per day reading, writing or doing math outdoors. Incorporate a couple of the nature immersion routines (see the list below) such as field guiding, sit spot reflection or storytelling and note its effect on your students. Look for outdoor education centres, farms, or local wood- land spaces which are accessible to your school and find out who are leaders in conservation authorities or outdoor education centres in your area. Start to build a core group of colleagues and parents who want to support this innova- tion. We have an active Forest School Council of committed parents and friends who spearhead the fundraising efforts,
finding community partners for in-kind donations of materi- als and charitable organizations and foundations that support environmentally focused initiatives. Find local workshops that will increase your nature literacy in areas like plant/tree identification or tracking, Most of our teachers had no previ- ous experience in outdoor education and are now mentor- ing others, welcoming visiting teachers who are eager to see our kids in action. At this point we mentor teachers in the ‘how to’ of taking the learning outdoors, building confidence and competence in managing students outside school walls and offering suggestions for resources which transport the learning more easily in snow, rain, wind, whatever Mother Nature brings. Your commitment at the start need only be to give your students regular contact with local natural settings across the seasons. Your first step may be small, but make it a step out the door and trust in yourself. Amazing learning can happen with Nature as your second teacher.
Kendra Martin founded the Little Falls Forest School in 2013 in St. Mary’s Ontario, where she remains a lead teacher providing workshops to fellow educators on how to “take the learning outdoors”. In 2015, she was awarded with Outstanding K-12 Teacher by the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication. Contact her at
kendra.martin@
ed.amdsb.ca and visit http://edublog.
amdsb.ca/forestschool
Notes
1. Last Child in the Woods - Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 2005.
Litter Goes Literary
The 3rd year of the Children’s Humorously Captioned Photography Competition on an anti-litter theme
The Children’s and Young People’s Humorously Captioned Photography Competition has graduated to going international in its third year. Submissions should include a humorously captioned photograph of yourself, with or without a pet or other ‘props’, humorously captioned, and one verse of eco-lyrics put to the tune of your own favourite song. Entry is free.
RULES FOR ENTRY Entries are accepted from anyone in full time education up to the age of 21. Your ecologised verse to be contained in the body of the email, a single verse of eco-lyrics to your favourite song, credited, together with a humorous caption for your photograph. Attached photographs should be in jpeg, 1 MB maximum.
By entering the competition you retain your copyright on both photograph and eco-lyrics but give the Ecologisers organisation the right to use the material for publicity and promotion.
Email:
gaiadance@btinternet.com | Closing Date: December 1st 2017 | Prizes: T.B.A. Full details:
www.gaiadancebooks.com/childrens-photographic-competition.html
GREEN TEACHER 113 Page 29
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