When I bring a class outdoors, I hand over


more control to the students than I do in a classroom setting. Before we leave the school, I make sure students know exactly what they’ll be doing and that they have the tools to get started independently. Once outdoors, my mental checklist includes: am I able to see all my students, are they engaged, do they know what they need to do, and is support available if they need it. Outside, the students went straight to


work using leaves, petals, mulch, soil, and hay for their art pieces. When they were complete, the students observed and interacted with each piece. We wrapped up the assignment with a re-


flection. What was the process of designing like? Te process of creating? Is there some- thing they would do differently in the future? How did it feel to create the sculpture and


24 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2023


how did it feel to walk away knowing that it would decay over time? To conclude, we read a quote attributed


to Goldsworthy and I gave some space for students to consider what it might mean and whether they were able to find a connection to it: “We oſten forget that we are nature. Nature


is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to na- ture, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.”


INDIGENOUS WISDOM AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP


Championing Indigenous wisdom and lead- ership is an essential part of climate justice programming. It is important for students to develop an understanding that, here in Canada, the climate crisis disproportion- ately affects Indigenous communities, Black


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