In this wide-ranging lockdown episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma sit down (remotely) with fellow practitioner Froo and her teenagers Emma (18) and James (16). From solo bird-watching missions on the Mersey mudflats to turning the family kitchen into a West End dance studio, the trio unpack what happens when young people suddenly have time, freedom and trust. They explore boredom as fertile ground for projects, how Choice Theory and non-violent communication can defuse family flash-points, and why one GCSE-age birder is lobbying his headteacher to scrap rewards and sanctions altogether. It’s an honest, hopeful conversation about self-direction, routines that ebb and flow, and the messy beauty of learning outside the timetable.

⏱ Chapter Timings
00:00 – Hellos, biscuits & meeting Froo, Emma & James
01:24 – Froo’s Forest School path and work with SEN pupils
03:01 – James’ lockdown life: birding, Baywatch podcast and Rubik’s Cubes
04:46 – Low-tide missions, garden species No. 47 and the art of timing
08:01 – Gemma’s raven roost & noticing more on “runs”
12:29 – Solo train trips, bunking sports day and the pull of 500,000 seabirds
16:18 – Emma’s kitchen musicals: Zoom singing lessons & four dance classes a week
23:32 – Performing vs practising privately; decision fatigue & daily rhythms
40:55 – Choice Theory: total behaviour, front-seat driving and better family dialogues
56:11 – From detention to policy change: James pitches a sanction-free school

🌲 Keywords: self-directed learning, teenage autonomy, bird-watching, Choice Theory, William Glasser, non-violent communication, lockdown routines, boredom as catalyst, creative practice, rewards vs sanctions, Forest School at home, locus of control

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #SelfDirectedLearning #Birdwatching #ChoiceTheory #TeenVoice #LockdownLearning #OutdoorEducation #CreativePractice #FamilyCommunication #ForestSchoolPodcast

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