Teach Outdoors

Today’s episode is going to be about starting the school year with outdoor learning routines. I am going to share with you how the last week has gone, what we’ve discovered, what our challenges have been and what we’re looking forward to exploring with next week.  

What are the expectations when we go on a nature walk? We stay together as a group, we don’t pick living things just for the sake of it, and we stop often to observe and reflect together.  To gather all the learners together, I make a chickadee call – chickadee dee dee. 

One of our favourite activities this week was looking at dandelions and their common look alikes (Hairy Cats Ear). Did you know that if you pick the stem and it’s hollow, then it’s a dandelion. If you pick the stem and it’s not hollow, then it’s the Hairy Cats Ear.  You can also use the stem of a dandelion as a flute! 

I also talk about how we are beginning our local bird inquiry. I can’t wait to see how this inquiry progresses over the year.  

Some of the hazards we have discussed as a class: we never touch mushrooms (we have a few varieties that are unsafe) as well as the protocol for when we see a black bear. 

Sit Spot song: From the Trees by Brandon Grant

Today’s episode is all about outdoor play, both the possibilities and the challenges.  To help us dig into this topic, we have Claudine Mossberg with us.  She offers 1:1 coaching to Design Your Time Outdoors the way it works for you, and Group coaching to Build Your Outdoor Community for outdoor play, co-op or forest school style learning for all ages.  

Some of the highlights of today's episode are talking about the importance of unstructured play at any age, from our youngest toddlers to our teenagers.  Claudine also highlights the many benefits of exploring with multi-aged groups. She talks about how the older kids have the opportunities to become mentors and the younger kids benefit from seeing their counterparts as being leaders.  

Claudine also gives some great tips on how to start the school year on the right foot. She suggests starting off with safety expectations and gives some great examples of her call system.  A call system allows you to communicate with your children in case they get too far.  One call sound means respond. 2 call sounds means they need to come back to the teacher. 3 call means come for help.  

At the end of the episode, we dig into some of the challenges of outdoor learning, like time and weather. 

You can find out more about Claudine's work on her website: www.outdoorplayconnection.com and make sure to follow her on Instagram: @outdoorplayconnection

Our guest is Dr.Beverlie Dietze who is the Director of Learning and Applied Research at Okanagan College. She is a lead researcher on two national outdoor pedagogy projects.  She is the author or co-author of seven textbooks, many peer reviewed articles, and publisher of Play Outdoors Magazine.  https://playoutdoorsmagazine.ca. 

Dr. Beverlie believes it begins with the mindset of the educator. Let's model having a growth mindset - "It's raining!! Yippie! Let's go explore!."

And remember, we don’t always have to write things down to justify our time.  Let’s practice oral storytelling! Maybe play charades?!

Beverly highlights some lovely examples of puppet play and how it allows for children who are introverted to have confidence to participate in oral language activities. One of her lovely examples is how to use provocations to support storytelling experiences. E.g., taking your rubber boots on a journey!

Other provocations we may consider? Using puddles as a mirror to explore with symmetry and reflections. 

Novelty Nature Notes:

Beverly’s novelty nature note: Mom and dad birds don’t stay in the nest – they are promoting independence. When do those birds leave the next? 

My novelty nature note is about the dark eyed junco which can be found across north America. They do love our forested areas, they love to eat seeds – so common at our bird feeders, they nest typically on the ground near an upturned tree for protection, they have a cute hop instead of a walk and they love to scratch a leaf litter

So my inquiry question is: where do different birds nest? 

Today's episode is about the evolution of confidence in our learners as they explore the outdoors.  Logan Enns and Aura Garzon are the founders of the Kollektive which is an outdoor program that provides children with opportunities for discovery and exploration. Above all else, they believe in the magical power of the outdoors!

www.thekollektive.ca

We begin our conversation by talking about how their program supports and promotes confidence and independence.  They both notice that many children enter their program with some level of tentativeness.  As time passes, they learn to trust themselves and what their bodies are capable of.  

We also talk about how the flow of their day is organized.  They demonstrate respectful and thoughtful awareness when speaking about how they follow the children's pace and passions when they are exploring.  

My favourite question was when I asked them if they ever noticed their children complain about being bored. Their answer highlights their amazing gifts as being gentle and mindful educators! 

I always love a good book suggestion! Logan and Aura highly recommend Wild Things: Over 100 Magical Outdoor Adventures (https://amzn.to/3stYXM3).  In it, you will find an encyclopedia of ideas for how to utilize natural materials and situations (like frost!).

My novelty nature note was about snails and hibernation.  They actually curl up inside their shell and close off the opening with skin that's part chalk and part slime.  This combination is how they stay so well insulated from the cold weather.  Logan and Aura shared their observations on the local squirrel population and how they are getting ready for the cold winter months!

Hi everyone, welcome back to mentoring nature connections. 2022 hasn’t exactly been the start of the school year that we were all hoping for. I’m hoping that everyone is staying healthy and safe and I’m hopeful that we’ll make it through to the other side. Thank you to everyone who has reached out about my first book Me and My Sit Spot. It is available on amazon and other online platforms. If you follow me on twitter @lkmaclean or Instagram @ mentoringnatureconnections, I will make an announcement as soon as it’s available on the website. www.mentoringnatureconnections.ca
Today’s topic is about reflecting on the last few months and then setting plans as we look forward.  Something I’m sure we are all doing right now with the new year on our heels.  April Pikkarainen is back to share her experiences doing outdoor prep for teachers at her school.  For those of you who aren’t from our province of BC, we have preparation blocks here where another teacher will relieve you of your learners so that you can “prep” learning materials, do assessments, etc. 
So what worked so well for April and her learners?
*Setting up nature routines, like sit spots, nature walks, etc. and practicing these routines in different locations around the schoolgrounds. 
*Expectations and slowing down with introducing these nature routines – contributed to the success and positive emotions of the learners when outdoors.
*From a workshop April took from ‘Unlearn’ - Names are the beginning of someone’s story – However, April believes that names are the beginning of story because it helps ground the learners connection to place. 
*Teaching outdoors provides so many opportunities for both the teachers and the learners.  April believes that we need to be grounded in purpose and intention while we balance the changing elements such as weather.

What are April's next steps and goals for outdoor learning?
*she's interested in incorporating more technology into her outdoor learning adventures, such as digital microscopes and identification apps.
*her school is also interested in uncovering the story of the land through data collection. Very cool!

Resources that April recommends:
*Messy Maths by Juliet Robertson (click here)
*Dirty Teaching by Juliet Robertson (click here)
*Ensouling our School by Jennifer Katz (click here)
*Decolonizing Place in Early Childhood Education by Kidile Nxumalo (click here)

April's Novelty Nature Note: 

* Calliope hummingbird – smallest at 3 inches long, 1/10 of an ounce - found in central BC 

*Short wingspan, when flapping wings, sounds like a bumble bee 

Lauren's Novelty Nature Note:

*Robin's maintain their warmth in the winter by fluffing up their feathers. 
*They don't necessarily migrate, but they are nomadic - following wherever the food is.
*They eat fruit off trees and shrubs like snowberries or kinnickinnic (bearberries)

April Pikkarainen's Twitter: April_pikk 

Today’s topic is about sustainability and well-being (such an important topic this time of year when the days are dark and short). It’s so important to consider what steps we can take to support our mental health.  For many of us, this is going to include spending time with our family, friends, and being outside. That’s one of the reasons why today I have my infant daughter, Evelyn, sitting on my lap while I speak to our guest today. You’ll often hear her babbling along with excitement which I hope spreads a little extra cheer to you as you’re listening.
Now to help us investigate this topic of sustainability, we have Kristina Hunter joining us by zoom.  She lives in Winnipeg Manitoba on Treaty 1.  She is the founder of Kristina Hunter Flourishing and has a podcast called Live. Well. Green where she discusses a wide range of topics around sustainability and ecological green living.  I am looking forward to asking her about sustainability and well-being and how we can foster these principles in our school system.  

Visit www.kristinahunterflourishing.com to find out more information about the courses she offers!

Kristina believes that it’s not just about ecological sustainability but also financial and cultural sustainability. She discuss ways that we can move beyond sustainable development.  

She views sustainability like a tree with 3 main roots:

1)Personal wellness – not just problems with the environment, plastic pollution, deforestation, etc.  can often make us feel overwhelmed – the problems are too big to tackle.

By connecting with nature, we protect our mental health. Physical, mental, spiritual health are all part of this root / personal wellness.

2)Social Justice- looking to change systemic racism, marginalized voices, environmental racism that are part of our reality. Respecting everyone’s say. 

3)Ecological – litterless lunches, live lighter on the planet (reducing carbon emissions), Being restorative on the land. Lastly, restoring our relationship with nature. Sometimes we see the environment as “out there,” separate from ourselves.  We are part of the natural world.

Novelty Nature Note:

Kristina shared about isostatic rebound, which you can find evidence of on the tundra where she lives.  When glaciers recede, the heavy weight of the glacier is now gone which allows the land to 'bounce back.'  Now, when you're walking on the tundra, even 1km away from the ocean, you can see a lake with a beach! 

My novelty nature note is about snow because we have a lot of it up where I live! First, even though it looks white – it’s actually transclucent, just like frozen water. It’s the suns reflection that gives it a white appearance.  Also, the snow actually warms you up – because compacted snow is over 90% trapped air…. So this is why animals dig burrows in the snow, their body heat keeps them warm under there.

Our guest today is Dr. Gillian Judson, assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University.  She has a passion for looking at imagination’s role in leadership and learning. We discuss what the walking curriculum is and how we can incorporate cognitive tools to help us imaginatively and emotionally engage our learners.  Gillian shares some examples of her inquiry questions and how they are used by Kelsey Keller in her intermediate classroom. 

Dr. Gillian Judson :
Twitter: @perfinker 
Blog: www.educationthatinspires.ca 
Books:

Walking Curriculum, Evoking Wonder And Developing Sense of Place (K-12) https://amzn.to/318WFIt

Engaging Imagination in Ecological Education: Practical Strategies for Teachers https://amzn.to/3relKfG

Imagination and the Engaged Learner: Cognitive Tools for the Classroom 

https://amzn.to/3CWJzuI

Have you ever wondered what the benefits are to using natural dyes? Today's episode will help you dip into some colourful lessons and hands-on activities with your learners.  Our guest, Sarah Graham, guides us through the process of natural plant dyeing and tackles questions like:

How does the process work from start to finish?

What is your favourite plant to make a natural dye?

Which plants should we avoid using?

What are your best tips and strategies in terms of classroom management when engaging in these type of lessons?

 
Sara Graham is an artist based in Port Moody, BC, Canada whose primary concern is with the issues and ideas of the contemporary city. One of her central engagements in her practice is in the mapping of place and how the city and landscape interconnect with our everyday lives. She has been a practicing artist for twenty-three years and exhibited her work across North America. Sara was recently announced as the artist who will create a large scale public artwork at the new Gordie Howe International Bridge in Ontario. The artwork will be incorporated into the façade of the Energy Complex Building at the Canadian Port of Entry. 

Come listen to Sara discuss how to dye with plants and flowers and how we could do, as classroom teachers, engage in other place-based and arts-based lesson ideas afterwards.  Enjoy! 

Sara Graham Social Media:
Twitter: @saracitymove
Instagram: @citimovement

Visit: www.mentoringnatureconnections.ca for a blog post on today's episode as well as other teaching resources for your classroom.  

Alana Tesan is our amazing guest tonight!  She is a Kindergarten teacher in the Delta District, BC, Canada

Twitter: @AlanaTesan 

www.mentoringnatureconnections.ca  

Alana believes that children are natural storytellers. You can find her interview excerpt in the Story Workshop: New Possibilities for Young Writers book by Susan Harris McKay.  Story Workshop is a way for learners to explore their imagination and Alana believes that every learner has a story that lives inside them. There is no right or wrong way to engage in storytelling.  The possibilities are open, invitational and inclusive.  Alana suggests that a key to “success” is to start small and let the kids drive their own stories.  By going outdoors, we can also explore stories that live on our land.  We can use the materials that we find on our schoolgrounds to help tell our stories.  But what else do they take outdoors to support storytelling? Their class has a wagon that is packed full of clipboards, paper, crayons, sharpies and (weather depending) some iPads to help with documentation.

Oral language and communication skills are woven throughout story workshop naturally.  Alana was inspired by Kelly Shuto (@kellyshuto and @kellyshutobooks) on how to incorporate core competency language during story workshop explorations. 

Novelty Nature Note:

I shared about Douglas Squirrels who have a high growth rate which means they are constantly chewing to wear down their front teeth.  I love this connection to Beavers!

Alana shared about the book: Can You Hear the Trees Talking? By Peter Wohlleben and how they use an underground root system to communicate with one another.  

Have you ever wondered how to spend an entire day outdoors with your learners? How do you structure your time? What games do you play? What "lessons" can we explore?

To help us dig into these questions, we invited Manon McPeters (from Wilderness Awareness School) back for Part 2!  Her passion and creativity for playing, learning and teaching outdoors is palpable! You'll appreciate her vivid description of a "typical" day and how they use Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature by Jon Young to guide their intentions.  

My biggest takeaway from speaking with Manon was when she described what "peak fun" is and how we can use that as a classroom management strategy. This notion of reading the flow of our learners' energies is such an important key in how we observe, listen, and respond to the needs of our kids.  

Want to learn a new nature game?! Manon gives a great description of how to play blindfold ninja! 

Novelty nature note:

Manon shared some tracking gems!  A domestic dog often has more ‘relaxed’ foot muscles. The toes will be more splayed apart, the X negative space will be less defined and the star shaped peak will not be as high.  But when you're observing the track of a wild dog, it will have a more sharply defined X.  

Cat has a C shape in negative space. Only one lead toe, not two lead toes. Usually don’t register claws in tracks.  All toes can fit into a heel pad.  Toes of a dog will NOT fit into heel pad space.  

My novelty nature note was about black bears and how their cubs can weigh less than a pound at birth and gain over 20 pounds in just their first 3 months of life.