September 20th
Haida Gwaii is known for it's stormy fall weather, and this week we have had our share of wind and rain fall. Luckily, there have also been quite a few bursts of brilliant sunshine, resulting in some stunning rainbows. During a silent meditation on Wednesday, on little girl blurted out that she had seen a rainbow on her way to school that morning, and clearly couldn't wait to share the news. This week we have been discussing the power of positive thinking, and I have begun introducing mindfulness and visualization techniques to our morning yoga ritual. One of the parents brought a Tibetan bell to school, and it really seems to help the children quiet their minds by focusing on the sustained sound. We discussed how colours can represent emotions and we worked on some colour visualizations. On Tuesday, each child created their own bluebird mobile, hung with strands of coloured plastic, pieces of wood and feathers and paper hearts. We strung our 'Bluebirds of Happiness' together on a long branch, and hung it above the table. We discussed what was special to us, and drew pictures of our favourite people and things. Our science lesson involved 'tie-dying' milk, by dropping food colouring close to the edges of a bowl, and squeezing dish soap in the centre. The class took turns drawing and explaining their predictions, and were all excited to watch the dye move and change colour.
We finished the week with a Friday afternoon mushroom-picking adventure in the forest with one of our amazing parents, Glynn. He taught us how to select and identify mushrooms, and how to cut and clean them. At the end of the hike, Glynn demonstrated how to take a sample from inside of a tree to identify how old it is. The children took turns counting, and after a few tries we learned that our tree was approximately sixty five years old! The weather was gorgeous, and we climbed into the van with at least a few bags full of chanterelle mushrooms to share.
We returned to school and presented the children with their 'Home Bags', that Bobbi-Lee, Jessie and I spent a few evenings sewing. This week, they were filled with jars of homemade plum jam (my first attempt) a paper bag of chanterelle mushrooms, and of course, new agendas.
I hope you all have a relaxing weekend, and see at least one rainbow in the sky. Bye for now! xo
September 17th
Last spring, our students and parents helped fill our garden beds with strawberries, rhubarb, kale, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. We also have a lovely tree in front of our school that is heavy with ripe plums that the crows and ravens have been helping themselves to. Yesterday, Bobbi-Lee and I decided that it was time to make some jam and harvest some potatoes, so the kids headed outside to dig and pick. They worked in teams to gather the food and returned from the rain with tins and buckets full. Before heading outside, we brainstormed a list of local food, and to say it was long is an understatement. Deer, crab, salmon, thimbleberries, halibut, mushrooms, salmonberries, clams and mussels to name a few. We are so lucky to be have access to such a rich variety of food, and our students know this firsthand. As a school, we are focusing on reminding our children to eat healthy local food and will continue to do so. Jamie Oliver has been a huge advocate for teaching children the importance of nutrition. Watch his TED talk on healthy kids, and his continuing efforts to improve the education system in a new series called Dream School. I spent all morning watching clips of the show on youtube, and they were wonderful and inspiring.
September 17th 2011
We began the week with a play dough making session, while another group of students experimented with mixing and inventing new paint colours. I explained how to read and follow a recipe, then asked one of the older students to make sure that they were taking turns. They did a beautiful job, and when the play dough was ready, they came up with some very creative sculptural designs. I presented them with a few textured objects to experiment with, including a fossil and a piece of wood filled with wood bug tunnels. They began making prints with the dough, and were particularly curious when they saw the reversal of the fossil shell pattern. There have been a lot of questions regarding fossils lately, and today a little girl shared her understanding of how Haida Gwaii originated from volcanic rock. Another boy added his knowledge of underwater volcanoes while the rest of the children considered how quickly lava might cool under water. Unexpected conversations like these help guide my practice by revealing my students interests and curiosities. I will bring in some argillite and ask the children to search for fossils on our beach next week and see where our research takes us.
The second group worked away at mixing and inventing their own paint colours on a visual recipe sheet. They were very excited to experiment with paint, and were curious to see what happened when they added black or white to their colours. They were delighted to see the results and began shouting out ideas for colour names. They made connections to nature and objects in the classroom, and came up with some very inventive names, including Skunk Grey, Razor Red, Whirlpool, Sky, Banana Slug Grey and Old Fashioned Battery, (a purplish burgundy brown). One little boy was afraid to look at his page when he saw the resulting colour, claiming that it was "too spooky". He named it Spooky Grey and carried on mixing. This week I showed the class an amazing rainbow-making plastic sheet, and one of the parents brought a kaleidoscope and a prism for us to play with. I look forward to experimenting with these next week. I will be sewing up some 'home bags' this weekend with Bobbi-Lee. I hope you enjoy yours!
September 12th 2011
Today was a special day, and not only because it was our first parent-led 'School Monday'. We headed up island to North Beach this morning, with a group of ten of our twelve students and five parents and teachers in tow. When we arrived, the energy was peaceful and the sun was shining. The adults started a fire and set up camp for the day, while the children began combing the beach for agates, shells and other treasures. So many treasures in fact, that one five year old boy was worried that his pockets were so full of agates that his pants might fall down! We found an enormous mushroom growing sideways out of the sand, an ancient canoe, and a range of animal tracks, belonging to deer, raccoons and bears. As the day went on, a group of children began experimenting with the incoming waves, and built a driftwood structure to block them. They decided on a triangular structure for strength, and soon learned that the dam needed to be moved closer to shore with the incoming tide. This experience reminded me of how much I learn through watching uninitiated group play. Children gain so much through collaborative problem-solving and it is fascinating to listen to their ideas and watch their wheels turning. It was also exciting to watch our new Kindergarten students find the courage to try something new with the 'big' kids. Two of our new five year olds braved a surf board for the first time, and were clearly proud of their achievements. I was also quite impressed that most of the children spent almost the entire day waist deep in the ocean. Although the sun was shining, on Haida Gwaii in September, the water is pretty frigid. To be honest, on Haida Gwaii, the water is pretty frigid all summer long. The kids didn't seem to mind, and spent all day in the ocean, eventually joining us, in soaking wet t-shirts and towels by the fire where we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. The first 'School Monday' of the year reminded me how wonderful it is to spend time together as a school community. Now I suppose it is time to shake the sand out of our shoes, say goodbye to summer, and get ready for a year full of new experiences. xo
September 10th 2011
I just completed my first week of teaching at The Living and Learning School, a small independent private school located on the stunning island of Haida Gwaii off the coast of British Columbia. I will be working with a group of delightful five to seven year olds, and look forward to having the most fascinating conversations. Last week, my teaching partner and friend handed me a lovely little book about rainbows that she found at the thrift store. On the first day of school, I read the story followed by the question, "Where do rainbows come from?" I was intrigued by the flurry thoughtful responses I received. One five year old girl described prisms, that scattered rainbows on bedroom walls, while others discussed the mist that is left behind after rainfall. Every child knew that there was a connection between the sun and the rain, and most of them were certain that rainbows had something to do with reflections of light. They were a little unsure about where all the bright colours came from. One little boy suggested that perhaps the sun reflected the colours on the ground back up to the sky. A very creative child considered that the formation of rainbows might have something to do with lightbulbs or an invisible blind that is attached to the clouds. I began recording my students conversations in order to capture some of their unique ideas and help guide our future explorations. Next week I will introduce a variety of reflective materials, we will mix paints and dyes, and perhaps begin working on a giant colour collage. I will continue adding stories, reflections and photographs soon so feel free to stop by! xxo
September 20th
Haida Gwaii is known for it's stormy fall weather, and this week we have had our share of wind and rain fall. Luckily, there have also been quite a few bursts of brilliant sunshine, resulting in some stunning rainbows. During a silent meditation on Wednesday, on little girl blurted out that she had seen a rainbow on her way to school that morning, and clearly couldn't wait to share the news. This week we have been discussing the power of positive thinking, and I have begun introducing mindfulness and visualization techniques to our morning yoga ritual. One of the parents brought a Tibetan bell to school, and it really seems to help the children quiet their minds by focusing on the sustained sound. We discussed how colours can represent emotions and we worked on some colour visualizations. On Tuesday, each child created their own bluebird mobile, hung with strands of coloured plastic, pieces of wood and feathers and paper hearts. We strung our 'Bluebirds of Happiness' together on a long branch, and hung it above the table. We discussed what was special to us, and drew pictures of our favourite people and things. Our science lesson involved 'tie-dying' milk, by dropping food colouring close to the edges of a bowl, and squeezing dish soap in the centre. The class took turns drawing and explaining their predictions, and were all excited to watch the dye move and change colour.
We finished the week with a Friday afternoon mushroom-picking adventure in the forest with one of our amazing parents, Glynn. He taught us how to select and identify mushrooms, and how to cut and clean them. At the end of the hike, Glynn demonstrated how to take a sample from inside of a tree to identify how old it is. The children took turns counting, and after a few tries we learned that our tree was approximately sixty five years old! The weather was gorgeous, and we climbed into the van with at least a few bags full of chanterelle mushrooms to share.
