Fiddleheads Forest School, Fall 2014
Fiddleheads Forest School, a program of University of Washington Botanic Gardens, is an outdoor preschool based in Washington Park Arboretum. Fiddleheads supports the "growth of the whole child through attention to their social and emotional development, self-regulation and physical development." Learning at Fiddleheads is child-led, based on play and exploration. In our outdoor classroom, and adventures in our wider Arboretum home, the rich sensory landscape and changing seasons foster wonder, growth, curiosity, autonomy, cooperation, communication, creative expression, care for others and for the earth.
As a long-term substitute with Fiddleheads Forest School in the fall of 2014, I provided a smooth teacher-transition and support for the head teacher while her colleague was away. At Fiddleheads I had the opportunity to further develop my understanding of nature-based, child-led learning in practice, drawing on experience in a variety of early childhood educational contexts, and sensitivity to this particular school culture, to foster a safe, supportive learning environment. A reflection I wrote on this season at Fiddleheads can be found here.
I will continue to support Fiddleheads as needed throughout the 2014-2015 school year, as well as facilitating other educational activities in the UW Botanic Gardens, such as school field trips and family nature classes.
As a long-term substitute with Fiddleheads Forest School in the fall of 2014, I provided a smooth teacher-transition and support for the head teacher while her colleague was away. At Fiddleheads I had the opportunity to further develop my understanding of nature-based, child-led learning in practice, drawing on experience in a variety of early childhood educational contexts, and sensitivity to this particular school culture, to foster a safe, supportive learning environment. A reflection I wrote on this season at Fiddleheads can be found here.
I will continue to support Fiddleheads as needed throughout the 2014-2015 school year, as well as facilitating other educational activities in the UW Botanic Gardens, such as school field trips and family nature classes.
Wilderness Awareness School, Summer 2013
The guiding intention for Wilderness Awareness School's summer camp program is to help kids develop their own connection with the natural world. Mentorship is a key element of the WAS learning community. As an instructor, I deepened my understanding of the "art of mentoring," supporting children in their open-ended exploration of the edges of their awareness and comfort zone. (For more on art of mentoring, check out this video.)
I put into practice the WAS "healthy safety, healthy risk" policy that allows camp participants to freely explore their bodies and the world, while helping them understand how to support the well-being of themselves, the group, and the place. I learned tools for curriculum development, planning each day/week to have a coherent flow, with activities appropriate to the kids' interests, abilities, and energy levels. Activities included sensory engagement, cooperative games, arts and crafts, hikes, imaginative play, storytelling, song, and reflection. I also learned to throw my plan out when something magical was happening! A baby dragonfly, perched on a 5-year-old's finger, is more of a teacher than I at that moment.
The sensory awareness and field naturalist skills I had developed at Alderleaf Wilderness College serve me well as an outdoor educator. There are ample opportunities for discovery in nature, if human perception is open to wild lives and languages. For example, one August day I was walking down a trail in Seward Park with a group of 4-year-olds, when a riot of robin alarms caught my attention up ahead. Quietly, eagerly, I told the kids, "Do you hear that?" Pause as we all stretch our hearing into the woods. "I think there's something happening there, but I don't know what it is. Should we try to find out?" Quietly (earlier in the week, we had practiced "fox walking") we approached, to find a barred owl perched low in a big leaf maple tree, looking at us as we looked up at it. One child whispered to me, "I've never seen an owl before except in the zoo!"
WAS stands out in the way it nurtures community among its staff, and I learned much by sharing the summer with a fantastic team. Time was given for us to prepare and reflect together. This allowed instructors to support each other in successful planning and implementation of activities, connect with volunteers, creatively work through difficulties, and integrate the meaning of our learning experiences.
I put into practice the WAS "healthy safety, healthy risk" policy that allows camp participants to freely explore their bodies and the world, while helping them understand how to support the well-being of themselves, the group, and the place. I learned tools for curriculum development, planning each day/week to have a coherent flow, with activities appropriate to the kids' interests, abilities, and energy levels. Activities included sensory engagement, cooperative games, arts and crafts, hikes, imaginative play, storytelling, song, and reflection. I also learned to throw my plan out when something magical was happening! A baby dragonfly, perched on a 5-year-old's finger, is more of a teacher than I at that moment.
The sensory awareness and field naturalist skills I had developed at Alderleaf Wilderness College serve me well as an outdoor educator. There are ample opportunities for discovery in nature, if human perception is open to wild lives and languages. For example, one August day I was walking down a trail in Seward Park with a group of 4-year-olds, when a riot of robin alarms caught my attention up ahead. Quietly, eagerly, I told the kids, "Do you hear that?" Pause as we all stretch our hearing into the woods. "I think there's something happening there, but I don't know what it is. Should we try to find out?" Quietly (earlier in the week, we had practiced "fox walking") we approached, to find a barred owl perched low in a big leaf maple tree, looking at us as we looked up at it. One child whispered to me, "I've never seen an owl before except in the zoo!"
WAS stands out in the way it nurtures community among its staff, and I learned much by sharing the summer with a fantastic team. Time was given for us to prepare and reflect together. This allowed instructors to support each other in successful planning and implementation of activities, connect with volunteers, creatively work through difficulties, and integrate the meaning of our learning experiences.
Seattle Tilth Children's Garden, 2010
In Seattle Tilth Children's Garden, visiting school groups get a chance to explore where their food comes from and connect with the natural world through hands-on, science-based learning. As a volunteer tour guide, I helped facilitate student programs which included learning about compost, planting, tending and harvesting crops, sensory garden walks, and many, many worm observations.
UW Experimental Education Unit, 2008
As an undergrad, I worked as an assistant kindergarten teacher with the Experimental Education Unit, where multidisciplinary teams of teachers and specialists work together to "promote the development of children's cognitive, motor, communication and social interaction skills through specific educational and therapeutic interventions. These programs always include the side-by-side learning of typically developing children and children with various developmental delays or disabilities."
