By Rami Katz (he/him), teacher, Vancouver
We’re told that we should always pay attention when the chickadees speak to us ... old stories that say we could learn from the birds and benefit from their counsel is something that gets dismissed as fairy tales or folklore, but when you really do start to listen ... they’re not just making noise, they’re talking to each other, and why not talking to us as well? – Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Gifts of the Land”
As a new teacher with the Vancouver School Board, I am reflecting on the experiences of my practicum and what kind of teacher I want to become. The school that I was paired with for my practicum was Windermere Secondary, which is located in East Vancouver. It was great to observe and work with teachers who love their jobs, as well as connect with the students and the rest of the staff there.
I was thrilled to participate in the gardening club during my practicum, which runs twice per week, and is supervised by a teacher and a student support assistant. Each Tuesday and Thursday after school, if the weather permits, the gardening club meets at a specific spot outside on school grounds. On the first day that I joined, we all walked over to the orchards on school grounds (apple and cherry trees) and did some weeding together. The gardening club was student-run, led by the senior students, meaning students were directing the activities and the sponsor teacher was there mainly as supervision and support.
I enjoyed the feeling of helping foster community-building outside of an academic setting within the school. As a gardener myself, who tends to a vegetable garden at home, it was a nice way to informally get to know some of the students and enjoy an outdoor activity together. Furthermore, because the club was student-run, it gave me some ideas as to how I might incorporate student inquiry or student self-assessments into my classroom as a teacher.
Reflecting on the readings and videos from my course work at UBC, the first thing that came to mind was Robin Wall Kimmerer’s guided nature tour. (1) I loved the curiosity and wonder that Kimmerer brings to nature and the outdoors, and I feel a sense of connection to when I am gardening. I think this is a wonderful activity for students to be able to work with their hands in an outdoor learning environment, while also providing unstructured time for socialization and creativity. In the video, Kimmerer says, as she is walking through a forest path, that she advocates really listening and engaging with the land, and slowing down, which takes practice considering all of the time we spend on screens and indoors. Kimmerer “fears that we are forgetting how to really engage with the land and learn from the land as our teacher,” but the good thing is all we need to do is spend some time outside and pay attention.
These teachings lead naturally to the First Peoples Principles of Learning, (2) which has been gaining attention as schools and districts seek to incorporate Indigenous practices and teachings into the educational system in BC. An aspect of these teachings is place-based learning, connecting with the land, and situating ourselves within the land’s history. By recognizing the struggle Indigenous Peoples continue to face with regard to ownership of their land and territory in BC and Canada, teachers like myself, who are settlers, can at the same time learn from and appreciate their stewardship of the land over generations.
Furthermore, Marilyn Watson, in her article “A Curriculum of Care,” writes about how teaching values such as compassion, tolerance, and understanding can be difficult in certain classroom environments. Having access to the outdoors and nature may allow for a more caring learning environment, one that is built on empathy and compassion for all living things. Such activities are more likely to help students to participate in a caring environment, and “develop concern for the rights and feelings of others,” as well as “positive attitudes toward their school” and community. (3)
Finally, I connected with what Steven Wolk writes in his article “Why Go To School.”4 He writes that schools should be spaces where students can experience joy, rather than doing continuous monotonous work, such as hundreds of worksheets, which is what the author’s son was given in one year at school. In addition, children and teenagers spend hours each day on screens. Wolk claims that “schools should accept the responsibility of having their students walk through forests, look at clouds, feel the desert, wade through streams, canoe rivers, and witness our astonishing ecosystems.” By spending more time outdoors or in nature, students can get an experiential education that encompasses an important aspect of our world and cultural experience.
I would like to take what I learned from observing the gardening club during my practicum and see how I may be able to incorporate outdoor or place-based learning into my curriculum. Perhaps it will be taking the students for a quick walk around the school grounds for a brain break, or simply leaving the blinds open so that the beautiful view of the mountains can be seen from class. Perhaps it will be screening videos that help to foster a sense of wonder and curiosity. Whatever it may be, having different ways to connect students to outdoor learning environments is an important way for students to remain connected to the land and deepen their curiosity and engagement with the world around them.
References
1 Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gifts of the land: A guided nature tour with Robin Wall Kimmerer, March 25, 2021: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxJUFGlPYn4
2 “First Peoples Principles of Learning,” First Nations Education Steering Committee, 2006: www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/#
3 Marilyn Watson, “A Curriculum of Care,” 2004: www.greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/curriculum_of_care
4 Steven Wolk, “Why Go To School,” The Phi Delta Kappan, May 2007: www.jstor.org/stable/20442354