The journey of our Forest School leaders
“Teachers,like everyone else, feel the need to grow in their competences; they want totransform experiences into thoughts, thoughts into reflections, and reflectionsinto new thoughts and new actions. They also feel a need to make predictions,to try things out and to interpret them” (Loris Malaguzzi)
Reconnecting with the recent blog on ‘Teacher as Researcher’ and our time within the forest, I would like to share the ongoing professional development of our 1st Place practitioners.
Practitioners across the three nurseries whoventure to Coburg Nature Reserve with our children each week are currentlyworking towards their Level 3 Certification for Forest School Leaders. Thefirst step in doing so, was to spend a week exploring hands-on training with anapproach that focused on innovative ways to engage children within the forest.
Throughout the week, the practitioners exploredDavid Sobel’s 7 Principles for Children and Nature:
Principle 1: Adventure
Explorations into physical play, challenges and risk-taking. Exploring how we move our body through space within the natural environment e.g. climbing trees, balancing and jumping.
Principle 2: Fantasy and Imagination
Explorations of our creative languages. Using our imagination to create stories, props and costumes.
Principle 3: Animal Allies
Explorations into spaces or encounters which connect our children with the animals that live within our forest.
Principle 4: Maps and Paths
Explorations into journeys, map making and following paths.
Principle 5: Special Place
Explorations of dens and hideaway spots for bird watching.
Principle 6: Small Worlds
Explorations into the miniature world, such as small world models that encourage constructing and deconstructing.
Principle 7: Hunting and Gathering
Explorations into hunting, gathering and sorting through nature, such as collecting treasures, leaves, pebbles and sticks.
The practitioners investigated the naturalsurroundings. They identified trees and wildlife, erected group shelters with avariety of knots, safely explored the use of tools (such as a bow saw, palmdrill, bill hook and sheath knife) for a range of applications, and createdcraft items using woodland materials. They also safely built, lit and managed acampfire and cooked snacks and lunch on it.
During reflections, each practitioner found themselves embracing the well-being benefits of forest school and how they could implement it into our very own. The practitioners plan to work in collaboration with our Southwark Council Park Warden in woodland management methods and their significance to sustainability. They are also looking at ways to work in partnership with our parents and local community, involving participants including an upcoming play session at Forest School with 1st Place families.
Each individual found their own strengths within the forest, bringing their unique elements to foster a strong team. They are elevated by their week within the forest and enthusiastic to return to Coburg Nature Reserve to share their experience.
