Learning from Land as Teacher

Birth

On Saturday, June 3, our Children and Families team hosted a professional learning event at one of our child care centres.  An opening Circle was led by Dr Hopi Martin, to get us started in a good way. We all introduced ourselves by sharing who we are, where we and our ancestors are from, and where our heart was in that moment and sang the Nanboozhoo song as a group.  

Movement

LEF Educators, Supervisors, and Senior Managers led attendees through the Movement process, encouraging them to consider the value of daily rituals and comfort levels in taking children outside the fenced playground. In small groups, we embarked on walks to gather found materials, as could be done with children. We were all impressed with the rich variety of materials found in such industrial surroundings!  Everyone also appreciated the opportunity to gather debris, so we cou ld leave the Land in a better way than what we found. 

Relationships

Upon returning to the fenced playground, participants shared excitedly about their experiences and used their found items to create invitations for the children to discover when they arrived at the center on Monday morning. Our team of LEF volunteers facilitated conversations about the relationships that can develop between children and the Land and the role of the Educator in creating invitations and provocations.   

Passing

Under the shade of trees, we gathered to share about our experiences throughout the day. It is exciting to wonder about the possibilities that will come from this event! We look forward to hearing how the seeds of ideas planted that day will be nurtured and anticipate the growth to come! To learn more about Dr Hopi Martin’s work and the Seasonal Pedagogy, visit edgeofthebush.ca