The Rookery

We began our day at Caron Park by mapping all of the new trails.  We were explorers in a world new to us.   Mapping is a very challenging activity.  Our initial attempts were very rough and students often said, "I thought I was here…but then I ended up being…

This week was our first chilly morning at Forest School – the Herons had to think through what they needed to be comfortable.  Many of us (myself included) guessed wrong and either were chilly or went back into school to get something warmer.  Yet another thing to learn. This is…

During a recent Wednesday, the Herons explored the idea of a "Deca Tree," a tree that has ten trunks, each with ten branches, each with ten twigs, each with ten leaves.  After we thought about what that would mean a little together, I asked the students to figure out how…

Today as I watched the Herons work together to paint the shed and transfer sticks from the creek to the woods, I was struck by how cohesive they were.  Just five weeks into our year and they know each other.  They play together; they squable together.  They have a life…

This November 7, Prairie Creek is hosting a conference for like-minded educators from all over the country.  The conference focus is on child-centered practices and social justice.  I'll be presenting a workshop on creating a Makers program – we'll have many more workshops, a panel discussion and an open space…

Today the Herons had a very serious conversation about being a citizen.  We needed to talk because this year's presidential election had become a topic of discussion – but not in a productive way.  Students were declaring sides and they were belittling others' views.  It wasn't happening during class time but…

The Herons around our sun marker. On Tuesday, we tracked the sun a day ahead of the autumnal equinox (which was cloudy).  Having tangible experience with the sun's movement helps students begin to comprehend the reason for our seasonal changes.  We'll get out again close to the winter solstice and…

These first weeks are always hard to write about – there's so much I want to share about just the doings in the classroom.  But all the doings have background information and whys that I also want to share.  I want you to feel as though you are a partner in your child's work…

Heron Dichotomous Tree Yes or no… that was the question of the afternoon.  We set up a dichotomous key to identify any Heron by asking them a series of yes/no questions.  The first question was "Is the person a 4th grader?"  This helped us eliminate half the class.  We continued…

Sometimes, you just have to take a deep breath and dive in.  As I'd planned for Forest School this summer, I'd imagined our first crystalline day outside together — the blue sky would beckon, bird song would fill the air and a gentle breeze would stir our hair.  Instead, we…