Learning & Growing

It's midway between the two weeks off of work for the School Easter Holiday. I have only been in work once, I've bought 2 books, and I've cued the basic Forest School Social Media for the next term online.

I'm by no means the only person or profession to either never entirely switch off, or to work out of hours, it's the norm for many of us. This 4 day weekend though, my aim was to just enjoy time with my best friend who lives 100 miles away, and switch off completely while we finally get to catch up...

When working I'm pretty much awake by 5.30, up by 6.30, out the door by 7.15 and at work by 8. This routine doesn't leave me entirely on days off! So I'm still awake early, but make a cuppa and head back to bed. So here I am at 5.50am, Bestest is asleep in the next room, I can hear birds outside and I'm typing on my phone!

Yesterday, I was explaining my job to someone. People ask and I always use my job title of 'Forest School Leader' and more and more people have understand what that denotes. Either their children or grandchildren have been to a Forest School, or have sessions at school, some joined in themselves when they were younger, others are linked into the school systems somewhere and know about the role even if they've experiences it before.

Other's are thrown by the 'Leader' part of it and link it directly to Scouting, or hear the Forest bit and link it to Forestry. 

It is a job description that doesn't necessarily sum up.in a sentence! 

Children participate but don't have to fulfil every aspect.

They learn but at different paces using different skills and none are tested.

It supports the curriculum but it doesn't follow the curriculum.

It can cover every school subject children experience, but the focus is really on person growth.

I'm not a 'Teacher' in the way people immediately imagine one.

There are no set aims and outcomes, but there is a progression of skills and plenty of planning!

The more I try to explain the more it becomes a long winded essay. Saying "I'm a Forest School Leader" doesn't bring its own self definition the way "I'm a Nurse" or "I'm a builder" does.

Yesterday though, someone managed to cut through it all. 

"You're an EDUCATOR," she said, "in the true ancient sense... look it up."

So I did.

'One who nourishes or rears.'

'To bring up (children), to train.'

'To bring out, lead forth, provide schooling.'

'bodily nurture and support' 

Now, like all things on the Internet this opens up not just a rabbit hole to fall down but an entire Warren of them! The word Education has altered in meaning across the years, and in all honesty it doesn't shorten the explanation of FSL because we no longer recognise the difference between a Teacher and an Educator!

Many FSL have taught! Which in the 21st Century means delivering a pre-set curriculum of  information for children of all ages who will then be tested to prove they have retained this information.

However the description of an Educator is much more holistic:

"One who understands how people learn and recognises the difference between memorising facts and thinking & learning....

They give their time to those being taught, show interest in many subjects, are good observers and communicators, continually study, enter the minds of their trainees, and retain a sense of wonder and awe."

I don't want for one moment to insinuate the entire Teaching Body of the world doesn't feel this way also! In the UK, the constrictions of Government definitions and demands, the testing of children, subjects, staff and school performance, the focus proving specific knowledge has been retained, and the pressure of time and resources to meet these criteria, means that teaching can struggle to fit that definition.

The curriculum fills the school week with facts to be taught, but expects independent thinking and learning. It has an entire system of exams that are there to ensure they have been taught, and recognition of different ways to think or learn exists only in as much as devising ways to support that thinking back into the mainstream. 

It hasn't always been this way, and hopefully will return to something much more holistic some day, and I wish strength and love to those schools striving to find a back...

In Forest School it has never existed.

Children take from it whatever they want and need. They do fill up with knowledge and facts, they do follow their own learning and thinking, and the adults around them support this, while learning themselves.

"We grow children," said a colleague, "the way a gardener grows plants.

The right conditions and care, adjustments and considerations. We don't expect them to be the same height or colour, to grow at the same speed or produce the same leaves.

We learn as we go.

We become better gardeners.

We encourage seedlings to get stronger and fulfil whatever they as a plant need to... whether it's to bloom into a huge sunflower or pop out a string of tomatoes. 

It doesn't matter. 

To become the best they can, they all need the basics: light, food, air, water...

and care, 

and that's our job."

Educator: