Mama Beech

I'm spending a lot of time supporting student Forest School Leaders. Well, nowhere near as much as a full-time trainer does, but a lot more than I've ever needed to before! This ranges from phone calls with questions, to emails for confirmation, to me choosing to share articles and information that I come across with people who may find it helpful. The first thing to notice is that their enthusiasm is infectious. A great session with the children, one where there are too many 'wow' moments and great questions from the children to list, so many discoveries and connections you see them make, and even the wildlife seems to have got the memo and showed up on cue, doesn't fill me full or enthusiasm or excitement. Sometimes it's relief! Usually it's a sense of... validation...? That Forest School has proved its worth yet again? I don't know what to call it when everything falls into place perfectly, I feel happy that everything aligned! Satisfaction that what ...

Chatting to student Forest School Leaders over the last couple of weeks reminded me just how flexible we have to be as practitioners. Supporting the delivery of training meant describing how Forest School should be according to the six principles , and brought home how much compromise many of us make when we work in schools. Some students have been tasked with setting up a Forest School in their educational setting, some will be taking over existing provision, some will be joining a Forest School 'team', and some lucky folk are setting up independently and can offer full-blown sessions as they see fit! For most of us, squeezing sessions into a school timetable, ensuring staff have breaks, fitting around staggered lunchtimes, the length of a school afternoon regardless of activity, and not interfering with Maths and English... AND considering the size of the school, one form entry may allow for all classes to have some kind of long session a week, but two or three (or more) form...

Since Covid swept the country there has been a focus on getting children outside. This is a great thing. After years of adults complaining sending children outdoors will 'make them sick' the idea that germs cause sickness and not the weather is finally taking hold! Getting the children outside has led to staggering breaks and lunchtimes, hopefully to more lessons going out into the playground or school garden if they have one. Grab a clipboard and take almost any lesson outside. Get a bit creative and take entire subjects out of the classroom. Use the space to make the learning plan bigger. Assemblies, music, and choirs have all moved out of the building in order to continue - look online and see what has been achieved by relying on outside spaces! There has been a surge in woodcraft and foraging courses, for adults as well as teachers, forest bathing and outdoor yoga has brought mindfulness back to parks and woodland, camping holidays have never been so popular! The human race...