Part of my job as a forest school level 3 trainer, is to explain what is it forest school.
I have to explain and to elaborate on forest school to parents, my colleagues, other people from the Ministry of education and interested parties in general.
Sometimes I find it very easy to explain and sometimes I’m lost for words.
Throughout this process I’ve been working on documents and presentations to help me better explain not just what we do in the forest but the forest school way as well.
Even though I’ve been working very hard on this part and on increasing the knowledge and understanding of the essence of Forest School sometimes people ask me questions that I just don’t know how to respond.
One of those times happened last week with one of my colleagues.
We were out on a little stroll in our out-doors classrooms, not in the forest because it was too muddy to go there, and one of the kids was talking to one of the teachers and after a few minutes I saw him starting to leave to go back to class. I approach the teacher and I asked her what was happening and she said the boy told her he didn’t feel well and he wanted to go back to class. When I asked the teacher what else did he say she said “nothing,he just said he didn’t feel well and wanted to go back”. I decided not to give up and I approach the boy and asked him what was wrong and he said “I’m not feeling well and I want to go back to class” but when I ask him “why?what do you feel?” he didn’t know what to tell me. I started asking him questions , “How do you feel? Are you cold? Where does it hurt?” And the boy had no answers- he only had a general feeling. I than realized it was probably more an emotional difficulty rather than a physical one and I invited the boys to play with me outside. The boy said yes and we had a lot of fun playing together. After that incident I went to the teacher and I asked her why did you give up so fast because this boy more than others need to stay outside and play, I said “in my opinion- he’s less connected to his body than others. And then she said something I didn’t know what to tell her, she said “what do you mean is not connected to his body?” And I startled!! I didn’t know exactly how to explain the connection between the soul and the body, for me it was obvious. I took a question with me for a few days pondering about it and thinking exactly how to respond and after a few days and talking to several people I decided that my first step is to show her what he feels like and what it means for one to be in-line with his body. I went back to the teacher and I started by saying that we learn with our senses . She understood that and yet again she asked me what do you mean not connected to your body? Then I replied do you know what it feels like to be afraid to do something physically like make a jump or run or play with others because you feel they will laugh at you because you’re have bad coordinate or your balance is not good? And she said of course I do. It’s a terrible sensation. And then I said “being connected to your body is knowing what your body can do and what he can’t do and then play on your strength when you playing outside. I understand that been connected and in line with your body is much more than I explain to this teacher but I think for the first time she started pondering on the issue and I think that by not giving up on the teacher I opened up a doorway for her as well not just for the kids.
I think that at this point I Realize the true meaning of why forest school is for everyone. In this situation the biggest opportunity to learn was for me.
I have to explain and to elaborate on forest school to parents, my colleagues, other people from the Ministry of education and interested parties in general.
Sometimes I find it very easy to explain and sometimes I’m lost for words.
Throughout this process I’ve been working on documents and presentations to help me better explain not just what we do in the forest but the forest school way as well.
Even though I’ve been working very hard on this part and on increasing the knowledge and understanding of the essence of Forest School sometimes people ask me questions that I just don’t know how to respond.
One of those times happened last week with one of my colleagues.
We were out on a little stroll in our out-doors classrooms, not in the forest because it was too muddy to go there, and one of the kids was talking to one of the teachers and after a few minutes I saw him starting to leave to go back to class. I approach the teacher and I asked her what was happening and she said the boy told her he didn’t feel well and he wanted to go back to class. When I asked the teacher what else did he say she said “nothing,he just said he didn’t feel well and wanted to go back”. I decided not to give up and I approach the boy and asked him what was wrong and he said “I’m not feeling well and I want to go back to class” but when I ask him “why?what do you feel?” he didn’t know what to tell me. I started asking him questions , “How do you feel? Are you cold? Where does it hurt?” And the boy had no answers- he only had a general feeling. I than realized it was probably more an emotional difficulty rather than a physical one and I invited the boys to play with me outside. The boy said yes and we had a lot of fun playing together. After that incident I went to the teacher and I asked her why did you give up so fast because this boy more than others need to stay outside and play, I said “in my opinion- he’s less connected to his body than others. And then she said something I didn’t know what to tell her, she said “what do you mean is not connected to his body?” And I startled!! I didn’t know exactly how to explain the connection between the soul and the body, for me it was obvious. I took a question with me for a few days pondering about it and thinking exactly how to respond and after a few days and talking to several people I decided that my first step is to show her what he feels like and what it means for one to be in-line with his body. I went back to the teacher and I started by saying that we learn with our senses . She understood that and yet again she asked me what do you mean not connected to your body? Then I replied do you know what it feels like to be afraid to do something physically like make a jump or run or play with others because you feel they will laugh at you because you’re have bad coordinate or your balance is not good? And she said of course I do. It’s a terrible sensation. And then I said “being connected to your body is knowing what your body can do and what he can’t do and then play on your strength when you playing outside. I understand that been connected and in line with your body is much more than I explain to this teacher but I think for the first time she started pondering on the issue and I think that by not giving up on the teacher I opened up a doorway for her as well not just for the kids.
I think that at this point I Realize the true meaning of why forest school is for everyone. In this situation the biggest opportunity to learn was for me.
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