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My Creative Practice...in the works

For my creative practice I wanted to focus on my own well-being and journey of gratitude through a variety of reflective practices. Daily I dived into mindfulness activities for this course. I loved this project as it allowed me to take time to slow down, be present and aware. I connected my personal journey to the book Father of Lions by Louse Callaghan. The story was focused on the Iraq war with ISIS. It’s a true story told about a brave man Abu Laith, who tries to rescue his cherished zoo animals in the dangerous war zone. My thoughts and feelings throughout the book were heavy as the world continues to be impacted by the causes of war, hatred, poverty, and violence. For more information my book review is posted below in my blog.

Throughout the practice, I recognized how grateful I am to live a life of peace and freedom. Just when I think things are bad I need to remind myself to be present and seek the good. We are so busy in our daily lives and often forget to take those special moments to reflect. Therefore, as I worked through some of the activities I created in this process it was particularly nice to slow down, breathe, and enjoy what I often take for granted. 

The question for each activity posed was: What am I grateful for today?

Here is a video of one of my journey’s in our local community forest. This place is special to me because it often holds my space for debriefing my day as I take time to reflect and share daily events with friends or family. I love to access this place in times that I need quiet surroundings. My dogs and I started out in a rainy downpour and ended up with beautiful sunshine. 

Here are several different good morning poems and drawings I created while being outside. I found this to be a very helpful way to start my day by being present in the fresh morning air. 

Good Morning

Birds, chirping, flying and hoo’ing

Truck engines turning, tires on rubber, and a honk

Sprinklers turning on spraying misty water

Sun shining bright with beauty

Bugs flying to their next location

Morning on my patio in peace

Drinking a warm cup of coffee

Mind in a state of harmony

Ready to start the day! 

Tree Poem

Water Colour Drawings

These flowers throughout my yard that I have started from seed and have the time to watch grow and change.

Self Journey Energy Healing

Inner growth and reflection

ripples across the water

pathways of hope and inspiration

emerge from the undergrowth of grounded roots upon one

truth be told, a no is a yes in ones eyes

set one foot in front of the other and be confident in the journey ahead

be easy on others so gold radiates and sparkles

let the magic of being yourself illuminate the light in others

be content with your journey

all will be fine

This year my garden is slow to produce. At times I’ve been frustrated with the amount of time and energy it has taken up watering, weeding, and watching things slowly grow or die. I remind myself for the reason I do this is a new challenge and thrill of growing my own food. Patiently I watch.

GARDEN

G-growing green

A-abundance of fresh food

R-rain sprinkles down

D-delicate sprouts shifting outward

E-energy producing

N-nutrient rich

Pastel Landscape

Nature Journal (with purpose to do with my class)

Woodbury Hike July 2022

Eight amazing women from the Kootenays ventured out to do the Woodbury hike this past week. This journey was a way that reset my soul in nature. There were many emotions that took place for me. I listened to my mind and took a solo mindfulness break in the midst of the rocky crevices of the strong mountain. It took a lot of internal strength to listen to my mind and body work through challenges of struggle and fear of missing out. If I can take one very important message from this trip is it is okay to be alone and walk yourself through struggles, it’s okay to stop and breath, its ok to sit back and watch.  “The quality of thought is related to the ability to relate to “where on this earth one goes, what one touches, the patterns one observes in nature---the intricate history of one’s life in the land, even a life in the city, where wind, the chirp of birds, the line of a falling leaf, are known.” (Lopez, n.d) I am proud myself and the unbelievable power of these other women who made this trip complete. Much laughter, food, wine, and fun was enjoyed. These are the memories I will always reflect upon and cherish. My heart is full and I am grateful! 

This trip allowed me to absorb what we’ve been learning about bioregionalism and place based education. As I wandered upwards into the mountain range that was untouched in many directions by humans I realized how much freedom I have living in the Kootenays. Not everyday one gets the opportunity or good fortune to go venture out their back doors to escape the hustle of the cities and life tasks. At the cabin I recognized how simplistic life can be. The cabin we slept in was built in 1984. The women I was surrounded with had many unique and empowering skills. Many had outdoor education backgrounds loaded with environmental awareness. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hang out with these women as they inspired me to learn more about being in the backcountry. When I reflect on my purpose of teaching outdoor education, I want to instill my passions and inspiration upon my students in placed based settings. I want them to be strong and feel confident and capable. The trip emphasized great focus on sustainability. What we packed in, we packed out. What was needed to sustain us for the journey of our 3 day adventure. Lots of reflection on simplistic living and how consumerism these days were key thoughts throughout my journey in nature. I am so grateful for this experience. 

Artistic Poetry Captured

As I was walking around downtown Creston, I was amazed by all the ways art can be captured through out. Zooming into with photography really allowed me to see expressive ways others have demonstrated their creativity. Here are a few glimpses at what I found impressive ways to show artistic talent.

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Book Review: Father of Lions

Click the link: 

https://mycbu-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/cbu20cpf_cbu_ca/EbZAVpwBDt1MlFx0QH299qkBnui9zyDF9q8hENnE4tErJw?e=ArHsw1

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The Power of Language and Creativity

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Where will you travel to next or will your thoughts change?-A Postcolonial Ecocritical Outlook on the Tourism Industry

                           Image of Antigua Island after Colonialism

                             Image of Antigua Island before Colonialism

Relevance to Everyday Life:

How many of you love to take a vacation and travel somewhere hot? Do you like to be taken care of at an All-Inclusive Resort or head out on your own thrilling adventure to backpack and explore another country? After reading this entry, I wonder if your thoughts will shift? What will you do moving forward and what beliefs will you hold? Will you continue to view your initial thoughts of sipping a tasty beverage, on a hot sunny beach as the ‘good life’ of the tourism industry?

The article, “Reterritorialization in A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid: A Postcolonial Eco-Critical Study” by Munazza M., et al. has an ecocritical approach to shift one’s mindset. I am that tourist who travels blindingly without noticing the negative effects on the local environment. This article questioned my own thoughts, beliefs, and opinions about colonialism and how the tourism industry has corrupted many countries.  

                                 Image of Jamaica Kincaid in Antigua

Summary of Article

The article “Reterritorialization in A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid: A Postcolonial Eco-Critical Study” is told from the point of view of a women named Jamaica Kincaid through her nonfiction story, “A Small Place”. She was born and raised on her native homeland of Antigua. For those of you who don’t know, it is a small island that is part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. She references Antigua as, “A Small Place-a world that is twelve miles long and nine miles wide” (Kincaid, 2012, p. 9). 

In past years, more and more newcomers are overpopulating by visiting and relocating to the area of Antigua for the beaches, sun, and carefree vacation lifestyles. This has created a Postcolonial state for the native home dwellers. The term Postcolonial state implies to “a sense of emotional and physical dislocation involving a loss of the self, a cultural alienation involving and eradication of cultural traditions, history, and national character” (Dreese, 2002, p. 17). Kincaid’s point of view is strong and valid as she raises concern throughout her story about how the land she was born on has been taken over by tourists colonializing the area. “This literary theory deals with the exploitation of land, its resources, its environment, and its people in the context of ecocriticism and post colonialism” (Majeed et al., 2021, p.1). Overall, she wants to gain back her independence and sense of self identity back through educating people about the impacts made to her land.

Kincaid discusses how her homeland has been converted into a bustling tourism industry. As a result, more and more problems are arising. The industry is “promoting new ways of foreign occupation of the land, enslavement of the local people, and environmental racism” (Majeed et al., 2021, p.1). As a result, she and her people feel they are losing their culture and environment often feeling lost with personal identities. Kincaid argues that a change is needed but knows the tourism industry won’t diminish. “Ecocritical work shares a common motivation: the troubling awareness that we have reached the age of environmental limits, a time when the consequences of human actions are damaging the planet’s basic life support systems. (Glotfelty, 1996, pg. 6)

 According to Kincaid’s article, her solution is to make the tourism industry more environmentally friendly by eliminating racism and discrimination, ending plantation slavery, finding ways to reduce pollution, decreasing the use of the lands natural resources, etc. Love (2003) explains “there is a critical loss of arable land and groundwater through desertification, contamination and the spread of human settlement” (p.3).  Action is needed to make an impact. Love (2003) further explains how the world is “a tide of profit-and growth-driven globalization that overwhelms the principle of long-term sustainability, or best hope for the future (p.3). Connecting to Kincaid’s argument she feels voice holds a lot of power and she wants others to know this by reading her story. She demonstrates her use of voice by noting the injustices. Her hopes are to convert the tourism industry into a healthier and more profitable environment that the locals can thrive from gaining back independence and identity.

Rhetorical Features

Kincaid mentions several rhetorical features throughout the article. Symbolically, she refers to an “earthquake” in Antigua which symbolizes the “world quake” of the ongoing effects of colonialism and how they are catastrophic. She states, “No natural disaster imaginable could equal the harm they did” (Kincaid, 2012, p.15) With this quote, she refers to the tourism industry and the corrupt rulers of Antigua and how the effects of the industry have impacted the Antiguan lives. “We are facing a global crisis today, not because of how our ecosystems are but rather because of how our ethical systems function (Glotfelty, 1996, pg. 7). Another symbolic meaning referenced was, “The road sign, a rusting, beat-up thing left over from colonial days” This is symbolic of the decay and rust that colonizers’ have left as a painful legacy for the Antiguans. (Kincaid, 2012, p.7)

Another rhetorical feature Kincaid expresses are a variety of emotions throughout her story. She expresses emotions to make powerful connections to her perspective of the crisis happening in Antigua. At times she is angry, sad, frustrated. She has a hate for the white people referencing to them as “You” throughout her story. There’s also a lot of imagery throughout her story. One example is “the right glasses to see what is at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea”. Here she is motioning how many black slaves were taken out to sea to be killed and left in the waters. “It would amaze even you to know the number of Black slaves this ocean has swallowed” (Kincaid, 2012, p. 11). Kincaid (2012) speaks of the library literally and metaphorically. She compares the library as “a big beautiful old wooden building, its wide veranda, and its big open windows. This symbolizes the beautiful island of Antigua” (p.23). The metaphor of the library blends the ecocritical and postcolonial conditions comparing to the independent existence of the Antiguan people. “Kincaid’s longing for the reconstruction of the library is in fact a longing for the retrieval of her lost personal as well as national identity” (Majeed et al., 2021).

There are many cultural references mentioned throughout the article. Kincaid explores her identity to her homeland and self. As well, she mentions how European practices have been removing or destroying the land, culture, and independence of her people by adapting to colonialism and the tourism industry.

Structural Elements

There are three terms according to Dreese (2002) that are reflected by Kincaid throughout the article. These are mythic, psychic, and environmental reterritorialization. Dreese (p.4) refers to the following terms as: 

1. Mythic Reterritorialization: involves a reclaiming of the land by recalling the landscapes of the past; by telling tales about the land, it’s history, and cultural identity. It produces a literature that attempts to “heal and decolonize fragmented and disappearing cultures”

Example: “Kincaid reclaims the land by recalling the landscapes of the past” (Majeed et al., 2021). 

....”In Antigua, people speak of slavery as if it had been a pageant full of large ships sailing on blue water, the large ships filled up with human cargo—their ancestors; they got off, they were forced to work under conditions that were cruel and inhuman, they were beaten, they were murdered, they were sold” (Kincaid, 2012, p. 35). 

2. Psychic Reterritorialization: involves a remapping of terrains. The desire for the hometown begins with a memory, a vision, and a nostalgic yearning “involving all the sense envisioning and/or recollecting the details of place within the mind.”

Example: Kincaid gives voice to her personal as well as national loss by referring to the slave trade under colonization because of which “millions of people, of whom I am just one, made orphans” (Kincaid, 2012, p. 14).

3. Environmental Reterritorialization: involves reclaiming of the environment by giving voice to the environmental injustice and environmental racism.

Example: 

“Kincaid underscores the hazards of tourism by highlighting the fact that tourists are consuming the resources of her land. Antiguan food is sent to Miami at a “dirt-cheap” price and then comes back to Antigua in expensive tin-packs for the consumption of tourists” (Kincaid, 2012, p.12). 

Disrupting Course of Events

Colonizers and the government cleared the woodlands in order to operate rubber, cotton, and sugar plantations. With these plantations in operation the Antiguans are more  vulnerable to pollutant exposure, have less access to clean water and air, have difficulty in accessing healthy fruits and vegetables. As population increases, more resources are used when in fact the locals don’t have access to the things they need and there are already shortages.

There has been an increasing development of condominiums, hotels, and westernized buildings. With these westernized viewpoints, the Antiguans are losing their identity and land privilege's. Antiguans are not allowed access to their land -the beaches are for tourist and hotel occupants or those working and catering to the industry. “Tourism leads to commercialization which is always at the cost of elimination of native culture and natural beauty of the land”  (Majeed et al., 2021, p.7).

Tourists mentality and the overcrowded areas have become a problem. “They do not have much concern for the locals who have gone through oppression under the colonial era and are still living miserable lives due to lack of basic facilities. Tourists have a selfish approach in wishing to have sunny climate without realizing that lack of rainfall will intensify the drought.” (Kincaid, 2012, pg. 6).

The Government doesn’t focus on proper education, materials, or building structures. The buildings are falling down and in bad shape. The education system is very poor. However, they “will train locals in a fancy Hotel Training School to create slaves/servants who are ready to serve the White tourist population” (Majeed et al., 2021).

Military forces have been sent in to be testers for more plants to be built. “Kincaid records this act of militourism going on in Antigua: some special nuclear ammunition was tested in Antigua. “A huge government official took millions of dollars in bribes for allowing a particular kind of industrial plant to be built” (Kincaid, 2012, p. 36). As a result, nuclear ammunition was tested and exposure to the nuclear radiation occurred to those living on the island. There are many environmental effects and impacts of these plants on climate change and the  change in the sea levels. Glotfelty (1996) highlights “We are facing a global crisis today, not because of how our ecosystems are but rather because of how our ethical systems function. (pg. 7) 

Turning Points in an Eco-Critical Lens

The research of postcolonialism from an ecocritical approach allows readers to think about the issues that have circulated in past years then look at finding new ways to sustain and shift societies’ ways of  implementing actions and new thoughts. Kincaid vocalizes her relationship with her surrounding environment and self. She writes to let others know the hardships of the tourism industry. She advocates for environmental injustices and environmental racism. She is one person who has a small voice but through her writing has reached so many others who can start to empower and make differences together to help the economy.

According to the YouTube video Environmental Humanities (2016), “Eco-critics can help in the project of reimagining nature in numerous ways. Scholars look at history to show how nature and the more than human world has been represented across time. We need different ways of thinking about the future.  Eco-critics allow us to hear crisis’ and focus on alternative focuses for the future. Eco-critics also help us to think differently about our future through story telling and representing information and research to the world.”  As Kincaid suggests we need to relook what has happened and act on environmentally friendly approaches moving forward.

Conclusion

In conclusion, colonialism has had many effects on land, culture, people, and environment. What can we do to make a shift on the negative impact and crisis’ caused from colonialism and tourism that is happening worldwide? One can start by researching and becoming more aware of the issues identified in such articles and the ripple effects of colonialism has on people. Then one can start to make choices that promote Kincaid’s goal of finding environmentally and sustainable solutions moving forward. “Getting through the crisis requires understanding our impact on nature as precisely as possible, but even more, it requires understanding those ethical systems and using that understanding to reform them” (Glotfelty, 1996, pg. 7). What can and will you do to make a shift in our world? 

References

Dreese, D. N. (2002). Ecocriticism: Creating self and place in environmental and American Indian literatures. Peter Lang Publishing.

Glotfelty, C. (1996). Excerpt from "Introduction: Literary Studies in an Age of Environmental Crisis. In Glotfelty, C. & H. Fromm. (Eds.). (1995). The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology. Athens: GA: University of Georgia Press.

Kincaid, J. (2012). A small place. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Love, G. (2003). Practical ecocriticism: literature, biology, and the environment. University of  Virginia Press.

Majeed, M., Imtiaz, U., & Imtiaz, A. (2021). Reterritorialization in a small place by Jamaica Kincaid: A postcolonial eco-critical study. SAGE Open, 11(1), 215824402199741. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244021997419

Rose, D. B., van Dooren, T., Chrulew, M., Cooke, S., Kearnes, M., & O’Gorman, E. (2012). Thinking  Through the Environment, Unsettling the Humanities. Environmental Humanities, 1(1), 1– 5. https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-3609940

(UNSW -Australia). (2016, February 4). Environmental humanities MOOC - 16 eco-criticism and re-writing nature. YouTube- Environmental Humanities: Eco-Criticism and Re-writing Nature. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://youtu.be/-p53M6q0FcQ Dreese

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Deep Learning Project: Our Organic Outdoor Classroom

“Teachers in a Living School are challenged to find, or rediscover, the joy, the mystery and inherent love in learning about the world and become guides and facilitators who respect and nurture the integrity of what comes natural to children, an awe and wonderment for the world” (O’Brien, pg. 119)

In the past year, Kootenay Orchards Elementary School has developed a team of four dedicated staff members who have collaborated to create our passion of teaching Outdoor Education come alive. We paired up with a Growing Innovation Team of Rural Educators through University of British Columbia. The initiative is hosted by a very well known Educator and Author, Leyton Schnellert. The continuous goal for our project is to transform our learning outdoors in respect to our core-curriculum and teaching First Peoples Principles of Learning. 

Through countless hours, dedication, strong support, critical thinking, collaboration, and community involvement we are at the stages of having a functionable outdoor classroom that focuses on student engagement and learning opportunities. New approaches to student education are shifting from the traditional ways we experienced. O’Brien states, “Education for sustainability is a vision of education that is inclusive, encompassing, expansive, generous, life affirming and reaches towards a place of deep transformation” (p.118). Learning outdoors in the natural world encompasses real-world opportunities and diving into student knowledge. We have many more visions to come-some that we are currently implementing and some permitting upon time, money, weather, and restrictions allow. 

The Brainstorming Begins 

How we started our journey...

The starting point was obvious, we needed to get the students on board and interested in our initiative. “Educators have turned to real-world design projects that require creative, critical problem solving, collaboration, communication, and integration of content knowledge, new learning, and skill development” (O’Brien, 2020, pg. 2). We began asking them the questions “What would you like to see in an outdoor classroom?” followed by “What do we need to do to create our outdoor classroom that is inviting for the school and community?” Observing how quickly students were engaged in the task was powerful to watch. They took on various leadership roles and were eager to begin. 

Student Action: 

1. Students brainstormed drawings of their dream outdoor classrooms-involving tables, sit spots, climbing apparatus, musical sound garden, zip lines, hammocks, speaking podiums, dirt pits, gardens, mud kitchens...and so much more. They had brilliant and creative ideas to share. “The Living School concept extends beyond health and technology by incorporating sustainability, creativity,  innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainable happiness, social and emotional learning and connecting with nature with approaches to learning that assist students and teachers to be choice-makers and change-makers” (O’Brien, pg. 120) This is an image our team created as a starting point from the ideas of our students. The pictures are the images of the space we were looking into using as our classroom. We added in our initial hopes of spool tables, gathering spots, bulletin boards, mud kitchen, garden boxes, and climbing features. Slowly over time these visions have come alive.

What changes can we make for our school? 

Students were looking at spaces to see where things could potentially go. This is where we decided to add our school garden. We initially hoped to have our garden within our outdoor classroom but due to water access, irrigation connections, security of our garden, and wildlife it was impossible without being way too costly and unmonitored. Above are the images of the SD5 empty field we decided upon making our classroom location. 

After many road blocks with irrigation, location, funding, best weather outcomes for growth, maintenance and school board approval, we started the process of our garden bed area. These pictures are the fruit, vegetables and other various plants one of our team member transplanted with her class from the local community garden to our very own school garden. This year, several things were harvested and student curiosity sparked as they ventured to learn about plants and soil. 

We asked for parent and community involvement (helping transfer gravel & soil as well as help to build the boxes, a local farmer to bring in soil, and other community partners to provide funding which allowed us to create our garden and area. This is currently still in action as we are looking for funds to have a shed, tools, hoses, plants, volunteers, and more materials (step up bench, gravel, stepping stones, stain). We are working on that currently. 

2. Students gathered in the area to clean up dead grass, garbage, rotted wood, invasive species, and other various materials. So much learning took place and great discussions were held about natural resources, invasive species, dangerous materials, ideal work conditions in weather, child labour, and identifying locations for where things should be placed. “The new and urgent challenge is to provide forms of education that encourage young people to engage with the global economic issues of sustainability and environmental well-being – to encourage them toward forms of economic activity that support the health and renewal of the world’s natural resources rather than to those that deplete and despoil them. (Robinson & Aronica, 2015, p. 47)

3. Student Voice- “Dialogue recognizes the power of language and conversation and the importance of finding one’s voice and being truly heard. It involves honouring children’s inherent, spontaneous interest in the world and celebrating with children their interests” (O, Brien, pg. 119) Students discussed their reasons and rationales for why this area would work best everyone while our team advocated for their concerns with the School Board Members, Maintenance Crews, PAC Members, Families, and various Community members such as (local farmers, Top Crop Garden Center and Farming Supplies, Fort Steele Landfill, etc.) Several reasons for this location included: trees to cover us in weather conditions, wind would be limited due to fence line, it’s located in a corner with shelter, it’s easy to access, houses could monitor vandalism, it’s viewable from our school windows and close to bathrooms, etc. 

Below is our presentation of our synopsis to PAC, the School Board, and our UBC Team of Educators. Check it out...

https://www.ruralteachers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SD5-Presentation_Outdoor_2021.pdf

If you want to view other UBC Projects click this link: 

https://www.ruralteachers.com/growing-innovation-2011

Slowly funding started to come in and is still coming in as we apply for a variety of grants so we can continue to purchase items for our outdoor classroom. These are two students collecting a donation on behalf of East Kootenay Credit Union Bank.

Some of the Barriers that have come along with our experience so far....

1. Weather Conditions: snow and ice prevented us vehicle access to area 

2. Length of time for approval 

3. Hiring Maintenance to input irrigation water systems, fencing, cutting of trees, transporting of heavy logs

4. Funding and the cost of materials

5. Organizing times to collaborate and be efficient with project

6. Policies to follow from our School Board

7. Time it takes to fill out, submit, and hear back about grants.

8. Unrealistic time frame for completion of project--we recognize this is an ongoing journey that we can always add to. 

9. Pandemic restrictions

The Beginning Stages of our Organic Outdoor Classroom

We had sit spots cut and donated to our outdoor class. Students had a great time picking them up and rolling to their new locations. It ended up being a game of strength and how quickly you could go from one location to the next racing each other. 

One helper putting together our spool tables that were donated by our local landfill. We currently have three that are usable. 

Our Current Stage of our Outdoor Classroom

Using our spool tables and mud kitchen for story telling, reading, and other various forms of learning, especially the focus on Indigenous Education and acknowledgement of the land we are located on. 

“First Nations people who continue to rely on traditional values and institutions look at the world and see themselves as a part of it—see themselves in a caring and supportive relationship to all human beings. They feel the earth is the source of life and give reverence to the earth and to the wonders of life coming from Mother Earth. They give spiritual regard and respect to the animals, the plants, the land, and to the universe. They feel related to everything and everything is a part of them—all things are connected. They see beauty everywhere. They respect themselves and others” (Lowan, pg. 5). 

Our outdoor climbing logs and reading centers. The view of our outdoor classroom. 

Kids putting their learning into play creating nature based stories. 

What our Future Hopes are for our Outdoor Classroom....

Moving forward my goals for my students and myself align with O’Brien as she states we need to be “Creating environments where students and teachers are actively engaged with life, developing the capacity and skill to contribute to their own well-being, the wellbeing of others and the environment that sustains us” (pg. 128). We want to implement outdoor additions such as climbing apparatus using tires and wood as well as having a shelter for kids to be able to work under as we live in a snowy climate. These structures promote risky play and physical activity. Physical activity is so important for our mental and emotional health and well-being. During the pandemic, we are encouraged to be outside as much as we can. We are hoping to get enough money through grants or PAC to provide a shed with the tools we’ll need to dig and plant. We are also hoping to have students who started this project last year to leave their legacy behind when they exit out of Grade 6 by painting an Indigenous Mural on the wall by our garden to celebrate the journey of our Outdoor Classroom.

How does this Outdoor Classroom initiative contribute to the health and well-being of our staff, students, and community members? 

Teaching and exploring in nature has many benefits to our health and well-being. This form of “education requires a more integrated, holistic, systems awareness of how we are interconnected with other people and the natural environment, thus establishing this vital connection with nature” (O’Brien, pg. 127) Students at our school are eager to read, write and just be outside. I have observed many positive benefits of our outdoor classroom already. Those who are introverted are shining with their talents, students are taking risks, and everyone is engaged and happy. I have noticed behaviours have decreased and upon entering the indoor classroom students are refreshed and ready to learn. O’Brien (2016) states educators need to guide students by “Assisting them to understand how to achieve a high quality of life while appreciating that their happiness and wellbeing are interconnected with other people and Nature.” Students highlight their happiness about the days through ticket out the doors and are asking when the next outdoor opportunity will happen again. Students are feeling empowered and resilient. They have a goal to reach by creating the outdoor classroom and are driven. “Living Schools embrace well-being—individually and collectively, for all people and the “other than human” life on our planet. It is an inclusive vision that recognizes that our well-being is important, both now and in the future, and that our well-being is intertwined with that of other people and the natural environment. (O’Brien, 2016, p. 9) Therefore, having an outdoor classroom is  beneficial to the well-being of all of us who access it and for our future generations to come utilize it.

References

Lowan, G. (n.d.). Exploring Place from An Aboriginal Perspective ... Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ842739.pdf.

Catherine O’Brien, P. H. (n.d.). The Living School: The Emergence of a transformative sustainability education paradigm - Catherine O'Brien, Patrick Howard, 2016. SAGE Journals. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0973408215625549.

(PDF) Living Schools: Transforming Education. ResearchGate. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343999095_LIVING_SCHOOLS_TRANSFORMING_EDUCATION.

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Promoting a Healthy, Active, &  Sustainable School -My Project

               Kootenay Orchards Elementary School-Cranbrook, BC 

                                                Our Playground 

              Welcoming Spaces, Welcome Minds to Welcome Hearts

Kootenay Orchards Elementary School is a community of learners consisting of 218 students, 22 teaching and support staff and countless parents and community volunteers.  We strive to offer educational opportunities that are holistic in nature. Academics, Fine Arts, Physical Fitness and Well being along with Environmental​ Awareness and Stewardship, Critical Citizenship and Global Awareness are our focus.  We are a community of critical thinkers, preparing to contribute in a positive fashion on a local  and global level. Kootenay Orchards is fortunate to be able to provide learning spaces that inspire our students and teachers to create, collaborate and imagine!

                                                                                       KOES School Mission

Why Promote Physical Activity, Health and Wellness? 

Many studies have shown the importance correlated with health, activity, and learning. According to White (p.10), implementing the Healthy Schools Framework into school regimes “perceptions of peer support, self-esteem, cooperation and sense of connectedness improve.” I feel the four pillars in our school connect the wellbeing of everyone. We have built a strong, resilient team and as a result our school dynamics have a lower number of behavioural issues, mental health conditions, negative learning experiences, and self-esteem issues in comparison to other schools within our district.

As well, “Social and emotional skills play a role in determining how well-equipped children will be to meet the demands of the classroom. They also help determine whether students are able to engage fully in learning and benefit from instruction” (CASEL, n.d.). According to Kootenay Orchards Student Learning Survey 2020/2021, “students feel and are engaged, supported, safe, and have an overall sense of satisfaction on a regular basis.” Promoting physical health and wellness allows for everyone to find solutions to cope with levels of stress and promote a healthier wellbeing. According to White (p.4), “students who encounter PHE are typically more self-aware, socially aware, manage life better, develop positive relationship skills, and develop responsible decision-making skills.”

KOES wants what is best for our students when it comes down to their learning environment. The Participaction Report Card (2018), a healthy brain and leads to improved:

-thinking and learning -emotional regulation and self-control -problem-solving ability -memory -brain plasticity – the growth of new brain tissue -stress management -ability to cope with anxiety and depressive symptoms -self-esteem and self-worth -attention and focus

Our School Plan

At Kootenay Orchards, our school environment focuses on the JCSH four main pillars: 

                                                                               Image from JCSH Website

As a whole school we are ensuring and integrating that student, staff, and community are familiar and utilize the Comprehensive School Approach. All 4 pillars integrate balance to our school, personal wellness, learning, and health to strive for great education. 

According to JCSH (n.d.), “Teaching and learning impacts physical & mental health, and includes the resources, activities and provincial/territorial curriculum where students gain age-appropriate knowledge and experiences, helping to build the skills to improve their health and wellbeing.” As a school we support this pillar in the ways we are culturally appropriate and offer learning in many forms and experiences. We enhance understanding and appreciation of diversity. We support including Aboriginal Education Support, Educational Assistants, Speech and Language Workers, outside community agencies to help integrate a wealth of knowledge for our students. 

The primary example focused in my project is developing a playground where our students can continue to thrive through physical mental health. They have recess, lunch and school time opportunities to run, play, explore, and use their imaginations on our school playground and area. So why not empower them to voice their concerns to those who can fix, adjust, and add in additions that interest their physical health! 

According to JCSH (n.d.), “Healthy School Policies are the management practices, decision-making processes, rules, procedures and policies at all levels that promote health and wellbeing, and shape a respectful, welcoming and caring school environment.” 

At our school, students and staff follow a school-wide code that aims to promote a positive and healthy community: 

1. Treat ourselves, others, and the environment with respect

2. Think before we speak or act

3. Are caring, considerate, and co-operative

4. Work to do our best and allow others to do their best

5. Use words to solve our problems

We also follow the British Columbia: Early Learning Framework. This is a “collaborative process that includes early childhood educators, teachers, academics, Indigenous Organizations, Elders, government, and other professionals.” The framework focusses on working with children, connecting curriculum and core competencies, supports reconciliation with Indigenous People voiding past pedagogies, strengthens visions of inclusive spaces and practices-including children with diverse abilities and needs, holistic learning and relationship building, and introduces inquiries” (Education, 2020, p.4). 

According to JCSH (n.d.), “Social and Physical Environment refers to the quality of the relationships among school staff and students, the emotional well-being of students, and the buildings, grounds, play space and equipment in and surrounding the school.” Many forms are carried through developing positive, healthy relationships and our environment. 

With this pillar the focus of this assignment has been to encourage our students to take a stand and participate in decision making towards creating a desirable playground that supports the wellness of everyone. We are aiming to have a welcoming outdoor environment where students can demonstrate their learning. We are collaborating and building relationships with other classes (by telling them our goals), involving powerful people (Aboriginal Support Worker-so we get ideas on ways to traditionally use the space and land) as well as PAC and School District members who will provide us the money to go ahead with our creative project. 

According to JCSH (n.d.), “Partnerships and Services are an essential aspect of the facilitation of a Comprehensive School Health approach. When connections are established between a school, its students’ families and surrounding community organizations, supportive working relationships are formed, enabling health, education and other sectors to work together to advance school health.” We have built a foundation of amazing supporters in our school community. We have PAC who promotes nutritious lunches, school-wide wellness activities, fundraisers to benefit our school. “It has been suggested that eating a healthy breakfast at school will help improve pupil concentration and behaviour, reduce illness-related absenteeism and improve punctuality” (White, p.7). We have families who are very supportive and engaged in our student learning. We work closely with our school staff-counsellors, youth care workers, speech and language workers, aboriginal education support worker, as well as guest speakers who promote health and wellness (Child and Youth Mental Health and amazing outdoor programs that project health and wellness such as CBEEN, Mainstreams, Wildsight, etc.)

Our Class Goal: To create a new functioning outdoor playground that promotes our health and wellbeing. A playground that sparks our students interests in their extra-curricular hobbies and promotes risky-play in a safe environment. There are many benefits to creating a better equipped outdoor playground. As Participaction (2018) states, “Physical activity has the potential to build the basic foundations to better communicate, socialize, increase self-control and maintain focus—leading to a healthier, higher quality of life.”

Requests: Below are several images of our school playground features that students have decided need updates and solutions to allow for safe play. 

Problem: The basketball nets are too high, the rims are bent, the paint needs a new coating, the nets are broken

Problem: The Spinomi is a very popular but dangerous piece of equipment-the ropes are wearing thinner, there is a cord that has a sharp wire sticking out, the landing is gravel, often too many kids are overcrowding it and it is becoming dangerous.

Problem: The monkey bars need to be repainted, parts of the metal are sharp and need sanding down. 

Problem: The slides are dented, the swings are often thrown and twisted (not functionable) the swing seats are old and need replacing. 

Children with Disabilities: there is no access for children who are in a wheelchair to any of the playground as it is covered in gravel, the structures have no wheel chair access, and there is no equipment suitable or desirable for these needs. We need to update our playground for social inclusion for all our learners. 

Things that are happening: 

This is our newly created outdoor classroom we developed last year. We hope to continue to add pieces of natural play within it. Currently we have -logs to climb and sit on, spool tables with moveable seating arrangements, a mud kitchen and a speaking podium for presentations. We are hoping for the following playful additions: wooden climbing structure, tires for jumping and climbing, sand boxes, hammocks, walking lines, and more...

This is one image where students helped to positively impact their own learning. “For many students, school is a source of social connection, safety and belonging” (JSCH, n.d.). They helped to create their idea of outdoor learning and are continuing with the creation of our playground. Students helped lift and roll the logs to their locations. Students were excited to tear grass, leaves, and twigs to make safe space for moving and games.

What are the students doing?

In this video students are learning to take a stand and voice what they feel needs to change. This is the start to this years journey. Upon creating the video they brainstormed ideas that they felt they would like to see change or added to our school playground. Some examples included maintenance while others included getting creative and adding in new trendy items to our existing playground. Students voiced things such as: replacing ripped basketball nets, bent hoops, painting structures, repairing ropes & cords, replacing swing seats then they got creative by asking for ziplines, underground trampolines, wooding climbing structures, walking lines, skateboard and mini hockey stick areas, musical sound gardens, etc. 

Impacts of the Pandemic 

Over the course of these last few years, our health and wellbeing has been a top priority as we move through the pandemic. The PHE Community (2021) is empowered to equip each and every child and youth with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to lead resilient, active and healthy lives. Students need more movement breaks and physical activity and this playground students are interested in developing promotes just that. I have noticed many more cases of mental health issues arise within students. I have been pro-active with getting the classroom support needed so these students get a healthy outlook on their bodies and some coping tools to deal with the stressors they face. These are the years we need to reconnect socially while staying healthy, active, and able to learn. 

Sustainability is Key with this playground

1.  Students will be able to sustain their mental health as playing is linked socially and emotionally with children. “Physical activity improves heart health, helps maintain healthy body weights and builds strong bones and muscles in kids across a range of skills and abilities” (Family Influence, 2020). They are able to foster positive, healthy relationships while exerting themselves through play. 

2. Playground Equipment: We are focusing on sustaining longer lasting pieces of equipment that are geared more natural-play based equipment for our outdoor classroom. Examples-wooden climbing features, recycled tires, re-used sinks and wood for mud kitchen, recycled garbage for our music sound garden, etc.

3. According to PHE(2021) students are sustaining operations, impact, and relevance to their physical and mental wellness. 

References

CASEL. (n.d.). Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs. Retrieved October 8, 2021, from https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/safeschools/Resources/CASEL%20Collaborative%20for%20Academic%20Social%20Emotional%20Learning/CASEL%20Guide%20to%20Effective%20SEL%20Programs%202013.pdf.

Education, M. of. (2020, July 9). British Columbia: Early Learning Framework. Province of British Columbia. Retrieved October 8, 2021, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/early-learning/teach/early-learning-framework.

Kootenay Orchards Elementary School. Kootenay Orchards Elementary School - Kootenay Orchards Elementary School. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://www.sd5.bc.ca/school/koes/Pages/KOES.aspx#/=.

Pan-Canadian Joint Consortium for School Health. (n.d.). Making the Grade: Positive Mental Health Practices in Schools. Making the Grade: Positive Mental Health Practices In Schools. Retrieved October 8, 2021, from https://www.jcsh-cces.ca/upload/JCSH%20article%20on%20Positive%20Mental%20Health%20-%20ENGLISH%20-%20Oct%205%202011.pdf.

The 2018 Participaction Report Card is here! CSGA. (2018, June 20). Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://csga.ca/the-2018-participaction-report-card-is-here/.

PHE Canada. (2021, October 1). Retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://phecanada.ca/.

White, J. (n.d.). Evidence Summary: Reducing the Attainment Gap. Retrieved October 8, 2021, from http://www.healthscotland.scot/media/1693/evidence-summary-reducing-the-attainment-gap-the-role-of-health-and-wellbeing-interventions-in-schools.pdf.

[blogrthomson]

Grade 4 Genius Hour Projects

“If we want our students to change the world, we will have to start by taking a good look on how we can change our classrooms to inquiry and innovation.”           (Juliani, 2015) 

For my project I completed a Genius Hour with my classroom. At first, I contemplated doing Genius Hour as I found myself unfamiliar with what it was. I didn’t feel confident to begin and just go with the idea so I had to do some background research and weigh out he pros and cons of such a project before doing it with my class. One article stated, “In a Genius Hour environment, we leave students at the mercy of their own overconfidence, unawareness, and immaturity to determine what path feels right to them, and what feels right is often a deficient form of instruction.” (Burns, 2021) However, I found this statement to help drive my decision to move forward and give it a try. “During Genius Hour, you’re doing a lot of nonfiction reading and research. You’re hitting all the reading, writing, speaking, and listening standards, and all the creating, evaluating, and synthesizing standards.” (Reid, 2019) 

I decided to take a new journey into Genius Hour and I’m glad I did. I introduced it to my class by sparking interest through a picture discussion “What if you could learn about anything you wanted?” (See the picture in my blog below that I used.) I laughed at the responses from my students and found them quite funny.  Comments stated were, “whoa, that’d be so cool to learn what we want!” and “I wish we got to do something like this!” My class didn’t know what was about to happen! I didn’t want to explain too much to my class other than asking a few lead up questions such as “What are you passionate about? What would you like to learn more about? Is there any topic you’d love to solve?” Students discovered we were officially about to do a Genius Hour Project and I am so happy I decided to go with it.

These are my great Grade 4 Students. We have so much fun together. They are so bright, creative, and inspiring!

My initial thoughts about doing a Genius Hour were:

- What happens if GH doesn’t go how I anticipate?

-What happens if I’m trying to manage student behaviour the whole time?

-How much freedom and space do I provide?

-Based on the time frame, we have report cards due is this the best time to try something I’ve never done before or could I use my time wisely getting other forms of assessments done?

-How do I let parents know this is student choice and driven by students (without parent involvement and taking over their projects that are done at home)

-Where do I even begin? How much time do I allot to Genius Hour?

-How do I refuse a passion if it’s dangerous, etc.?

One thing researching that struck me was this message

“Why students learn appears in many schools’ visions and mission statements that use words such as ‘inspire,’ ‘empower,’ ‘innovate,’ and ‘make a difference.’ But how many students experience those concepts in their day-to-day experiences at school? Young people naturally want to know, “why are we learning this?” and, “why is this relevant to my life?” The importance of personal relevance to quality in-depth learning is supported by more than a decade of research by Dr. Mizuko Ito, chair of the Connected Learning Research Network at the MacArthur Foundation. Dr. Ito has found that people learn best when they connect what they learn to their interests and the opportunities they want to pursue – the ‘why’ of learning.” (Lorentz, 2020) 

I found this to hit home because I am one who follows the curriculum for most part, spending endless hours to develop and adapt teaching lesson plan. Often these lessons are through my eyes not allowing students to recognize on their own their need to understand “why they are learning the content.” 

The Process:

Over the course of 6 weeks (1 hour per session) students developed ideas, picked a topic, created a driving question, researched and carried out a project of choice, conferenced with me, spoke to parents, and completed fantastic projects on things they were passionate about. We took 2 more days to present their projects and/or ideas.

 Day 1: Intro to Genius Hour (GH)

-Discussion about image to spark student interest and idea

                                                                               (Image from Mrs. Hollis’ Blog)

-Show Youtube clip: https://youtu.be/COF-bqZuE-I

                                                                               YouTube Clip  (Spencer, 2017)

-Discuss the rules of Genius Hour

1. Must have something to research

2. Must have something to create

3. Must present something

-Identify student passions

-Students fill out their Genius Hour Planner

Day 2:

-Start to conference with kids who know their passion plan of action

This is our classroom board with multiple questions sparking student interest.

-Write questions you want to know about your topic and pick one good driving question you will research about

-Students will take home their Genius Hour brainstorm form and get their parents to sign off on it.

-Parents will get a newsletter to explain how Genius Hour works (see below)

-Students are provided a reflection form as ticket out door

Day 3-6:

-Students begin the research phase of Genius Hour gathering information, sources, ideas, etc.

-Each day, students reflect their learning process on their reflection  forms in their Genius Hour booklet.

Day 7:

-Students wrap up projects, practice presenting, gather any last minute things they need for due date.

Day 8-9:

Presentations

Peer Feedback

Student Reflection Videos

Positives of Genius Hour

-Student excitement and engagement (Very surprised that everyone quickly had an idea and were very quick to get started on tasks)

- All projects were outstanding!!!

-The interaction of using each other to problem solve (I told them I was taking my teaching hat off and giving them it for the timeframe.) 

-Teacher conferences allowed me to really see student interests and carry on neat conversations diving better into building rapport with them.

-The overall learning that took place and watching students teach each other about their passions (no projects were the same!)

Cons of Genius Hour

-Only on two occasions I had to tell students to use their time wisely. This was one of my worries about classroom management going into trying Genius Hour. One student near the time of completion had nothing to teach or present the class. His idea was to create an amusement park in Minecraft to show the class but he spent all his time playing the game at school. I’m not very video game interested so I assumed he was on task. When conferencing with him, he communicated his ideas and I gave him the green light. I had to discuss with his parents because he had to spend his weekend catching up on his project properly. 

-Too much parent involvement when some projects needed to be done at home. One parent did majority of the project (Typing, cutting, gluing, etc.), other parent wrote out the instructions for child, another parent made phone calls to locations. I really emphasized this was the child’s learning that was to take place through this process but parents went above enabling learning anyways.

- One student was really creative and excited to create a mask machine but when she went home to explain her idea her parent tried to convince her not to and do something she was good at already. I spoke to this child about how it’s her passion and was very happy I convinced her to go ahead with her own idea. The project turned out amazing!

-Our computer time is only about 45 minutes as we share with the whole school. So students had a hard time accessing computers to try to save work when we don’t have the time booked. Students also struggled to save their work to USB as its not like saving original documents. I found I had to do a mini lesson to the class so they remembered it’s not just saving a document but adding it to a USB. (I forget that you have to teach all the basic steps not assume. For example how to save, print, minimize screens, spell check, highlight, etc.)

Screenshot of my letter to Parents

Some of the Grade 4 Student Projects

This student loves art and creating things to play with. Her passion project idea was to create an Among Us clay figurine Keychain. She wanted to create then teach the class the steps on how to make their own to take home. The kids loved this project! 

This student wanted to teach us about the types of Illusions and perform some magical illusions before our eyes! He tricked us!

This student wanted to learn how to wood carve and create some tools to show us. He learned so many new skills with the guidance of his dad. 

This student wanted to create and bake a cupcake recipe. Cupcakes turned out delicious and disappeared quickly with his family. 

This student wanted to research more information about Covid and find a helpful way to make a mask machine that could dispose masks throughout the school. She created an informative news broadcast to share her research and had a poster and mask machine to display in our classroom. Kids who forget their masks for our common area are able to grab a free mask from her machine! Super cute!

This student wanted to teach the class about sign language. She has a partial hearing impairment so she wanted students to understand there are different ways of communicating and it can be fun! Students learned how to make many different animal signs and simple sentences. Very engaging for the class!

This student wanted to learn about baking and different tasty recipes so he interviewed a family member who runs a Chocolate Shop. He later created cupcakes with a recipe he found.

This student wanted to learn about dog emotions. She researched and presented a slideshow to us with very detailed information on the reasons why dogs may show their emotions. She demonstrated to us how her dog expresses her emotions by video taping tricks at home. So cute! 

This student loves to hunt and be outdoors. She wanted to teach us about gun safety. This was one project where we had to think of how she could present “outside the box” as weapons aren’t allowed in school. She did a great job demonstrating how to use a gun properly and safely with confidence! 

This student wanted to not only learn to bake but learn how to decorate a detailed and delicious looking cow cake. Very impressive up close designs! 

This student is a phenomenal writer and one day wants to be an author! He researched ways he could start writing his own books to get published and how to create book covers. 

This student gave us detailed information on how the body works and even surprised us with a model of how the heart pumps blood! She’s our future doctor!

This student will be one of our young entrepreneurs who will run a local car wash this summer. He’s super excited to make some quick cash! $$$

Video Reflection from the Students

My Personal Reflection

This process was one of a kind. Over a short period of time I witnessed so much growth from each one of my students. I was surprised at how quickly they bought into Genius Hour and were engaged in their learning through sparked interested of a discussion. Typically, some of my students struggle to find projects to do but with this everyone had a passion that was ready to dive into. I saw my kids working together, busy researching, and problem solving in new ways. Students were using books, computer searches, each other, and people in our community to solve questions to their passions. I got to step out of the teacher role and put my “teaching hat” onto them. They all surprised me and did an amazing job expressing their passions with such creativity. 

There were several bumps along the way with parent involvement. Initially I sent home a letter to express what Genius Hour was about and that it allowed students to explore their own passions. I found several parents quickly involved with ideas and helping their child which I hoped to avoid through my letter. Any suggestions on the projects that have to be partially done at home to avoid such would greatly appreciated for my future Genius Hour Projects! I also struggled with one boy who said he was wanting to create some features in coding but in the end found he had no collection of work to display because he spend his time playing coding games. I found parent involvement was needed from home because he didn’t utilize his time properly. Should I have left this project for what it was and negotiated a mark through his lack of presentation? I was under the impression in Genius Hour if you don’t have something in the end to present that it is ok to talk about the research phase. 

I found the daily reflections meaningful for their growth, display of work effort, and accountability. They spoke to me quickly as a ticket out the door to demonstrate what they accomplished and what direction they were headed. The accountability allowed them to be honest in the discovery of their learning and in deciding a mark for their projects. I like that Genius Hour allows students to negotiate their final grade through discussions and reflection of the process.

I noticed Genius Hour was a good way to sustain learning and sparked outside interest of other educators in my school. There were multiple teachers who questioned what I was doing from observing my whiteboard. I had teachers inquire about the projects of students and how it worked. My administrator was quickly on board as she loves the idea of innovation and creativity in learning. 

Overall I loved the opportunity for student conferences the most because it allowed for students to justify what they were working on and demonstrate their passions. I feel that it allowed me to make deeper connections to each student and I learned more about who they are as kids! The students that I typically have to work with one-on-one really surprised me in their independence of learning. I enjoyed seeing the ways they wanted to express themselves and present their passions to the rest of us. Everyone I feel truly created a great piece of work. I will be doing Genius Hour Projects moving forward based on the student reflections and witnessing how much learning, creativity, and excitement occurred. This was a great project!

References

Burns, D. (2021, January 02). Why the Genius Hour Fad Died! Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://educationrickshaw.com/2021/01/01/why-the-genius-hour-fad-died/

Juliani, A. (2015). Inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom: Using 20% time, Genius Hour, and PBL to Drive Student Success. New York, NY: Routledge.

Lorentz, E. (2020, July 10). Blog - The UN SDGS: A Curriculum Framework. Retrieved March 31, 2021, from https://www.newnordic.school/news/blog-un-sdgs

Reid, J. (2019). Genius hour handbook. Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://mosaic.messiah.edu/gredu_st/16/

Simac, S. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2021, from  https://www.npsd.k12.wi.us/faculty/ssimac/GeniusHourIntroLettertoParents.pdf

Spencer, J. (Director). (2017, August 25). You get to have your own Genius Hour (a video for students) [Video file]. Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COF-bqZuE-I

Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2021, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

[blogrthomson]

Deep Learning Food Challenge with my Grade 4 Class

For my Deep Learning Food Challenge Project, I focused on teaching my Grade 4 students through multiple lessons that were cross curricular about health and sustainability developing personal awareness on our daily habits. Our overall focus was to learn about our daily lunches and the impact we have on our environment with what we are eating and packing.

Here’s a brief scope of my lessons taught throughout the last few weeks: 

1. Brainstorm what questions we want to know about the word “Food”. We shared our questions amongst our classmates formulating a lot of new awareness!

2. We observed what we packed in our lunches over the course of a week and discussed our findings. (lots of waste, packages, unhealthy snacks, easy to quickly pack...to name a few student observations) Students were asked to track and record their food intake over the course of three days breakfast, lunch, and dinner to evaluate their food sources and how much they were intaking of select food groups. 

3. Students kept a collection of their lunch waste in their personalized bins . (They washed out the gooey containers) They don’t know why we’re collecting our trash....yet.

3. What do we know about fruits and vegetables? Students brainstormed what prior knowledge they knew on the smartboard. We had several stations set up that discussed portions, nutrients, sources, and how to read labels examining several forms of fruits and vegetables.

4. Students drew a popsicle stick that had a “secret” fruit/vegetable that they were required to go to the grocery store to find and bring to school for a presentation. Students learned these healthy items can come fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juice.

5. Students had to research their particular fruit/vegetable to find information on: location, how it’s grown, where it originates from in the world, how many kilometers it is away from our town, what nutrients it has and how those nutrients help our bodies, more wonders about the item, and draw several pictures.

6. Taste Testing -Game: “Never have I ever tasted...”Students sampled and wrote descriptive reflections about fruits and vegetables they tasted in their health diaries. 

7. Students look at the world map and as a class we shared the fruit and vegetable locations. Students learned the process of getting these desired items to our local grocery stores and recognized ways we can reduce gas emissions by brainstorming ways we can be more locally sourced. (Students were able to research if their item could grow locally and ways they can buy food locally-farmers markets, family farms, local business’, shop local sections in grocery stores, etc.) 

8. Students tracked their household carbon footprints to link other ways we can be more proactive to help sustain our environment.

9. Students created rough draft food plates to demonstrate healthier consumption of nutritious snacks and were asked to pack a zero-waste free lunch. They learned how easy, yet challenging trying to pack items can be! We had a class lunch together and showcased our creative ways of packing with zero-waste! 

10. Students wrote several entries in their health diaries about the process of what they have learned that involved health and nutrition.

11. Students were surprised at why they were collecting their trash and created amazing Trash to Treasure Items to showcase their understanding on how we can re-use and reduce our waste. 

Reflection of this Project

I really enjoyed teaching this project and will continue to do it again next year. I found that students were able to identify better ways to eat nutritious food groups and eliminate junk food. They have become more cautious on what they are consuming daily and having many conversations due to their increased awareness. Many of the students were surprised about how certain fruit and vegetables tasted. I found it quite amusing the initial thought of one student reaction followed by many others. For example, “Ewww spinach is gross! Have you ever tried it? NO! EWW” then one of my risk takers of the taste challenge made the whole class environment open to the challenge of trying new things by taking lead and initiative in trying the unfamiliar items. Some kids had never had fruits/veggies and were excited to go home to use them cooking other food dishes. One important thing I noted before doing this lesson was talk about allergies to foods and the fact that students didn’t have to try if they didn’t want to. (We had everyone participating in this activity!) One thing that stuck with the students was identifying how far their food comes to land on our table. The students were shocked at Kiwi grown in New Zealand gets transported to our grocery stores. They were also amazed at how fruit and veggies need certain temperatures to go. They were quite naïve on knowing the process of how they get food to eat. This lesson was really great. They were able to identify that it’s not best to purchase fruits/veggies that are out of our country due to the impact on our environment and all the requirements it takes to get to our town. 

Several things I would consider doing next year with this project would be planting a fruit or veggie in our soon to be developed outdoor classroom and fingers crossed, garden! I would also like to invite a outside educator to teach about seeds & plants. I loved that this was so cross curricular! I am so amazed at the creativity of my students in their Trash to Treasure Projects. They rocked and were so engaged in their learning and creations! 

Observations: I have noticed these last few days that students have resorted to packing lunches that consist of a lot of packaged products that we throw into the garbage. Most students have resorted back to plastic bags to pack their contents vs washable, reusable containers. I wonder how we can transform this change to make a better impact? Any suggestions?

Student camera made out of a tuna can, yogurt container, fruit roll up wrapper, plastic bag, etc. Very creative!

One student exploring how to make a jet out of his tuna packaging and juice boxes.

A junk food purse-challenge was to see if it could hold a cellphone -yes it did!

Art supplies container

Zip-up fidget case

Googly eyed juice box containers

Where do the Grade 4′s go from here? 

Students are going to showcase their Trash to Treasure Projects for others to see. They will present to their classmates how they created their projects and what inspired them to create their items. 

In the spring, students will learn about seeds and plant something small for Mothers Day. Students will continue to learn about planting local fruits and vegetables in hopes of applying their knowledge into creating a school garden in current plan of developing an outdoor classroom. 

References

BC Dairy. Turcios, K.(n.d.). Food sense / BIEN MANGER (grades 4-6). Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://bcdairy.ca/nutritioneducation/workshops/food-sense-bien-manger-grades-4-6

How Big is Your Carbon Footprint? [Https://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/globalwarming/downloads/GoGreen_Activities%20508_compliant_small.pdf]. (n.d.). Retrieved March 03, 2021. 

Teaching resources & lesson plans. (n.d.). Retrieved March 03, 2021, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

[blogrthomson]

Social Entrepreneur Interview:  Introducing Danielle Eaton from Soul Food in Cranbrook, B.C.

Introduction to Soul Food’s Manager and Owner

Danielle Eaton, the manager and owner of Soul Food Restaurant in Cranbrook, B.C. grew up exposed to the restaurant industry through connections to her family and their ties in the community. Living with a dad who owned a local restaurant and following her sister’s footsteps running a local café, Danielle decided to begin her own career in the restaurant industry. Danielle has always had a passion for food and agriculture starting when she was a child living on a farm with many animals. One of her biggest endeavors in life was being a contestant on MasterChef, Canada. Check out the link to watch some glimpses of her in action.  MasterChef Canada 

What is Soul Food & the Philosophy  

Soul Food is a locally ran restaurant in Cranbrook, B.C. It incorporates the ‘Farm to Table’ philosophy and stems from Danielle’s passion for food and agricultural. The concept of ‘Farm to Table’ is sourcing produce directly from local farmers and bringing food to the table for a great dining experience. In return, famers make a reputable profit. Soul Food has over 40 suppliers throughout in our area.  “Our goal is to support suppliers, while doing what we love most! The result of our goal is the ability to provide guests with a memorable and a very Kootenay dining experience.” The business has many great connections within our local community. Soul Foods primary focus is the guests and their experience to keep them coming back. “We love that people are connecting with the idea to shop locally. People love knowing that they are eating products from local suppliers.” Soul Food is not only a sit-down restaurant. People can come in for a quick coffee and fresh baked treat. They have a suspended coffees program where guests purchase a coffee and donate money that goes towards our Cranbrook's Homeless population. These customers can come in for a warm cup of coffee. The target market of customers are typically professionals with disposable income, as well as customers near and dear such as the homeless population. Seniors enjoy coming in because the staff can take the time to visit and build rapport.  

Soul Food likes to support the local economy through the purchases of fresh farm produce but in reality, some food does come from Calgary, Vancouver, and other sources. "If we could spend 80% of our revenue locally within the Columbia Basin then we’ve achieved our goal of keeping things local. Environmentally, Soul Food wants to avoid trucking, gas emissions, and reduce bringing in items from other areas. “If you go into the back of our restaurant you will see most of containers and packaging as reusable containers (wooden crates, glass bottles, etc.)  We are trying to minimize waste the best we can at this point in time!” Find out more about Soul Food by visiting their Soul Food Website 

Danielle believes persistence and stubbornness are a few key steps in becoming an entrepreneur. She strongly feels the ability to tune out other people's opinions and expectations were key for her success as she states, “success happens from a series of failures!” She has built up her skills in this journey through six previous entrepreneurial ventures and describes how it takes a few attempts to get there. She is an achiever and enjoys setting new goals and seeking new challenges. “As an entrepreneur, you are never satisfied with what you are doing, you are always like, what comes next?”  Stay tuned, Danielle has future plans to open up a “Next Generation Restaurant” in a few years!  

Challenges & Fears

Danielle has had many personal challenges of self-exploration and trying to figure out who she should be and taking action. Her advice is in order to be an entrepreneur you should get out of the mindset of what others expect you to be! Another challenge she has faced along the way was financial backing to be able to find creative ways to work hard. Soul food took a lot of personal savings that Danielle saved in her life for such an opportunity. “Starting a business isn’t cheap!” She asked for community support and involvement through the Columbia Basin Trust (who provides money if you have an opportunity of socio/economic benefit to the community) and borrowed funds from them with a rate & risk that no banks would offer. She also thinks that patience is an asset because the process can take time. However, start small and set manageable goals to achieve those financial goals with an entrepreneurial mindset.  

One of Danielle’s biggest fears of being an entrepreneur is not only the fear of failure to the business but the inability to provide to the people working for you. The staff becomes family at Soul Food. “We saw a decrease in sales which resulted in a layoff of high school kids, college students, continued on to families who needed to pay mortgages. It’s difficult to do!” Some other challenges she faces consist of great ideas flopping, problems with the old Heritage Building Soul Food is located in, and things like dishwasher, ice machine, etc. breaking down. in order to keep restaurant functioning and running smoothly.

Recommendations for those with Entrepreneurial Mindsets  

Internally, follow your heart and passion. Danielle's favourite quote, “Do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” (Marc Anthony) 

Things will be hard, but you can get through it!

It takes a lot of time to set up your own business (minimum 80 hours a week to start these goals)  

Have a savings and look into community programs that offer help (Example: Columbia Basin Trust)  

Marketing Backgrounds help! Use media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and the community radio to broadcast events.  

Skills to have: persistence, willingness to learn, fail, & take risks along the way!

Providing great customer service means learning customers names, food preferences, building a rapport quickly.  

Encourage the “what’s next mindset?”  

My Reflection of Understanding  

I personally and thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity learning about Soul Food. I wasn’t too sure what the meaning behind Soul Food meant until interviewing Danielle for this project. I love the idea of building support and community involvement through helping farmers use their produce. I feel Cranbrook members are absorbing more of the ‘buy local’ mindset which is benefiting our community economically, socially, culturally, and environmentally. I truly think it takes a certain individual to operate such business’ and feel okay with taking giant risks especially, financially. I have learned the importance through this interview of why more people should eat and spend money on local business’ because of how harmful we have been on our environment. Some positive examples of purchasing local include minimizing garbage waste, reducing gas emissions from hauling trucks, opportunity for healthier food intake, etc. I didn’t realize how important it was to spend locally. I’m typically the consumer of finding good deals and getting more in quantity for a cheaper price but now knowing locally the benefits I will slowly make change even though purchases can be a bit more expensive. One thing that stuck out for me was how Soul Food helps our homeless population. I used to work for a woman’s shelter and understand how challenging it can be to not have much available. It’s a kind gesture to have a free cup of coffee! I enjoyed all the aspects of Soul Food and in the near future will be dropping by for something to eat in order to enjoy that dining experience that is raved about.  

Professionally, I am beginning to understand the importance of introducing entrepreneurial mindsets into the classroom at a young age. I often highlight that mistakes are welcome and encourage students to take risks so hope these expressions lead into students moving forward to acknowledge these things. In the near future, I would like to have more creative ways of learning happening within my classroom. One key example is attempting to try the Genius Hour Projects.  

Recommendations for Educators

Let the kids be who they are get away from this is how it should be and should be taught”.  

It’s okay to be wrong, it's okay to failure, it’s okay to struggle!  

Kids should learn the basic life skills to learn financial literacy. Allow them to know the starting points to business opportunities.  (What is revenue & profit, how do you begin to save, setting realistic goals, etc.)

Help students have an understanding to the world they are entering.  

References  

Eaton, D. (n.d.). Farm to table. Retrieved February 03, 2021, from https://www.kootenaysoulfood.com/

Columbia Basin Trust. (n.d.). Retrieved February 03, 2021, from https://ourtrust.org/

Soul Food Restaurant. (2021, Jan. 28). Farm to Table. Retrieved February 03, 2021, from https://www.kootenaysoulfood.com/  

Social Entrepreneur Soul Food Interview. Danielle Eaton [Personal interview]. (2021, January 28).

Skills of an Entrepreneur [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2021, from http://noahrickun.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/skills-of-an-entrepreneur.jpg

The Baked Alaska Challenge: MasterChef, Canada [Video file]. (2019, June 1). Retrieved February 02, 2021, from https://youtu.be/q4gHVS8B-dg

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Interview with Patty from CBEEN

Click the source link and it will take you to my powerpoint, interview, and some cool resources to use as educators.

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Check it out Module 3 Project

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My Personal Waste Free Challenge Monday, Sept 20th-Sept 27th

Check out below my collection of household garbage that I collected this past week in my challenge. Last week on a walk it was our garbage route day. I was in disbelief the amount of garbage each household produces weekly. As I walked by a few bags, I noticed recyclable items that could have been sorted. In our small community, recycling and composting programs are minimal. This is an area, which our community could do better and continue to learn and grow. 

If households don’t independently sort and then take the recyclables to the local recycling depot, the items end up in the landfill! When I process this information and looked at the trash bags on my street alone, I realized how much of household garbage could have been recycled and I was saddened. I had a conversation with a City of Cranbook, Garbage Truck employee and asked what happens to the items he picks up. He stated all the items picked up by his truck end up in the landfill. He did mention however, how our city is trying to start up a curbside recycling program hopefully within the year. An article I recently read by Mulligan, in response to humans and global change, stated, “Global humanity knows what needs to be done but lacks the ‘political will’ to do what is needed.” Our minimal recycling/composting programs is a perfect example of what Mulligan is referring to. Later on, the article states, “It’s a form of denial because there is much that individuals can do, and should, but don’t do” (Mulligan, 2018)

As a consumer, I have been guilty of not doing enough towards sustaining this type of lifestyle. In researching and learning about this topic I have been more mindful in looking at labels and noticing things that I can reuse in a variety of ways. As a teacher I have been able to use sustainable practices within my classroom. For example, collecting and reusing items that I’d normally throw out in crafts and Outdoor Ed task kits. Being an educator to young minds also allows students to explore things that we need to create changes to. “When students understand the complex relationships that exist within the natural world and how they fit into and affect these relationships, they are better able to recognize the role that humans play in fostering healthy ecosystems.” (Hensley, 2011) 

I feel I have started to recognize areas in my life that I can improve through this challenge. For one, I have really zoned into what items I can recycle, reduce, and ways to reuse. My goal going forward is to become more thoughtful about my purchases and will continue to try to become waste free through a longer challenge. One thing I have learned from this research is it takes time to become zero-waste free. It won’t happen overnight! One fear is that my challenge may not last forever, but at least I am beginning.

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                           THE HISTORY OF HOW IT STARTED...

After researching several websites to find out the history of when zero waste movement began I found this information. 

Before the 1970′s no one knew what it meant about zero waste! Paul Palmer-PhD Chemist developed a company that focused on reusing chemicals. The company ended in the 1980′s. In 2005, Paul Palmer wrote a book called, “Getting to Zero Waste.” 

In 2001, the California Integrated Waste Management Board became the first state to adopt a zero waste policy.  

From here, Bea Johnson initiated the first zero waste lifestyle in 2008 shortly followed by others keenly interested. Her goal was to obtain an adoptable lifestyle for her and her family. 

Click the source below to find out more....

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What does a “Zero Waste” Lifestyle mean?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live a zero waste lifestyle? This topic is news to me and I’m interested in living a more sustainable zero waste lifestyle for a better environment for future generations! 

Recently, I stumbled across what the term zero waste. Sounds hard, doesn’t it! “Waste is any material we have failed to use” (Mulligan, 2018) After researching a bit more, I learned that, “Zero Waste is a movement to reduce the amount one consumes and consequently throws away. Adopting a Zero Waste lifestyle is one of the most sustainable ways of living.” (O’Connor, 2018) Have you ever looked at your garbage and thought of what happens to this waste?  Did you know that our garbage goes to landfills and has a “Product Life Cycle”. Here are the different phases of our daily household resources entering landfills and the problematic concerns they raise. (Brancoli & Bolton, 2009)

So should we try to become more aware on how to create a sustainable environment and lifestyle? The answer is a simple yes! In my opinion, as well as many others who follow this movement, agree that there is a need to eliminate unnecessary waste and avoid using landfills. As you see in the picture above, in order to make our daily products, it takes a lot of resources and unhealthy emissions that harm the environment. “The range and rate of human destruction, particularly in the twentieth century, has sparked a global debate about sustainability.” (Sumner, 2007) 

Most often, we have all the resources and materials we need in our households however, we need to become creative in finding ways to minimize our waste. “Environmental scientists and social commentators agree that growing exploitation of the planet’s ultimately finite natural resources is increasing the need to rethink the ways in which waste has been dealt with in industrial societies.” (Mulligan, 2018) 

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WHAT DOES ZERO WASTE LOOK LIKE & HOW CAN YOU START!!!!!

In order to educate yourself about zero waste lifestyles you need to first recognize what the 5 R’s stand for. (Judd, 2017)

#1 Refuse means to learn to say no to items that will eventually go into the landfills. Example ----->plastic food packaging such as straws, coffee cups, take out containers) 

#2 Reduce means to buy only what you need. Don’t just buy because you feel like you may use the item at some point in time. Example- (New clothes, makeup, toys) Tip: Do not IMPULSE purchase! Our goal is to “reduce the amount of general waste you create” (Judd, 2017)

#3 Reuse means replace disposable items with reusable more permanent products (diapers to cloth diapers, plastic silverware to one permanent set, plastic bags to fabric bags)

#4 Recycle means to take what’s left after you refuse, reduce, and reuse and find a means to clean, separate and recycle properly. (Cans, Plastics, cardboard, etc.)

#5 Rot means take the rest and compost what you can!  Here’s an image of what you should and shouldn’t compost. 

Click on the 5 R’s link above to find out more information 

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                     SOME ITEMS TO THINK ABOUT USING...

Check out the link to find “The ULTIMATE list” of household materials you can change if you’re interested. Act now!

Did you know that you can simply start maintaining a zero waste lifestyle by changing your mindset in what you use around the house. For example you can start by replacing plastic water bottles with a reusable washable cup, buy bulk items, use cloth bags, etc. We need to start with using a minimalistic mindset. According to the Brundtland Report, it introduced the innovative ‘intergenerational equity’ principle in order to encourage people to think more deeply about the possible future consequences of what they do in the present.” (Mulligan, 2018)

In my opinion, our human population is only increasing and drastic measures need to be taken before we destroy the earth for our future generations. According to (Jtdadmin, 2018) if we cut back on creating items that enter the landfill we won’t have as big of build up on waste. Secondly, if we cut back on purchased goods, we will minimalize pollution because we essentially decrease the amount of chemicals and gasses that are used to create, transport, build these goods. We will conserve resources which reduce the overall amount of  greenhouse gases in our environment!

“When we understand the environmental impact of our choices and actions we are better able to respond to the sustainability crisis, thereby reducing our ecological footprint.” (Hensley, 2011)

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Some Advantages to Living a Zero Waste Lifestyle....

SELF Advantages: 1. Self-Satisfaction 2. Saves you money in the long run! 3. Creates a healthier lifestyle (not eating processed foods but rather whole, fresh foods) COMMUNITY Advantages: 1. Allows for items to be recycled and reused by community members (local thrift shops) 2. Keeps community economy growing by spending money on local businesses. 3. Creates Green Jobs-recycling programs, community gardens

ENVIRONMENTAL Advantages: 1. Improvements to climate change 2. Conserves resources 3. Minimizes pollution

Check out these websites for more Advantages:

https://www.almostzerowaste.com/zero-waste-benefits/#:~:text=%205%20personal%20benefits%20of%20going%20zero%20waste,waste%20is%20weight%20loss%2C%20especially%20in...%20More%20

https://www.zerowaste.com/blog/the-benefits-of-zero-waste-for-your-business/

https://www.torontoenvironment.org/zerowaste_benefits