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Welcome Center
A Welcome Message For You
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0-1: Welcome! Please Introduce Yourself 30 minLecture1.1
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0-2: A Note from Victoria 30 minLecture1.2
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0-3: Share a goal or intention for this class 30 minLecture1.3
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Module One: Strengthen Your Professional Identity as a Natural Teacher
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1-1: Create Goals and Intentions 30 minLecture2.1
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1-2: Five Steps to Prepare your Foundation for the Best Year Yet 30 minLecture2.2
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1-3: Get Curious with Montessori, Waldorf & Reggio 30 minLecture2.3
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1-4: Use Nature as a Guide: Wonder Based Teaching 30 minLecture2.4
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Module Two: Create Your Map of Intention
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2-1: Five Stages to Intentional Teaching Outdoors 30 minLecture3.1
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2-2: Five Tracks for Your Road Trip to Become a Natural Teacher 30 minLecture3.2
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2-3: Learn from our National Parks: America’s Largest Outdoor Classroom 30 minLecture3.3
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2-4: Harvest Your Manifesto & Create a Vision Board 30 minLecture3.4
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2-5: Workshop #1: RecordingLecture3.5
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Module Three: Nurture A Garden Practice: The Transformation
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3-1: Growth through Gardening with Bobbie Mabe 30 minLecture4.1
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3-2: Ten Life Lessons for Outdoor Classrooms 30 minLecture4.2
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3-3: Become an Advocate of Nature-Based Teaching 30 minLecture4.3
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3-4: I Wonder Why: Claire Warden Keynote at Wow Conference 30 minLecture4.4
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Module 4: Behind the Scenes
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4-1: Live Workshop #2: Closing Circle 30 minLecture5.1
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4-2: Behind the Scenes with Jessica Kagle from Kestrel Educational Adventures 30 minLecture5.2
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4-3: Behind the Scenes with Lara Lepionka from Backyard Growers 30 minLecture5.3
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4-4: Put it all Together: What next? 30 minLecture5.4
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4-5: Workshop #2: RecordingLecture5.5
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68 Comments
Decluttering…. this is a tough one! I’m sure that there are many of us out there that feel the same way. As an ECE there are so many “things” that we COULD use in our settings. It is funny how often we say to ourselves “I am going to keep that particular item for this activity” but it never happens because it gets forgotten about or packed away for another day. I definitely plan on looking through some of that clutter and finding items that will inspire Joy.
Choosing a word / mantra – Starting this Master Class I already had some words that I wanted to put into practice and achieve and that is – Follow through.
Sensational!! Follow through…what a great mantra. Happy decluttering.
I really enjoyed hearing about the 5 Steps to Prepare the Best Year Yet. I will begin with step one, decluttering. I am always accepting donations of any kind and it is now my goal to actually look through everything I have and start prioritizing; finding joy.
I am going to play with a “word” or “mantra” in the next few days and will share once I have found it.
I really also enjoyed the idea of asking the simple question of “What if”. This has sparked my creative juices and feel like I will be asking myself this question multiple times through my days.
Ahhhh…I can feel the juices starting to flow! Keep it up! Great job!
My Mantra is going to be: I love what I do; I do what I love!
Decluttering is going to be one of my biggest challenges, I love finding other uses for items other than was intended. However, I do know that when so much is kept, it sometimes gets overlooked.
But I will try.
This will be my mantra: I will try.
I love these words!
I do like to declutter my classroom. It feels like I am “clearing the deck” for new and different activities for the children.
Choosing a mantra is a good idea. Sometimes I find it hard to zero in on one word. Perhaps this year it will be “no fear”! Then again, I could choose many. Sitting with different words makes a lot of sense.
Permission! Yes, permission to make mistakes, to take chances, to try new things, and to show colleagues a new way to guide children using the natural classroom.
Planning I believe, is where the creativity really begins, especially if we are restricted to a more urban environment. This is where I will be challenged.
The roadmap is a great step, both for immediate and long term goals. I like the idea of planting seeds. This gives me the feeling that nothing is about the end product necessarily, but about the process, and the permission to HAVE FUN!
I really enjoyed this video because part of my temperament is planning and having step by step instructions to a broad vision. The decluttering is simple for us right now, we are a small center with only three rooms open and we are only 2 years old.
My mantra is going to be “Strengthening Transformations” I feel like this year has a lot of transformations for me and the center. We were going through our licensing renewal, we were opening up new rooms and hiring new staff. We wanted to make the shift to natural teaching and this pandemic is definitely creating a new normal for childcare. I am switching colleges and now the colleges are doing all online classes. This year I want to strengthen and own these transformations and not be ruled by fear.
LOVE your mantra? What college are you going to?
This was a pretty cool video! I enjoyed it. Thank you!
Great!
I love the idea of picking a word for the year that represents your goal and vision. I set an “intention” for the day when I practice yoga in each morning and choose words to represent the intention. I find that it guides my day. It helps me to stay calm and focused on what I need to do each day. Choosing a word for the school year is a great way to stay focused on what I want to do in the classroom! I chose the word “growth” because I already have been doing some gardening with children in the classroom. I want to grow this practice of gardening with children and connecting them with nature. What I have already done in the classroom is like a seedling and I would like to have it develop throughout my classroom curriculum, rather than it being an add on.
Love it!! What a great word!
Decluttering is the best thing you can do. I do this both at home and in my classroom. We have a coach that visits us and helps us. And she says the less we have the more we see and it’s so true. Especially the decorations on the walls, its shouldn’t be cluttered.
I actually do choose a class word already. It’s usually what out class theme is, or a word we want to learn throughout the year. We have it on the wall and we mention it during our circle time.
I like the permission step. It kind of gives us as teachers a stepping stone to know what we want to do and that it’s okay to do it.
Planning is a great step too. I rather plan too much than not enough. In my opinion, I rather over plan and not get to that lesson than go through lessons and then not know what to do. At least if you have plans in your back pocket it will be okay.
I love drafting your roadtrip. I love that I could write a bunch of ideas I have. And I like that its okay to not be ready for a outdoor class. Maybe there’s no space for it. But if we draft ideas it can eventually happen. Nothing negative will happen with just drafting ideas.
This was a pretty cool video! I enjoyed it. Thank you!
Brilliant reflections! Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much for reminding us how important decluttering is! Not only does it help us as teachers but it helps our students. “You can see more when there is less” is something I’ve always believed in for my classroom. The area I need to declutter is my closet and basement where I store the materials I’m not using at the time. Everytime I go to get something or rotate items out I wish that I took the time to categorize all my bins not only by subject, which I do, but also sub-categories so reuse items in different ways (if that makes sense) . There are also items that I really don’t ever use no matter how much I love them and wish would work in my class but they just don’t. I need to let these go!
As for a mantra, Yes!! I LOVE this idea!! I’m looking forward to finding one that will help me/family/friends/class through this time. “support” is what keeps coming to me.
Let’s do this!!! Declutter together and make way for new beginnings.
Decluttering is essential & refreshing. I try not to fall in bad habits but can be challenging. I’ve been using my time these days to clear my centers storage room. I’ve been doing stuff little by little every where, inside outside. I’d like to be more organized once I return to work. I haven’t used a mantra before.I will put some thought on what my mantra word will be, if it goes well will introduce it to my class.
Awesome.
The process of decluttering I feel is a first step into transformation. In my personal life as well as my classroom, decluttering is a way to make room for new experiences and life lessons. It opens room for growth.
I thought your “trust progress” mantra was immensely powerful. To me, it speaks to trusting myself as a teacher. Even though I don’t always know how my teachings affect the students, I am learning to trust myself and my teachings.
I am giving myself permission to have fun in my classroom. I’m learning it’s not just about teaching, it’s also about experiencing WITH the kids in my class.
I love this!!
I have to admit, especially at home, I love seeing “my stuff”. It brings me joy to have things around that have a meaning to me . And so many things bring me joy!
I try to be more mindful of clutter at work. I do my best to stay organized and declutter/pick up weekly (when in my classroom). I do believe that neat, organized space makes learning and teaching easier. It takes a lot of conscious work to keep my room decluttered, as my natural state is clutter-loving.
I have been making vision boards for myself for several years – every January my book club has a vision board party to create them. I have concentrated on self care, mindfulness and kindness before. This year, my theme is Be Present. I think that would apply quite well to this course too. Be present and experience the joy of planning and executing learning that incorporates natural world daily.
Be Present….I love it. I also love that you also do vision boards. Well done in the self-care department.
Decluttering is such an amazing thing to do. Sometimes I feel like if we have so much going on in a classroom with so many toys and books, the children do not seem interested in it after a while. I have learned from one of the teachers I work with and she is so amazing, it is better to take things away and leave certain items and swap every now and then and this allows children to not only focus on certain objects, but still be interested and enjoy playing and exploring.
My mantra right now, especially going back to work after this pandemic would be “positivity” I feel like this is important because regardless of what has been going on, as teachers, we need to remain positive and try hard to make learning fun for our students so they are not so worried about the crisis going on and have school as their get away.
Awesome!
I find myself constantly decluttering which now that I am really thinking about it makes me feel super cluttered…. I will have to revisit this decluttering situation when we are allowed back into our classrooms! I really take the mantra “Trust your journey” to heart on a daily… I like using it both in the classroom with the kids and also in my everyday life. You/me/we can only control so much and we need to remember to just trust our journey because we cant control every step we take!
I LOVE this. Thank you for sharing.
This video was very helpful in helping me find ways of how to start to make a plan. I think that Decluttering is very important, as it helps us when we are looking for materials, since we do not have to worry about where things are or what we do or not have. One summer I was able to make a catalogue of all the books we have, and it has saved us a lot of time when looking for books!
I think that the ‘mantra’ is a good tool as we often need a reminder to keep us on track when we are feeling overwhelming.
Awesome!!
I Like the mantra ‘Positive Energy’. It is so tough to be positive, especially these days. That is the mantra for my class. Is it strange that I would want to implement a theme for growing plants and such in an infant room? Are they too young? Even just to be shown how to do it?
Infants are not too young. It’s all about Sensory gardens. Check out my 1.5 hour workshop on Exploring the Natural World with Infants and Toddlers.
Declutting it is important in all environments to provide a pleasant places and do not accumulate things that we don’t use . Choose a specific word to inspire yourself during a year is a great advise.
Fantastic!
I’ve been working as a preschool teacher for three years where I work and I don’t like clutter. I teacher 2.9-3.9 and my classroom is always decluttered at least once to twice a week. I get OCD with cluttered classrooms. I see a cluttered classroom and all I want to do it declutter it. I would find ways to keep the classroom bright and airy for the children but also fun.
Lucky kid!
I have to admit that I am a bit OCD and that I hold onto everything forever, so decluttering is a huge thing that I need to work on. My co-teacher (of 17 years) helps me with this while at work but in my home, its a huge issue. I purchased the book by Marie Condo in hard cover and on audio. I think that it will be very helpful in my life to be able to create an environment that gives me a better sense of peace. And I will look at my classroom through this lense as well. Does my classroom environment give the children a sense of peace?
In Talia’s response comment above, they said that some items in the classroom can become distractors and break meaningful connections. I like the way that they worded that, it made me really think. I want to use that thought when I am decluttering my classroom.
I thought long and hard about my mantra and changed my word several times before coming up with the words ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘curiosity.’ I feel that enthusiasm in a teacher when learning is contagious and keeps the children engaged and that as a teacher, I need to try and see the world through the children’s eyes and the curiosity and wonder that they bring to everything that they do. As I have said in my past comments, I also want to constantly think about the five senses and how the children are using all of these senses to learn and explore while in nature.
What an honest and wonderful reflection. I love your words and how you are changing your lense and looking at things a little differently. Keep up the great work.
The lesson in the video was so inspirational and insightful to me. I’m excited to take the journey–especially the documentation in the visual journal. I’ve been really thinking about a word/mantra for not only my goals for our outdoor space and learning, but one that encompasses our program philosophy as well as something that excites and inspires me personally.
I’m playing around with “Digging In”. This creates a clear visual image for the outdoors (many of our children love to dig in the dirt and find treasures) but it takes on so much more meaning when you think about it. To me, I think about the act of digging into a topic to clearly understand its meaning and depth. It’s still a mantra in progress but I’m intrigued by it!
Love this!!!! Digging in!! So great,
I am a floating teacher so i don’t do the organizing in the classrooms but i can help add to the curriculum for the time i am in that classroom. I do love decluttering my homeland have taken this time off to declutter a lot. My Mantra i am choosing is renew i am setting new goals for myself and learning new things which i feel will help me renew as a person/mother/teacher.
Fabulous!!
This is my first year consistently being present within the classroom setting so I do not have anything to really declutter. I think for my mantra i want to choose the words “inspire” and “create”. This year has already presented a number of challenges and set backs, especially for someone like me who has only been in this industry for a short while and is trying to find their footing. I want to use these words as my mantra because as we continue through this year any endeavor I take up wil probably need tobe continued and nurtured at home and they not only need to allow myself and the children to grow and develop but be inspirational and creative enough for parents to want t continue these activities and/or lessons at home. Last post I asked about how to start a garden but as i continued looking I realized that a small garden can be created using a number of things. One idea I want to try would be to grow things inside of empty candle jars this way if schools and camps are suspended again this is something that they can bring home with them.
Wonderful reflections! It is a difficult time for everyone and to use this time to “create” and “inspire” is brilliant. Take advantage of this time and really soak yourself into the class and learn as much as you can. It’s the silver lining. Keep up the great work.
I haven’t had to de-clutter a classroom. I just started working in a preschool setting that is allowing me to be creative and helpful.
Sounds wonderful!
I just started in this journey and I think my world would be learning because sometime I feel afraid of not been able to complete my goals but given permission to my self to plan to be messy or just look for new ideas will help me to learn and do things better
I love that you are giving yourself permission to be messy!!! That is fantastic. 🙂
I am not good at letting things go in general but I try my best to do it at school cause we share the materials and thoughts. I bring my colleague to do it with me. I believe it’s best for everyone.
My mantra is believe! I think if you believe in something, you feel the power of willingness. Also, it’s contagious.
A wonderful mantra. Especially during these times. 🙂
At the beginning of the year when I have to organize my classroom, I try to organize each space with the elements that make sense, meaning and use for children. Sometimes I can be very minimalist. My goal is that the children understand the value, use, function of each material without these same materials becoming distractors and break the meaningful connection. As a Reggio school, we use recycle materials or materials that nature provides, creating an organic environment between the child and his environment, we also collect a lot of information through pictures (Evidence) that helps us document and evaluate how we are doing it daily.
The mantra I was thinking is I AM THANKFUL, this word will be my starting point because I can better understand everything that nature provides me in many cases without human intervention and I can feel grateful and have that desire to do something special for my world. For Children this perspective is easy to understand. It is a simple word but it has a lot of value in preschoolers, we always use it and I can guide them to the development of their knowledge as protagonist, take them to action: What makes you feel grateful? How can we show our appreciation to nature? … A series of themes I can apply with this mantra in my activities outside and inside the class.
What a wonderful reflection. Your mantra is very fitting and beautiful. A wonderful place to start. I can feel the calm in your words–which speaks to your space you are and the way you teach. Thank you.
The process of decludder was useful and makes sense to do. It will not only free your mind but will also open up a lot of possibilities.
My mantra is balance because I need to have a daily schedule of planned activities to work with children and I would like to have more hands on outside play.
I love this! So true and such a good time to do it.
As I reflect on all that is happening in this world today. My mantra would be “hope”. Having hope will benefit us all. When you hope, you dream and we can help inspire our children to do so. When we experience new things and share those experiences we can teach being hopeful, not fearful. Teaching and learning different strategies gives me hope to becoming a better teacher.
I love this! Thanks for sharing. It’s so true!
I think my mantra would be Believe and move forward. Believe that change is good and that we can move forward with new things. What we’ve been doing doesn’t always work and its important to try new things, change things up, grow with the world in which we live and to offer the best possible environment possible for the children
Beautiful! I love this.
A thought that came to me while listening and reflecting on my own experience in teaching is balance for a mantra. I love that concept because I am right now stuck in a world of curriculum and data to see how and what children learn. We know through research that children learn through play. Finding a balance between the two worlds is essential and also what drew me to this class.
I found the permission content important because I often think outside of the box, and that does not always go well with regimented materials or other teacher’s learning styles. Documenting where I started Would be more meaningful when I reflect to stay focused and clear.
Fascinating reflections! “stuck in a world of curriculum and data”. Profound. Letting go of this…and inviting play. What would happen?
Last year I went through a really rough break up, but it allowed me to do a lot of self reflecting and reflecting on the life I want to live. I used my pain to create a mindset of “become at peace with your past, to practice peace in your present, to preserve peace for your future.” So my mantra in short would be “peace”. I believe that everyone deserves to live a life with least resistence. Especially children. I work in Chicopee MA which over the years has become more and more urban and the children we serve have a heavy load on their plates that is completely unfair to them. Nature scenes and sights neutralize brain activity, so spending time outdoors provides peace. So does keeping a clear clean learning space. I try to rearrange my classroom at least once every season and declutter once a week usually on fridays for a fresh start to the new week.
PEACE! It goes beautifully with Nature! You are in the right place, my friend. Dig deep and you will find gold!
Using the visual journal was so helpful in this Module. I did come up with a couple of mantras for this season (I posted on Facebook). The first and my most important one is “slow growth.” So much of my life and personality is fast paced; getting outside is a way that I slow down. When we step outside, I really want to step INSIDE of that experience–whether it is in my own garden, with my children or with the families and children I work with. I also feel that this applies to the idea of fulfilling my short and long term goals–it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. My second mantra was “dare to play,” an idea that came from a photo I took of my children last summer in a word rock garden at our local Botanical Gardens Center. I want to continue following my children’s lead and pace and sense of wonder–playfulness is natural and healthy and it’s OK for adults, too! Inviting play into the lives of children and families is one of my greatest missions.
What I love most about this is your clarity. It truly resonates. I can feel the cultivation process and look forward to witnessing the growth. 🙂 Bravo you.
I love the connection to Marie Condo. I have listened to that book twice on audio. Although I don’t subscribe to everything she recommends, I definately believe we should surround ourselves with things that make us happy. Clutter definitely does not make me happy. I continually struggle to keep it at bay. With a small house and a large family daycare (ten kids each day) the struggle is real.
Love that you are taking away what works for you! Bravo!
This was great.
I don’t have my own classroom so I used this advice to get my office more organized and user friendly. The sense of peace I can create will help me in other ways.
I enjoyed thinking about what my mantra might be and I went from “Finally” to “Courage” and this brought me to a useful phrase that couples with “Courage” which is “starting small is better than not starting at all”.
Then for the first time, I wrote down all the possible leads I have created and am working to follow up on. This will be my road map to work on each of these and move them along. It is sort of an entrepreneurial spirit that I am getting in touch with.
I also related to this idea of my story inspiring other people’s stories which also connects with your last slide of how we are on the same journey but just at different stages. I was reflecting on the instructor of a course I took last summer and she herself was on her own journey to start to write down her experience as an outdoors classroom teacher for Kindergarten into a manual that other teachers could take. Her journey has inspired mine and others. Now, I’m here in NY state and what can I do to spark and/or contribute to someone else’s journey.
This is fantastic!!! You are on your way.