Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
~Albert Einstein
~Albert Einstein
A Closer Look at the Learning Once I got over the fact that a snake, whether real or imaginary, could be in the schoolyard, I began to see that this play session held greater meaning than what might appear at first glance. Initially, I saw students fishing for a snake. It was tickling to hear “seaweed” when a stick came up with a bunch of vegetation on the end. My students knew about fishing, most likely because they had gone fishing before. Then there was the jumping from snow bank to snow bank. This took balance and an understanding of where one’s body was in space not to mention coordination. Walking through the puddle didn’t initially appear to be difficult; eventually boots became suctioned to the bottom. This takes balance and just the right movement to become free. Sometimes, falling in is the only way out of the problem especially if your legs want to do the splits! There were commands for those wading in the water to bail. Other times, students reasoned why they could go in the water (because they had rubbers) and still others just decided they were going in the water. Throughout, students not only used language to express their thoughts, they also had the opportunity to listen to language and respond. The oral language serves as a basis for future learning especially in terms of reading and writing. Later, issues arose between members of the group. Some sticks were special to certain students and they wanted them returned. Learning to fulfill one’s own needs through negotiation became a part of this situation. Even though one student asked me, the teacher, to intervene, I resisted at first, as I wanted her to attempt to retrieve her own stick. Eventually, I did step in, as it seemed that the other students were going to damage her stick. Knowing when to intervene into the situation and save a student is always a touchy decision. If teachers get involved all the time, when will the student learn to fix a problem on his or her own? It’s a fine line that requires continual reflection. This imaginary situation definitely encountered some naysayers. No one seemed to notice that snow and snakes don’t go together. Weren’t you taught in school that it had to be warm for snakes to survive otherwise they would be hibernating? Eventually, the newcomers shared their disbelief about snakes being in the water. Even with a plethora of reasons why a snake couldn’t be present (the academic side of our play) the original players were unconvinced. These new students missed that this was an imaginary scenario. No one clued them in either. Deeper Learning From a teacher standpoint, the students spent their time learning about themselves as they navigated the natural world and their social world. There is another side of this scenario, however. If we studied play for a living, we would see a different perspective of this picture. Take David Sobel, for instance. Sobel (2008) wrote about seven categories to describe play--“Adventure, Fantasy and Imagination, Animal Allies, Maps and Paths, Special Places, Small Worlds, and Hunting and Gathering” (Loc 890). Of these seven categories, three occur in our snake situation. Below is a chart explaining our play situation including a description of the category according to Sobel (2008). Two other contemporary play theorists, namely Bob Hughes and Stuart Brown, would also have an opinion of our work. Hughes (2012) told of sixteen different types of play, six of which I highlight below. The following table includes explanations of these six play categories according to Hughes (2012) and Brown (2010). Where’s the teacher in all this?
If you haven’t guessed by now, snakes are something I prefer to leave for other people to enjoy! What would have happened if I entered my students’ play and told them there was no way a snake could possibly be on our school grounds? My students would have missed a huge opportunity to not only learn about themselves, but also the natural world in our school’s backyard. This event showed me interests my students had and the importance of our play environment. A water table in my classroom would not have created as rich an environment to play as this puddle did. Throughout the week, this puddle turned into a learning experience of getting wet and jumping into water. It is a lesson on being soaking wet, feeling the cool spring breeze blowing across one’s body, and learning to be brave when the chills come. There are small insects that have now joined us, which allowed our class to invite others to experience life in a wetland. More importantly, this play has made snakes not so bad anymore. I guess, in the end, it is like Siviy claimed when he said “…playing is important because it enables children to learn to ‘roll with the punches of life’ and by so doing, keep sane and balanced” (Hughes, 2012, p. 114). This works for the teacher, too. Play truly is child’s work, so Mrs. McKinnon, take a step back, but watch out for the snakes!! References: Brown, S. (2010). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. New York, NY: Avery. Hughes, B. (2012). Evolutionary playwork (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. Sobel, D. (2008). Childhood and nature: Design principles for educators [Kindle 6.4 version]. Retrieved from Amazon.ca “SNAKES!!! THERE ARE SNAKES IN THE SCHOOLYARD!!” thought the teacher as she began to shake in her boots. How is that possible with the snow still around? Sure there are puddles everywhere, but isn’t it too cold out? After all, it is the middle of April not to mention the longest winter on record for Alberta.
That didn’t stop seven kindergarten students from pursuing this snake in a local watering hole. Some bravely entered the water while others went fishing. Rods moved in and out of the water. Lucky for the teacher, they caught seaweed and not the snake! “Ah!” shrieked a participant, “Something happened to my stick!” “THAT’S A SNAKE!” shouted another. “That’s probably a snake bite,” he remarked a bit calmer. Maybe there truly is a snake. Soon the lure of the water pulled a few students in. If the snake appeared, the command came and everyone ran for the cover on the snow bank. Those brave souls who entered the water sometimes found themselves sitting in it. One student in particular fell in a number of times. The usual tears were replaced by a lighthearted response today. What a surprise! This led to a greater degree of risk that eventually caught up with her when her boot got stuck. Pulling this way and that way did not budge the boot. Plop, in the water she landed, again. Eventually, freedom came. There was one student who, though in the midst of the fray, stood in disbelief. It took quite a while before she had the gumption to interject her ideas about the adventure. The information from the tracks field guide, the black garbage bag she pulled out of the water, and her understanding of snakes did not seem to jive with the events unfolding before her. Even when she told her fellow participants about her thoughts, she got brushed off as another sighting occurred; this time complete with a chewed up stick. When the final set of students showed up to get in on the action, a participant promptly stated, “You guys, there actually is a snake in here.” “No there isn’t,” came the response from the doubter. One of the new arrivals provided a little confidence when he added, “If it was a snake it would bite….” Other facts about snakes came forth from the newcomers, but still the snake finding continued. Eventually, the main group moved to a subsidiary water hole near by and then left altogether to pursue their track finding mission. Thankfully, the snake has left the area. This meant that the newcomers at the site experimented to see who could make the biggest splashes in the water. Snow chunks became airborne, as did the water! Did the snake really leave the site? Just when the teacher thought she was in the clear, the snake hunters came upon a marking in the snow that appeared to be made by a snake. Out came the tracking book to make a comparison of the snake track with what was on the ground. No zigzag, no snake. Phew! Like magic, zigzags popped out of the landscape over here and over there! Will this mysterious snake turn up to scare the teacher out of her skin? |
Evansview Kindergarten
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September 2018
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