Roots of Resilience: Learning Alongside Grade 1
This journey has been particularly meaningful as I finish my Forest School Practitioner qualification. The children have been a huge part of this; they’ve seen me practising my skills, and together we’ve discovered exactly what it takes to reach every milestone and master each new challenge.
Over the past few months, I’ve had the joy of learning alongside our Grade 1 students in the forest. Together, we’ve explored not only the natural world but also our growing sense of responsibility and capability.
This fall, we learned to assess risks, especially on windy days when we pause and observe: Are branches moving too much? Is there any danger when branches are not stick to the trees? Is this a safe place to gather? During the winter, we discovered that being outdoors at –3C is manageable. We learned the vital importance of layering and mastered the art of "warming up" through movement (and hot chocolate and some fire) to keep our bodies ready for adventure.
Fire became another shared inquiry. Before toasting our first marshmallow we practiced our safety postures and discussed the responsibility that comes with fire.
The forest offered physical challenges too. Facing a steep climb is a physical challenge, but it’s also a mental one. It was powerful to hear students call themselves risk-takers when they tried something new, and believed in their own strength, even if it felt scary at first.
Carla
Grade 5 teacher
Grade 1 Forest teacher
