Winter at Forest School

Provocations

A provocation at Forest School can be story, a found relic, loose parts strategically placed, a call to imagine or a question. It is a gentle nudge in a direction that is built on previous play and in our context, related to the Ontario Curriculum. The provocation sometimes sparks play, exploration or discovery but is not a “must do”. Heading into to the 7th week, when we set provocations, we had a list of related Big Ideas in Science, Social Studies or Mathematics which could guide our questioning. But as always, the students were given freedom and choice in their play and often veered in new directions. Other times, a provocation framed new discoveries in the forest. For example, we read the Book “Over and Under” in class as part of a Math lesson. This book lead to a discussion about the subnivean zone between the forest floor and the snow and the animals that survive in this “secret kingdom” during the winter. During our next visit to the Ottawa Forest and Nature School, MA and SA discovered a large hole beside a tree, with dirt strewn about. Inside there was a deep holes with porcupine needles. The girls were so excited to share their discovery about the secret kingdom and went back to that hole for weeks afterwards, observing changes.

 

Impact on Student Well-Being

With rituals and routines established, we began to observe play moving more quickly from chaos to deep, meaningful play. We were observing FLOW. A small group of students, however, were still finding it challenging to self-regulate and we grouped them together to go over expectations in a more explicit way while letting the others jump into play.

We began to notice many of the students on the other end of the self-regulation continuum, gaining confidence and taking risks. Many of these students were students that enjoyed the more directed activities in the classroom (e.g.,VH would hesitate to answer in class unless she felt they had the “right” answer). Their discomfort with the ambiguity of open-ended play began to disappear around Week 11.

Many of the “reluctant speakers” students began to participate and be more vocal both in class and at OFN (e.g., GM, who is a select-mute began to speak in an audible voice). When an ECE accidentally stepped on MD squirrel house, he very confidently told her that she was walking all over the backyard of the house.

 

Impact on Student Achievement

The establishment of the rituals and routines meant that we could now count on a provocation, a play or activity time, a sit spot, an individual reflection time, and the “Story of the Day”, a group reflection time, building built into the structure of the day.

We were able to link learning in class to play in the forest (e.g., building structures) and exploration in the forest to inquiries back at school (e.g., inquiry into the subnivean zone). Students were able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding  of the Big Ideas of the Ontario Curriculum in non-traditional ways and we were able to document their learning by taking anecdotal notes and photos. However, for students to communicate their experiences in a clear, precise way remained a challenge.

We knew the reflection piece was there. Sit Spots occurred during the play period. When the moment struck, we would find a spot to sit and reflect. Some students craved this time, others were developing their ability to slow down and BE. But the communication piece was trickier, especially in a second language, when very little direct instruction was given.