Reflections and Next Steps with April Pikkarainen

Teach Outdoors

Hi everyone, welcome back to mentoring nature connections. 2022 hasn’t exactly been the start of the school year that we were all hoping for. I’m hoping that everyone is staying healthy and safe and I’m hopeful that we’ll make it through to the other side. Thank you to everyone who has reached out about my first book Me and My Sit Spot. It is available on amazon and other online platforms. If you follow me on twitter @lkmaclean or Instagram @ mentoringnatureconnections, I will make an announcement as soon as it’s available on the website. www.mentoringnatureconnections.ca
Today’s topic is about reflecting on the last few months and then setting plans as we look forward. Something I’m sure we are all doing right now with the new year on our heels. April Pikkarainen is back to share her experiences doing outdoor prep for teachers at her school. For those of you who aren’t from our province of BC, we have preparation blocks here where another teacher will relieve you of your learners so that you can “prep” learning materials, do assessments, etc.
So what worked so well for April and her learners?
*Setting up nature routines, like sit spots, nature walks, etc. and practicing these routines in different locations around the schoolgrounds.
*Expectations and slowing down with introducing these nature routines – contributed to the success and positive emotions of the learners when outdoors.
*From a workshop April took from ‘Unlearn’ - Names are the beginning of someone’s story – However, April believes that names are the beginning of story because it helps ground the learners connection to place.
*Teaching outdoors provides so many opportunities for both the teachers and the learners. April believes that we need to be grounded in purpose and intention while we balance the changing elements such as weather.
What are April's next steps and goals for outdoor learning?
*she's interested in incorporating more technology into her outdoor learning adventures, such as digital microscopes and identification apps.
*her school is also interested in uncovering the story of the land through data collection. Very cool!
Resources that April recommends:
*Messy Maths by Juliet Robertson (click here)
*Dirty Teaching by Juliet Robertson (click here)
*Ensouling our School by Jennifer Katz (click here)
*Decolonizing Place in Early Childhood Education by Kidile Nxumalo (click here)
April's Novelty Nature Note:

* Calliope hummingbird – smallest at 3 inches long, 1/10 of an ounce - found in central BC

*Short wingspan, when flapping wings, sounds like a bumble bee
Lauren's Novelty Nature Note:
*Robin's maintain their warmth in the winter by fluffing up their feathers.
*They don't necessarily migrate, but they are nomadic - following wherever the food is.
*They eat fruit off trees and shrubs like snowberries or kinnickinnic (bearberries)
April Pikkarainen's Twitter: April_pikk