Feet in the Dirt

 

Part 2:  Celebrating our Place with Feet in the Dirt 

This BLOG Post is a follow on from last week's blog post that was inspired

by our workshop with Kathryn Berkett. The great outdoors and the role this plays

in helping develop young brains also featured in the key messaging.  We were able to

make links to our Pos Ed workshops in Term 1 where John and Rose shared

the importance of getting out and about and the effect that nature can have

on our wellbeing. 

As I listened,  Kathryn posed some pretty simple questions to us:   

• How often do you see a child playing roly poly down the grassy hills or sand dunes ?  

• How often do you see a young person on a device, gaming, engaging

• with social media, and watching tiktoks?  

• Which one are you more likely to see these days ? 

Many of these simple physical games and skills help developing brains learn more

about their body through movement.  This aspect is definitely something we will be

exploring more of as a staff ! 

As Kathryn described her childhood and growing up we were able to make those

generational links (well some of us of a similar age and stage) to the fun we had,

where time was no barrier, weather meant fun in the mud and puddles and times

where you may have been raised by ‘the village’ rather than 1 parent or 2.  

I was very aware that times have changed in a number of ways.  Expectations and

safety being 2 reasons. The most alarming change over time has been around

access to devices and screen time for our kids and the massive impact it is having on

developing brains.  

There are many pros and cons for screens but in reality screens rob our young

developing brains of opportunities to experience faces, people and their world. 

They miss life happening, they miss playing and taking turns, they miss faces and

they miss opportunities to develop their knowledge of social cues and their sense of

safe and unsafe etc.  Screens mean less fun times out and about. Our kids shared

some things they love to do when out and about.

We are fortunate to be surrounded by like minds at WBS that value the importance

of being barefoot in the mud, sand or grass and the grounding effect that this has on

our bodies and minds.  Kathryn Berkett spoke about how screens have become an

easier way to manage behaviour, fill in time or entertain kids in a busy ever changing

world and the kids are only getting younger. 

Learning in nature and ‘Tolerable Stress’ went hand in hand in lots of ways.  The

importance of letting children explore independently, walking to school, playing

unsupervised, or visiting parks and outdoor spaces to promote resilience was a key message.  

All these nature-based experiences offer challenges that count as tolerable stress,

helping children learn coping skills in safe, supported ways - teaching them about their

bodies and what they can do.  

Modelling coping skills, maintaining secure relationships and having solid relational

trust is our role as adults in helping children build resilience.  We need to be allowing

safe challenges and having the expectation that kids can do a lot for themselves

including in play and outdoors.  A simple analogy came to mind.  Think of a  ‘lawn mower’

that is clearing the way so that there are no obstacles or prickles stood on in the grass. 

Once you have experienced prickles you are not going to walk in that same spot or go

without shoes next time, right ?   

This really was a workshop that got me pondering long into the night about what

safe risks  our kids are taking and where and how we can support them to push

and go a little further.  What challenges them and helps them learn in other environments. 

Do safe risks look the same at school and at home and if so, why ? if not, why not ? Fascinating.  I wondered how we can work together,  sharing more between home and school ? 

We would love to know how your children are risk takers, question askers and inquirers at home ?

Are we doing too much ?  What are they curious about ? What does play look like ?

What interests and passions do they pursue ?  What does tolerable stress look like at

home ? maybe its taking turns or sharing with younger siblings ?  is it achieving mastery on the trampoline ? 

How are we making the best use of our outdoor classroom - the beach, the bush,

the community, the parks and reserves.  How are kids challenged outside ?  With the

many demands of the curriculum we need to ensure that this is seen as valuable and

part of our philosophy.   This key messaging also sits very much front and centre within our Whetukairangi document.  

I felt very fortunate to be part of a school that has a philosophy based on the science

of Wellbeing and a solid Positive Education foundation.  I am certainly inspired to keep

learning. 

Kathryn Berkett has many webinars and podcasts and she speaks with some important

messages for our adolescents too.  If you get a chance or are just as inspired as us, check out: 

https://www.engagetraining.co.nz/