I come in peace ... (more) thoughts on navigating the extremes

Ingredients for a perfect storm …

-  A report suggesting teacher burnout should be addressed by providing teachers with more scripted lesson plans so they don’t need to plan so much

- A conference featuring a prominent academic who continues to characterize inquiry as an approach that is all about ‘minimal instruction’ and high cognitive load.

- A visiting principal of a radically strict, highly conservative school in London that has produced stellar results

All three things have happened in Australia in the last couple of weeks and seem to have reignited the annual fire, fuelled by media reports claiming inquiry-based/student centred learning is a ‘wacky’ pedagogy and asserting that parents are longing for the same kind of instruction they had at school, etc. etc. etc. The language used in print and social media is often littered with war vocabulary: ‘battle’, ‘sides’, rebels’ or blinding us with science (‘science of … ‘evidence’, ‘data’) almost gleefully pitting educator against educator with breathless claims that one or other pedagogy is ruining the lives of our children.

It's all a bit much and, quite frankly, each time it happens, my instinct is to crawl into bed, pull the covers over my head and wait until it dies down. 

Which may, in fact, be the most constructive thing to do …

 Because it certainly isn’t constructive to share – with ever so carefully crafted language, a response to these articles on twitter. I made the mistake of doing that on Sunday and within minutes was hit by a couple of nasty replies.  I don’t have the stomach for that stuff. I muted the conversation and then deleted the tweets and reminded myself why I keep twitter as a space for simple sharing of nice things. It can’t handle anything more.

 And yet – I DO feel some responsibility to respond. So I am choosing this space to share my response. I know I am preaching to the choir but that may not be such a bad thing. Perhaps, my attempts to offer (another) response to this futile, fabricated ‘war’ might help provide some language if you should find yourself confronted by a confused parent who has read the articles or simply as some discussion points with your colleagues. 

 OK – so here goes. Some thoughts …

 On definitions …

Just as explicit instruction has many definitions, interpretations and manifestations – so does inquiry. Simply stating that inquiry ‘means letting kids do what they want without little teacher guidance’ is as simplistic and ridiculous as saying explicit teaching means kids in silent rows reading powerpoint slides.  Before we weigh in on the argument, it is always useful to ask people to define their terms ‘What do you mean by explicit teaching/ inquiry learning? What actually happens? What do you do? What do kids do?  When I do that, I often find we have much more common ground than we assume.

 On quality teaching

There is (very) poor teaching in every approach. As I have said before, I would prefer to have a passionate, skilled, hardworking, knowledgeable teacher who wants the best for their kids using more teacher directed approaches than a half-hearted, ill-informed and unskilled teacher attempting to use inquiry. Teacher quality matters.

 On diversity

In an ecosystem of ‘schooling’ we may well need diversity of approaches. Inquiry does not suit every teacher (nor does it suit every student.) No one has ever said it does.

 On being explicit

Teachers who bring an inquiry stance to their work understand the importance of being explicit. It is more a matter of timing and emphasis. Inquiry teachers will generally design opportunities for exploration before detailed explanation but even this will depend on what is being inquired into and the degree of experience and background knowledge a student has.  Being explicit is about being clear and intentional  - this is as important in an inquiry approach as it is in any approach. A blend of explaining, modelling and demonstrating with problem solving, exploring, testing is often what a good lesson entails. Again, my hunch is we meet more in the ‘messy middle’ than we might think.  For example, we ALL seem to talk about activating schema, linking to past learning, checking for understanding …

 On evidence

There are many research papers supporting the effectiveness of inquiry-based approaches just as there are for more traditional methods. There is ample support for the approach amongst some cognitive scientists just as there is criticism from others. I am not sure that flinging evidence at counter evidence is particularly helpful. What is helpful is a strong, clear focus on the impact of how we work with the children and families in our communities.

 On knowledge

Although an inquiry-based approach favours conceptual understanding, it is impossible to develop that understanding without knowledge and you can’t ask questions about something of which you have no knowledge. Concepts are built from facts. While knowing isn’t understanding – it is the basis of it. Knowledge is important in an inquiry classroom.

On the curriculum

Inquiry approaches are sometimes seen as anti-curriculum. I often get asked that very question “but what about the curriculum that we have to cover?’  My recommendation is always to know the curriculum inside out. Then better you know it, the better equipped you are to help support students’ grasp of the ideas and skills it outlines. It is about how we address the curriculum. The Australian curriculum is full of references to skilled inquiry across several learning areas.  The fact that there is certain knowledge identified in the curriculum should not cause hand wringing angst for those who use an inquiry approach. That content may not lend itself to inquiry OR, if it does, then help children uncover it.

 On success

Claiming one method is more successful than another requires further interrogation. What do we mean by success? What is our view of the purpose of school? What is being measured?  Stellar exam results are one measure of success but as we all know too well – there is so much that is not measured that many people value – particularly in current contexts. The development of character, the capacity to learn independently, curiosity, flexibility, creativity and collaborative skills to name a few.

On staying open

Fuelling the unnecessary, simplistic and inaccurate polarization of approaches to teaching is unhelpful.  The media does it and so do those with extreme views but for most of us, a more nuanced approach fits best.  Let’s all refuse to be positioned as warring tribes.  Without wishing to sound too Polyanna about it all – there is a LOT we can learn when we take time to listen to the views of others that have different perspectives and beliefs to our own.  I have a whole section in my new book on the lessons I have learned from those who criticize inquiry. Staying open minded, willing to really listen, staying curious and willing to give ground feels much more productive and much less stressful – for me anyway

 On values

We all owe it to our kids to stay informed about our craft. Make no mistake, I come from a constructivist perspective and my deeply held values of learner agency, curiosity, collaboration and authenticity remain at my core and continue to guide my work. I believe in and have witnessed around the world, the power of high-quality inquiry based teaching and learning.  We need to keep reading, talking, listening and learning.  Finding the sweet spot between having clear values and beliefs about teaching and learning while staying receptive to the kaleidoscope of viewpoints out there is not easy … but ultimately if inquiry is at my core, I need to live the philosophy as I engage with different and often challenging perspectives - and refuse to be sent to war.

An (unexpected) wonder of Winsome

“ Names have power” Rick Riordan (The Lightening Thief)

She was always going to be ‘Winsome’ ,  the curious girl who inhabited my head for a long time before I wrote her into existence.  Maybe it was the alliteration, or the fact that the name itself represents a kind of innocence and lightness - wherever she came from, she was simply there.  She was Winsome, she was so clear in my imagination, and she was born wondering. 

From “The Wonder of Winsome’ by Kath Murdoch. illustrated by Sharyn Madder (2021)

Since publishing the book last year I have had so many delightful conversations with children about it. One of the first questions I hear is “Where did her name come from?” or ‘Why did you call her that?”  It seems that the name itself provokes wondering – it’s a welcome, albeit unexpected, outcome of publishing the story almost a year ago.  These questions have led to some beautiful conversations about names and how writers create their characters and how the name helps bring the person alive in your mind and, hopefully, in your readers’ minds too. 

 Ultimately, a writer hopes to connect with their readers in some way.  I am fortunate to work regularly in schools and have children and teachers talk to me about the way they feel about the story - but there has been one, quite different response I will never forget -one outcome of writing this book I could never have predicted and one gift that Winsome quietly gave, simply because she was called Winsome. 

……………….

One warm summer’s day earlier this year, when the streets of inner Melbourne remained empty and the doors of the magnificent state library were closed to the public, the staff continued to work with their ever-growing collection – receiving, cataloguing and shelving new books.  On this particular day, a staff member was assigned to the children’s book section and busily began the process.  Working her way through the new stack of titles, she picked up ‘The Wonder of Winsome’ and found herself, for the first time, seeing her name on the cover of a book.  Her response to that moment held such significance, she wrote to me: 

“ Holding the book for the first time a rather emotional moment for me...I have never seen another book with my name in it- I would buy books for my children with their names in them but I have never had one of my own. I was teased a lot at school because of my name (Win some, lose some, Winnie the Pooh) and even now as a 54 year old, I have at least one conversation a week about it with lots of people questioning it or making comments about my 'strange name'. I love your book for many reasons...I looked very similar to 'Winsome' at that age (same haircut, same face) and I am also very curious by nature (a self-confessed 'bookaholic', and I love study...I already have two degrees and other various certificates and course completions and am just about to embark on yet another course...). Thank you for writing your beautiful book.”

A couple of weeks later, I headed to the state library (now tentatively open to the public) with a copy of the book tucked under my arm, eager to meet Winsome herself.  It was a strangely emotional moment.  

Sitting in the glorious ‘dome’ room in which I’d spent so many hours reading and writing as a university student, the ‘real life’ Winsome told me a little more about her own story. As she spoke, I was reminded of the hidden power of names – of the ways we see ourselves in relation to the ways others see us and of the identities we attach to our names. I myself, spent my primary school years as Kathleen. The name my family called me and the name my friends called me were one and the same.  Perhaps as a reflection of our need to forge a separate identity in our teens, I became ‘Kathy’ for several years in high school until a teacher I absolutely adored (and who helped me see myself as a writer) called me Kath. From then on, I was Kath.  Our names can signify so much about the relationship we have with others and even with ourselves. Certain friends and family still call me Kathleen (and it would be odd if they didn’t) but when someone calls me ‘Kathy’ it jars … it’s more than simply not my name, it’s not ME. It’s not who I am.  For my new ‘real life’ Winsome, seeing her name used in such a celebratory and positive way seemed to signify a shift in how she could see herself – how she could choose to see, and feel, her beautiful name. 

Winsome and Winsome …

When I work in classrooms, I insist the children have name tags. I know the power of using their names. It is an instant bridge builder, a show of respect, a force for inclusivity and an opportunity to connect to culture. Our names do indeed, have power – the power to help us feel seen and loved and the power to be used as weapons of indifference (when they are forgotten or not used) or even worse, humiliation.  Talking to Winsome that day reminded me of the inextricable link between our names and our identity and how important it is for us to be reminded of that as educators. When we talked, Winsome said she felt a kind of ‘reclaiming’ of the name with which he had had such a conflicted relationship.  And in reclaiming our names, we can also begin reclaim the self that may have once felt unseen or misunderstood. 

 Among my favourite inquiries has long been to offer learners an opportunity to investigate their own names – the origin, meaning, cultural significance, and to share their learning with others which, in turn, can help contribute to the development of a strong, connected community. 

 I remain so grateful to whatever it was that brought the name Winsome to me. This little girl I manifested onto the page whose name held more power than I could have imagined.  

How have the power of names found their way into your teaching and learning experiences?

Just wondering …

(With thanks to ‘the real life Winsome’ who so generously gave me permission to share this story.)

What lies beneath? Personal values and inquiry learning

I recently had the pleasure of teaming up with two of my inquiry-pals, Trevor Mackenzie and Kimberly Mitchell for a ‘fireside chat,’ hosted by Toddle. As always, the conversation with stimulating and affirming and, hopefully, helpful for the audience who had posed some fascinating questions for us to discuss.  At one point in the conversation, Trevor explained the way he anchors his practice in his five personal values. It was one of those moments that gave me unexpected pause to ponder … ‘hang on, when did I last do a ‘values check’ on myself?’ 

We talk a lot about the importance of schools articulating their values and how these values help form principles that underpin actions, but it has been a while since I had stopped to think carefully about my ownvalues as an educator. If I had to identify the five that anchor me as an educator, what would they be? And have they changed over the years? And what difference would it make if I was more explicit and transparent about those values when working with teachers? And, most importantly, do my actions when working with teachers and kids reflect those values? 

I found it really stimulating to ponder these questions over the weekend and thought I would take a moment to share the five I finally settled on.  These values guide me as an educator with an inquiry stance. They guide me but I know I don’t always successfully honour them when I should, nevertheless, naming them might help that strengthen my actions. I am thinking about my values being like the roots of a tree: anchoring me, growing over time, nurturing me and intertwined with each other. 

Curiosity 

This will come as no surprise given my passion for inquiry, but I really DO think I hold this value deeply in my life, both in and out of education. Valuing curiosity helps keep my mind open to possibilities. It helps me approach interactions with questions, it promotes a healthy (I think) scepticism and encourages me to keep learning and stay humble. If I truly value curiosity, I welcome learners’ questions and I remain intrigued by their ways of seeing the world. If I value curiosity, I design learning experiences to cultivate that curiosity in others. If I value curiosity, I remain curious about myself as a learner and a teacher, hopefully always open to discovering new ideas and ways of thinking and being prepared to shed what no longer serves me and my colleagues well.

Connection (with the natural world and with people)

This is a big one, and one I think many educators share. For an inquiry-based educator, it is our willingness to build strong connections with learners and to each other that fuels our practice. Inquiry does not work well in an environment where people feel they need to keep arm’s length from others, rather it is unashamedly dependent on strong, authentic relationships that deepen over time. In order to sustain these human connections, I need to ensure they are authentic and they are nurtured. Ironically, having thousands of on-line connections can reduce the quality of those connections nearest and dearest to us or even give us a false sense of ‘being connected’. I think I have been made very aware of how strongly I value connection on returning to onsite work with staff and kids and experiencing, once again, the way true connection fuels our teaching souls! 

My connection to nature is where I find personal renewal and purpose.  This is an easy value to talk about but a more challenging one to truly live in practice. If I value connection to nature, I need to honour that connection in my everyday life, in my teaching, in decisions I make as a consumer and in where I choose to spend my time.  What I do know is that without re-connecting with the natural world on a regular basis,  I feel depleted.  This is one value I am trying to consciously strengthen in my conversations with teachers, the resources I share and my work with children. Talk that needs more walk! 

 Integrity

The older I get, the more significant this value is to me. I wonder if it would have made the top five list in my early career? I doubt it. There are so many threads woven into the concept of integrity, but I think the rise and rise of social media in education has a lot to do with the need for this value in my life. More then ever before, material is being produced, shared and sold without acknowledgemen or substantial research. The internet is awash with shiny, shallow offerings produced for (and by) teachers that look tantalizingly engaging but lack little substance or credibility.  I think this value helps me to be discerning and maintain a focus on quality wherever possible.    In many ways, valuing integrity helps me honour the other values. Am I truly living these out or simply talking and writing about them?  To value integrity requires courage. It means calling our injustice when you see it, it means asking hard questions around the planning table even when it feels uncomfortable, it means staying ‘above the line’ and resisting the temptation to compromise your beliefs for the sake of a smoother or easier process. I feel it when I fall below the line – we all do – but the more conscious I am of where that line is for me, the better teacher I can be. 

Depth

I struggled to find the right word for this one. But it really is a guiding value. When I am working with teachers and with children, my aim is always to get beyond the surface and to find time to dig more deeply into whatever we are thinking about. Over the years, I have come to understand more fully, the power of space, time and silence to nurture reflection and to remind myself to look, listen and think more closely and more deeply into whatever I am exploring. Give me a substantive conversation over a worksheet any day and loosen me from the shackles of ‘covering’ rather than uncovering. I have come to value the inevitable complexities that emerge when an idea is given time and space to reveal itself to a group. Rather than be alarmed by confusion, tension or uncertainty, I think experience can help us lean it to the fog, and stay with it knowing the view will be all the more clear and profound when it lifts.  When I am in the presence of educators unafraid to go deep, I know it brings out the best in my own thinking and helps me encourage young learners to deepen their thinking in the classroom. 

Creativity

I think this core value is one of the reasons I was attracted to teaching in the first place! I adore the creativity of being an educator!  It was this value that I also think drew me to inquiry all those years ago.  There is nothing more compelling, for me, than working with teachers and children to design experiences for learning and to witness the amazing range of ways that learning can be expressed. Because I value creativity, I need to design experiences that allow learners to communicate in a myriad of ways. Because I value creativity, I need to stay open to different ways of seeing. Because I value creativity, I need to ask questions that nurture it in others .. What if? How might? How could?  Because I value creativity, I am disinclined to use scripted materials, programs, pre-planned units or any ‘cookie-cutter’ activities.  Teachers are amazingly creative people and deserve the freedom to design for learning in response to what they see and hear in their students. Creativity brings ‘alive-ness’ to teaching. Creativity brings joy. 

So, there they are. At least there they are right now:  curiosity, connection, integrity, depth and creativity.  They are the amongst values that brought me to inquiry learning and the values that underpin the ways I approach it.  Of course, like any of these kinds of lists, it is impossible to really ascertain what your ‘top’ are – I may re-read this tomorrow and think that the other contenders (authenticity, humility, playfulness, beauty, agency…) should have made it onto the top 5, but the exercise alone is such a useful one. 

 I am so grateful to Trevor for his prompt and hope that by sharing these thoughts with you, I may prompt a similar reflection.  Exploring our personal values and sharing them with colleagues seem to me to be paramount to effective professional learning.  As has been said by many, one of the reasons behind failures for ‘innovation’ to be sustained in classrooms is when the personal values of the educator is in conflict with the spirit or intention of the innovation. If you strongly value ‘compliance’, for example, (a valid value particularly in some cultures) then approaches that are all about nurturing agency will be harder to implement.  

So, what are your top five?  Do they successfully guide your practice? How do we manage ourselves when our core values conflict with the school’s values?  When was the last time you did a personal values ‘check in’?  What might others assume you value from the way you teach and interact with children, colleagues and parents? Have your values as an educator changed over time? 

 Just wondering … 

the sweet spot between safety and adventure - and how picture books can help you find it.

‘But Rogers knew that without familiarity – and, by extension, the trust that familiarity fosters, children’s curiosity can wither. It sounds counterintuitive, but children’s sense of adventurousness is paradoxically tied to their sense of safety. Kids need both to feel confident enough to explore the world around them.’ (Behr and Rydzewski, 2021:29)

One of the persistent myths about inquiry-based classrooms is that they are chaotic, and unstable environments where anything goes. A commitment to listening to children and planning in responsive ways suggests to some a lack of routine, order, or predictability. I am currently reading Behr and Rydzewski’s delightful book: “When you Wonder, you’re Learning” which draws on the beautiful work of Fred Rogers (a mainstay of children’s television in America from 1968 – 2001) and offers important lessons and reminders for today’s parents and educators. (I highly recommend it and have Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert to thank for recommending it to me!)  Not only did the television show itself become a reliable, routine aspect of so many children’s lives – something to look forward to each day/week – the format of the show was similarly predictable. But within the show, were countless moments designed to spark wonder, to invite the young learner to venture into the unknown, to ask questions, to make connections, and to explore.   For me, this mirrors the ‘sweet spot’ in the inquiry classroom. In order to effectively move with the unexpected moment, to be open to the question you do not know is coming, to be responsive and agile and take risks – we need a secure home base. We need rhythm and routine – boundaries that allow us to experiment in safety. Inquiry classrooms can and should be calmly energetic, a safe space in which learners are relaxed AND alert and where predictability and routine help support the spontaneity and adventure. 

Here in Australia, we are beginning the school year. More than ever before, as children in many states return to the learning on site after months of lockdown last year, we are acutely aware of the need to nurture relationships, establish routines and create a space that helps kids feel confident enough to explore. These first few weeks are vital in creating a learning culture – a culture which can either enhance or diminish children’s willingness to explore, take risks, make mistakes, reflect, collaborate and so on. 

Of all the routines I value as a primary school teacher, there is none more precious than gathering as a class to share in a really good book. When I taught full time, this was a sacred time – usually straight after lunch EVERY day and one of my great joys was in choosing what to read. Oh the anticipation of the book!  The conversations we had! As readers of this blog and my newsletter will know, I am a devotee of high-quality children’s literature - real books written by real authors and of the simple, powerful joy of reading to and with children. So if you are going to create any kind of routine in your classroom this year – make sure reading to your children is one of them. Do it every day.  The routine has the added bonus of connecting the group through the invisible thread of the shared experience of listening to and connecting with a powerful story. Serial reading is so important but reading a full picture book, start to finish, is a unique experience. 

 Last year, I shared a post about the way Oliver Jeffers’ book “What we’ll Build” could be used to create a class learning agreement.  This year, I am casting my net a little wider and sharing a few more of my favourite books (so hard to choose! So many!)  to use early in the year together with a few questions or prompts that might be helpful in shaping dialogue about shared expectations, goals and roles, ways of relating, agreements, etc. 

All the Ways to be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys

What is smart? What does it mean to be smart? What kind of smart do you think you are? What makes you say that? Can you get smarter? Are we born smart, or do we become that way? This book is such a lovely way to open up the idea that being ‘smart’ can take all sorts of forms. The examples are numerous, and the rhythm and rhyme of the text is beautiful. I would begin by asking children to share their ideas about ‘smart’ before reading and then reflect on new thinking at the end possibly inviting them to write a letter sharing their view of their own strengths as learners.  Great one for parents too! 

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi 

This is an old favourite and one of many books I own about names and identity.  This is a really lovely way to introduce an inquiry into the story of our names. It is often surprising what kids don’t know about their names and fantastic way to build intercultural understanding as well as honouring identity. After reading invite children to share what they DO know about their names and brainstorm some questions together that they can go home and ask to find out more. Have them teach tell the story of their names through the week.

My Heart by Corinna Luyken

This really is a most beautiful book. Simply reading it to your kids and inviting their reflections and connections may be enough.  A gentle way into conversations about the degree to which we can manage or control our emotions and responses to experiences. The last line: ‘Closed, or open – I get to decide’ is the kicker! What a wonderfully provocative statement. Do we get to decide? How much control DO we have over ourselves?  This book is also a lovely way to introduce the idea of a heart map – where children write or draw, in the shape of a heart, their interests and passions so you can get to know them better. 

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

Another perennial favourite, I come back to this book again and again as a way into conversations about managing expectations, making mistakes and coping with disappointments.  This is the perfect book to include early in the year when we should be having open conversations about the nature of learning and the value of mistake making. 

The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken

Another Luyken book - I am a big fan!  This is a book about connection, and I just adore it. Even the title ‘The Tree in Me’ is enough to spark wonderful speculation: What might this mean? Can you really have a tree inside you? Why this title?  On reading the book, I encourage children to think not only about their connection with nature but also about what feels so special, so connected to them that it almost feels ‘inside’ them.  I would love to share this book while seated beneath a tree – have children spend time really feeling and exploring that connection with nature and ask: how might we keep connected to the earth as we learn together this year? How might we stay connected to each other? 

 My teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown 

We talk a lot about the “image of the child” in inquiry circles – and equally important is the image of the teacher held by children (and parents) and indeed by ourselves! This story is about perspective – the way we see each other and the judgements we make and how shared experiences and a willingness to see each other in new ways can redefine our relationships. Early in the year, we should be explicit and transparent about roles and invite children to share their thinking about what they think a good teacher says/does/feels/thinks? Always fascinating and a great way into inquiring into learning. 

 How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

 It is almost impossible to choose which Bob Graham book to feature – I want to share them ALL. I am not even sure why this one comes to mind as a good early-in-the-year book. All I know is that when I read this book to a group of children a reverent hush always descends on the group. It is a story about noticing, empathy, kindness and being a good citizen in the most unassuming of ways. I think it can lead to gentle conversations about looking out for one another, about taking time to support and help others about how kindness can find a home in your classroom. 

 Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer 

My collection of books about wonder grows every year. This one is a great way to invite children to share the things that THEY are curious about. After reading it, ask them to share their own wonderings. – “what would you like to explore this year?”  The best way to use this book is as an invitation to conduct your OWN wonder walk. Even if the kids are really familiar with school – try a wonder walk where they deliberately approach the buildings and grounds with curiosity. Can we notice things we have not noticed before? 

Nine things to Remember (and one to forget) by Alison Binks

 A beautiful book to read aloud. I like the idea of innovating on this text and asking children what they think THEY should remember about being a learner? If you…remember to …. Another way to use the text is as a stimulus for them to imagine themselves at the end of the year. What memories would they like to have? 

What do you do with a problem? By Kobi Yamada 

All Yamada’s books are fabulous for the beginning of the year but this one is especially good for igniting a conversation around behaviour and generating ideas to form a class agreement. Most children are well aware of some of the typical issues/problems that come up in a classroom. Discussing what they are, why they occur and what the response might be can help build collective ownership of the norms and expectations in your learning community 

 Going Places by Peter Reynolds

 Like Bob Graham, Oliver Jeffers and Kobi Yamada, I could choose ANY one of Peter Reynolds books to use in the process of building a community early in the year. Going Places is an ideal text to introduce the idea of being imaginative, creative, and unafraid to ‘do it your way’. This is a book to prompt innovative, agentic thinking. It is also a beautiful way to explore the power of collaboration and what can happen when we put our heads together.  You might follow this book with a rich, open-ended task and encourage your children to do it THEIR way, to celebrate thinking outside the box and be less concerned about what others are doing. 

The Wonder of Winsome by Kath Murdoch

I just can’t leave her out!!   I wrote this book with the beginning of the year in mind (especially the prep/kinder year).  I would encourage you to share it at a parent night – a reminder to parents that adults have such incredible power when it comes to curiosity and agency. How would I use it in the classroom? I’d set up some wonder boxes or wonder journals (one for me too) and invite children to add to these whenever they have a wonder. Another routine can be the weekly sharing of wonders and selecting one to explore together. 

Oh my goodness! This has been such a LONG post and yet I finish it feeling dissatisfied. Why? Because there are SO many more! (You should see the pile I began with… )I would love to hear about your favourite books to use early in the year as you collaboratively create your learning community with your children.  Please do share!  And I also encourage you to consider the kinds of routines and rituals that you will introduce into your classroom this year to help create the calm, secure space we need for adventurous learning.

What routines do you like to establish? 

What are your favourite books to use early in the year?

Do you read to your children every day? Do you have a ritual associated with it? 

 Just wondering …

Environmental Education: re-kindling and re-imagining.

I recently had the pleasure of listening to an episode of ‘Recess Duty’ – a new podcast from Levi Allison (you can listen to the episode here.) His guest was Kevin O’Shae who has a passion for Environmental Education. It was a great conversation, and a timely one. I listened to it while the Glasgow Climate Change conference was winding up, the reports from which left me feeling that all too familiar sense of disappointment, frustration and fear. I listened to it as I walked beside my local Merri Creek, a place that became such a source of calm and beauty during Melbourne’s endless lockdown.  Here I was, immersed IN the natural environment, listening to someone talking ABOUT it and worrying that it was all too little, too late to do anything FOR it.  

 In, about, for

This mantra was such a big part of my life in the 80’s and early 90’s when I was so actively involved in the environmental education movement here in Victoria. I was an enthusiastic member of the national and state associations, went to conferences, ran weekend workshops – I even wrote books about it “Springboards to Environmental Education” and  “Integrating Naturally” and helped launch a beautiful Environmental Education Theatre Company – Vox Bandicoot, into schools. I introduced Environmental Education as an elective in the then diploma of primary teaching course at the University of Melbourne and sitting rather forlornly on a shelf in my study is a dusty, framed certificate with my name on it “Environmental Educator of the Year.”  

 So it was with a strange sense of shame that I listened to this podcast. The environmental education movement has been with us for decades. Why am I not as active in the field as I once was? Why have I let it slip? Why am I not using every opportunity I can to bring this work to teachers?  

 And, more profoundly, why have we not made more progress?  

These days, the concept of sustainability is widely explored and often used as a driving concept for inquiries. Generally speaking, however, the inquiries that link to this concept focus on things like recycling, deforestation, climate….all vitally important issues but simply learning ABOUT these things is insufficient.  In this post, I want to revisit the essence of a simple framework and share two additional elements I have been pondering.  I hope this might form the basis of a conversation with your team about your inclusion of environmental education in your work. And I hope it will help me strengthen my own efforts to do the same.

 When thinking about the environment in education, consider teaching and learning in, about, for, through and from …. 

IN the environment

 Many of us have discovered the joy being and indeed of teaching outdoors as a result of COVID.  There is little point in learning about the environment if you are not going to spend time in it. That is where the emotional connection happens. That is where the caring grows. Forest kindergartens and nature play do appear to be having a renaissance, but we all need to commit to giving learners time to simply be IN nature with no other agenda than the feeling of connection and joy that brings.  Get out there!! 

ABOUT the environment

The big issues matter. And our kids want and deserve to know about them. But sitting beneath those issues are some critical concepts that help us all understand them better. Decades ago, the Earth Education Institute recommended these simple concepts as critical to our understanding:  energy, cycles, diversity ,change, interrelationships, connection and adaptation.  A concept-based approach to inquiring into the environment helps build a more robust understanding of the issues at stake.  And parallel to this big picture thinking, let’s not neglect the importance of knowledge building. Here in Australia, the work of the Gould League founded by the wonderful Alan Reid played a pivotal role in the education of so many young people by helping them learn about the plants and animals of their local area. Some of my very, VERY best teaching moments have been in the context of a school yard bird study, ponding, locating and learning about the insects in the school garden. Nature offers us such powerful provocations for inquiry if only we stop to notice.  I still have (and use!) my invertebrate identification cards and many other amazing resources from that time. Get to know your local animal and plant species. Learn their names and their role in the habitats around you. Knowledge is power.

FOR the environment

Ultimately, change happens not because of what we learn but because of what we dowith what we learn. Inquiry approaches have always championed action and environmental education depends on it.  Learning IN and ABOUT the environment motivates us to want to protect and care for it.  Working with schools like Howrah Primary school in Tasmania has reminded me of the empowering experience taking action brings to children. Throughout the year the children have been actively involved in taking action for a range of local, threatened species. You can read about it on their facebook page.  Find out about the local environmental projects and issues you can get your kids involved in.   

THROUGH the environment

By situating journeys of inquiry in the context of the natural world, the door to a meaningfully integrated curriculum opens wide. A group of teachers shared with me recently that the discovery of a tawny frogmouth chick who had fallen from its nest in the school yard led to an inquiry that naturally connected science, geography, maths, English, design and digital technologies!  Use the environment as a context for inquiring  across the curriculum 

FROM the environment

Last weekend, I had an amazing walk along the Barwon river in Geelong, here in Victoria.  At one point I noticed a ‘teenage’ magpie doing what they do at this time of year, nagging their mum to give them food (they even sound like they are saying muuuuuuum! MUUUUUUUM!).  I stopped to watch them for a while, fascinated by the interactions between them, curious about what almost looked like a tantrum as the young magpie momentarily lay on its back (!), wondering what they were eating, where their nest was and allowing my thoughts to drift to the parenting of my own children and the relationships all living things have with their offspring. I was watching, listening, wondering, theorising, connecting, questioning … I was doing exactly what I would want children to do in an inquiry classroom. And here I was sitting by a river with not another human in sight. Nature, it seems, is a gifted inquiry teacher herself from which we can learn so much.  When you take learners into the environment, don’t feel you need to teach/tell them too much. They will learn so much simply by being there and being encouraged to notice.

Environmental Education has been part of the learning landscape for decades. In the early 1800’s  Jean-Jacques Rousseau urged us to ‘study nature, not books’ since then there have been many, many movements, programs and resources dedicated to the cause. 

 And yet here we are – our precious planet in such dire trouble.

Maybe that’s why I have ‘dropped the ball” in recent times. After all this time, all this work, all these incredible, passionate devoted environmental educators I have worked with for nearly 40 years … what can we show for our efforts?  It is hard not to be despondent.  BUT I take heart. Greta Thunberg gives me heart. My own children and their passionate, informed friends give me heart. Schools like Howrah Primary school give me heart, amazing brave schools like https://www.thenatureschool.org.au  give me heart, the native regeneration acres of once industrial wasteland in my own suburb gives me heart. And listening to podcasts with teachers like Kevin give me heart. The work continues.

 The recent UNESCO report “Reimagining our Futures” is blunt in its call to action: 

 “We  need  to  take  urgent  action  to  change  course,  because the future of people depends on the future of the planet, and both are at risk. The report proposes a new social contract for education – one that aims to rebuild our relationships with each other, with the planet, and with technology.”

 It is nearing the end of the school year here in Australia. A time for reimagining. For me, it feels like a time for rekindling the fire I had let cool.  My passion for inquiry has no better home than learning in, about, for, through and from the environment. Time to take a deep breath and step, once more into the breach. I hope you will join me in thinking about your own connection to nature and the responsibility we all have to keep our children connected to the planet on which we all depend.

Surely as educators there is no greater moral purpose. 

How do you help build your children’s relationship with the natural world?

Children at Auburn South getting curious in the amazing vegetable garden!

Just wondering …

Pondering the place and purpose of ‘provocations’

I was on the phone when the small Melbourne earthquake hit last week. Mildly dramatic, a couple of things fell from my shelves and I quickly hung up the phone mid sentence! By the time I had raced downstairs, it was over. The various members of my locked-down family emerged from their respective zoom meetings and began feverish discussions in our hallway. What was that? Was that an earthquake? Are you OK? Do we get earthquakes here? What are you supposed to do in an earthquake? Do we stand in door frames or crouch under tables? Will there be aftershocks? How come the electricity has gone off? I wonder if it’s happened anywhere else? Where’s the dog? … If there had been a wonderwall in my hallway, it would have been covered in minutes! 

Apart from the fact that it was strangely stimulating to be talking about something other than Covid19, the inquirer in me was most definitely activated. We had a bunch of questions and theories and through the day, we talked, read, viewed and listened. We were eager to find out more and clarify our thinking. (And before you say anything New Zealand, Japan, San Francisco … I know.  We are all too aware it was nothing compared to what other places in the world experience!) 

Had I been in the classroom the next day, I am pretty sure I know what we would have our spent time doing. The kids would have doubtless come in talking about the earthquake, sharing theories and of course asking questions – they would have been ripe for inquiry. What wonderful concepts we could have leaned into:  form (the structure of the earth) causation, magnitude, measurement, location as well as concepts connected to human emotion and media coverage. A rich opportunity for inquiry indeed and one that actually links beautifully with elements of standards in our science and geography curriculum.  No need for a manufactured provocation here. All that is needed is the permission to inquire and we are on our way. 

The concept of ‘provocation’ is widely discussed in relation to inquiry. I have noticed an abundance of ideas being shared on social media. The word has become ubiquitous in some planning contexts (“we are just planning all our provocations for this next inquiry”). Ironically all this talk about provocations has provoked some change in my thinking and, as always, the best way I know to try to make sense of new thinking is to write about it. 

 Spending so much time at home, taking long walks through my surrounding environment, watching the view outside my window change each day has reminded me that our daily life experiences are already full of ‘provocations’ that get us thinking, questioning and wondering. It may not be as dramatic as an earthquake … it might be the conversation at the kitchen table that left you challenged,  a new system for recycling bins that has the street up in arms, the appearance of a birds’ nest in a backyard tree, the observation of a single patch of dying grass along your local railway track or the intriguing design of the new playground across the street. These moments have relevance to my life and the life of my community and can set off a chain of questions grounded in an authentic and meaningful context.

A desire to investigate is most often driven by something that has made us curious- we inquire when we want to know more, solve a problem, improve something, understand something more deeply.  And our inquiries often have the deepest impact when they enable us to make a positive difference to our lives and the lives of others.  Of course, as teachers we can intentionally construct and share provocations with learners with the express purpose of cultivating this curiosity. I have designed many such experiences in the form of materials, objects and resources, using videos and images or conducting simulations. These deliberate ‘provocations’ have a place. However, as much as I am a huge champion of curiosity I am increasingly wary of experiences we design and construct for children that feel at times like we are coercing them into asking the questions we want to hear.   

I was discussing this with my friend and colleague Shaz Bailey the other day and she pointed out that there can be a fine line between things we call ‘provocations’ (designed to stimulate curiosity) and the problematic idea of ‘front-loading’. I couldn’t agree more. Many of the things I see being used to activate an inquiry contain a lot of information and may be better used as a resource for investigation once children’s current theories, ideas, experiences and personal connections have been shared. In my experience, ‘front loading’ gets in the way of the rich information children reveal when we tune in to them rather than expecting them to tune into a text or experience right from the outset. As Sam Sherratt has said – the only thing we should be front loading is a washing machine. 

Up until quite recently, I have occasionally planned ‘provocations’ designed to deliberately unsettle or create tension. You know the kind of thing – trashing the classroom as a provocation for an inquiry into caring for the environment or announcing something that has been banned as a precursor for an inquiry into fairness.  I am feeling less and less comfortable with this as I reflect on issues of consent, authenticity agency and transparency. I still regard some simulations as potentially powerful opportunities for learning but I am more comfortable with them as a means of investigation (‘let’s see what we discover when we…’) rather than a covert provocation AND, even if it diminishes the potency of the experience, I think we owe it to kids to let them in on the fact that they are participating in a simulation. I have knowingly participated in simulations and still got caught up in the emotion and learned much from the debrief and discussion. 

Bottom line, If we have to go to great lengths to ‘get them’ asking questions, perhaps this says something about the journey of inquiry we are planning in the first place?  Does it feel forced? Are we manufacturing something that has no real connection to the children’s lives or the community around them?  Are we getting caught up in our own excitement about a video/simulation/activity and losing sight of authentic connections?  The best inquiries are perhaps those that need no manufactured provocation at all. I have seen some wonderful examples of this in the context of the pandemic which included Inquiries into the ways in which health messages are communicated, inquiries into what it means to be a healthy human, inquiries into the role of social media in influencing our decisions – and the way creativity and design can help us solve problems.  All these inquiries were developed in response to the teachers’ recognition of what mattered to the children and of the power of authentic contexts for learning. 

We inquire into things when we care about them. Perhaps a more authentic way to think about this is to turn our attention to what we are noticing about the children’s interests and what is already happening in the world around us and take it from there. Maybe the question is less ‘What provocation can we use?’ and more ‘what concepts are we inquiring into? What are we noticing about our children in relation to this? What might we shine a light on? How might we use this to invite children to share their own questions and theories?  

Our daily lives are rich with provocations if we are awake to them. The child who walks into the classroom with their arm in a sling, the rush to the classroom windows during a sudden hailstorm, the eye-rolls you notice in response to never ending nagging about litter in the school yard, the birth of a baby sibling,  the child that brings a nest they found out in the yard only to be berated by others for doing so…these moments offer a different kind of ‘provocation’ – one that has occurred at the speed of life. One that has its genesis in a moment brought to us from the children or from the world itself.   I am in no way negating the power of materials in particular to activate wonder and thinking but there is perhaps a more nuanced dance between what we notice first, and what we then design/curate. Using materials in response to our noticing (and then to keep noticing) may be a more authentic way to think about the process.

 We can’t go with every moment of wonder and nor does every moment lend itself to deep inquiry but as well as collecting, curating and sharing things you hope will activate curiosity, be similarly focussed on the curiosity that quietly emerges when you tune in to the world around you and encourage your children to do the same. Perhaps the only thing you need to plan to activate an inquiry- is to plan to observe more, listen more keenly and pay closer attention … 

…

Isn’t it fascinating when you notice shifts in your own thinking? I wonder how you interpret the idea of ‘provocations?’   This thinking is still unfolding for me but I would be interested to hear more … 

A tree in my local neighbourhood, spotted on a recent walk. SO many wonderings … 🙂

Just wondering