Community in the Classroom
How to bring community into the classroom
"All are welcome here" concept
How to encourage establishing children's identity within a group setting.
Provide a place of nurture, security, and support.
Create a sense of community
Read through articles and journals of Building Community in the Classroom.
Teaching with Intention
3 projects I intend to initiate throughout the year are as follows:
Teaching with Intention/ how to bring community into the classroom:
I am really passionate about teaching and that is what my long-term vision entails and I see a big chunk of my Gaia U work being dedicated toward Education in some shape or form with an ecological twist. With this specific output I want to focus on teaching with intention. With teaching with intention, I want to hone in on what am I good at teaching, what are my passions? Another reason I have teaching with intention in my head is to be very intentional with each lesson plan, each instruction that is given when I teach. Then I want to ask myself why am I doing this? What is the benefit of this? I also want to shift my focus towards how to bring community into the classroom. I plan on self-foraging information for that to implement into my current classroom as well as search for workshops to possibly attend and document on. I want to unlearn bad habits in the classroom, and learn to use a soft voice, always. I also want to learn with my kids.
References/ Outreach material: Coyote's Guide to Connecting with Nature by Jon Young
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Bharat Cornell
UCLCC
Pre-school of the Arts in Madison, WI
Activating Community
Activating community:
This is to develop my community and find who is in it. Then I want to focus on what community is to them, what do they want to see in a community and why is it important? I plan on harvesting a video compiled of everyones thoughts on community. I want to teach others to unlearn the concept that a gift economy is bad. I want to help people find their passions and increase their capacity as a part of the community as a whole.
References/Outreach material: How to Re-imagine the World by Anthony Weston
Transition Madison Area
Madison Permaculture Guild
Potlucks
Teaching with Intention
The what and why's of teaching
Especially for educators workshop that focuses on Wisconsin Winters and engaging children.
Held by Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee, WI
Learn about animal tracks, nature preschool classrooms, how to incorporate nature into classroom curriculum.
Hone in on what my skill set is as a teacher and document for supporting evidence.
Recognize what it means to teach with intention, define it, and then move with the mindset for future success with teaching with intention.
Free School Outreach
Free- School outreach:
Last OP before review OP. To me this looks similar to a free-school, a day where people can come and focus on nature awareness, permaculture 101 coupled with hands on skills/learning. I intend to host a variety of different classes and gain support from local ally to run some of their own classes as well. It would be ideally a 4 hr long program. This is my biggest goal for completing my pre-capstone phase.
Learn how to organize, facilitate and instruct intentionally
Learn leadership skills
Unlearn how to wait until the last minute
References/Outreach material: Madison Permaculture Guild
Transition Madison Area
UCLCC
University Wisconsin of Stevens Point
Indian Handcrafts by C. Keith Wilbur
Activating Community
Demystifying community
A video compilation of peoples ideas of community and what it means to them.
Figure out ways to maintain and establish a community in beneficial and healthy ways.
Then conclude with why it is vital to have a community. Community, what is it good for?
A survey on connection and community