Who doesn't love the great outdoors?!
When I first began to remember things, my parents would take me to the local square where we would feed pigeons. I was five when I came to Canada and here my world opened up. Back in China, we didn't have as much green space as we do here, so my parents made sure to capitalize on that difference upon setting up our first home in Scarborough. Scarborough Bluffs and Morningside Park was where I spent most of my childhood, so to say it had an influence on my love for outdoor education would likely be an understatement. Studying under the shade of a crab apple tree, listening to the roaring rapids of the creek, or admiring a grey squirrel burying an acorn in the ground; the sense that everyone has a duty in their world and that what I am learning in school will help me make sense and/or contribute to the protection of those that I love makes me feel complete. My Placement School Norval Outdoor School is part of Upper Canada College (UCC), an all-boys private International Baccalaureate (IB) school. Students go through a rigorous admission process and Norval is an important part of their education. By grade 9, the students would have experienced 11 weeks of wilderness learning, embedding themselves directly into their environment. My role here is to find connections between what the students are learning in the classroom to the activities that are available at Norval. These activities can include (but are certainly not limited to) skiing/snowshoeing, making maple syrup, ropes courses, team building challenges such as pumpkin carving, tree planting, and of course plenty of unstructured play. Since this is a highly unique experience for these students involving an additional fee, it is also my role to ensure that all students are participating to their fullest, and enjoying themselves. I think this will be my biggest challenge! How can I modify an outdoor activity for students with physical limitations? Adapting the activity for different age groups? For those with less experience than others, and thus may be more hesitant to try new activities? How can I make the connections to nature explicit and authentic, so that I can foster a life long love of ecological commitment? With limited experience as a Spec Ed camp counselor, and a crew leader for Conservation Youth Corps, I will do my best to keep in mind the purpose of a task beyond what the student should be doing, but rather learning. Experience comes in many forms, and of course, it's helpful to remember that kids just want to have fun! My supervisor mentioned that I will work with a wide range of students between the ages of 5-16. And on top of which, every morning and afternoon will bring me a different group. It will be a welcoming challenge to come up with a plan on the spot, which can also lend itself to thinking quickly in the classroom. However, I think my biggest challenge will be creating meaningful opportunities for students to interact in their environment. Through these activities, students should develop an enhanced awareness of the environment, the ecosystem, as well as Indigenous ways of knowing, and their duty to protect and conserve them. You can say that I am (partially) responsible for the future of our forests! Lastly, I just want to mention that although UCC caters to a specific group of students (mostly white mid-upper class males), it does have a diverse ethnic population in welcoming international and out-of-town students. I love that UCC emphasizes this "brother's" pact, allowing these students to develop strong bonds, understanding, and acceptance between each other and their teachers. I hope to strengthen this bond by presenting myself as someone who wants to learn alongside the students even though I am an outsider at their school. I wish to introduce the boys to other ways of knowing and perspectives so that they will grow to be open-minded individuals - always eager to learn and accepting of others' opinions. And with that, I will conclude with my lingering excitement for what's yet to come! I cannot wait for November 5!
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