I’m a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

Does it matter what your hair looks like once you have removed your hat?  Ask most primary teachers and the answer is a resounding “Yes”.

I have come to the reluctant conclusion that this is one reason is why outdoor enthusiasts and environmentalists have so far failed to motivate the vast majority to teachers to capitalise on all the outdoor offers.  There are simply not enough decent hats for teachers to wear.

Oops I forgot…we wear many hats…counsellor, tutor, nose-wiper, butler, serf…but unlike the list I’ve mentioned, hats for keeping our heads warm outside tend to make teachers look horrendous once we’ve removed them. Common sense says the obvious next move is to remain indoors with the hat on. In today’s Eco Schools, this makes brilliant sense as up to one third of our body heat can be lost through our heads .  But there are other reasons too.

School heating systems are frequently bizarre.  In one Highland school the heating system was controlled by a company based in Aberdeen.  So the heating depended on the prevailing weather conditions in Aberdeen, a three-hour drive south east.

At another school, convector fan heaters located on the ceiling, were the only heating in the classroom.  The poor teacher spent years attempting to outshout the noise which was equivalent to living on a Heathrow runway.  After half an hour you could stand in this classroom and have your toes numb with cold whilst the top of your head sweated profusely.  Temperature readings showed a difference of 8 degrees between the floor and ceiling.

With increasing energy bills it would be logical to advise schools to try not to switch on their heating unless really necessary.  Alas there are strict guidelines covering minimum working temperatures in schools depending on room and the nature of the activity. Many unions advise that members should not work in schools where the temperature falls below the threshold. Thus wearing hats in cool classrooms is not for the Union Die Hards who prefer hat hair and heat.

So, readers, I beg you please to put on your thinking hats and help find a GHD solution to this matter! Answers on a postcard welcomed.

*GHD=Good Hair Day

I am in a delightful mood.  My son brought home his “maths challenge” questions and I have spent the last hour working them out.  Alas the competition is serious.  I may not share my ideas and solutions with him.

Earlier this week I was searching the internet and various maths books for multicultural maths games. I had several reasons for doing this:

1)      In the majority world countries, many cultural activities take place outdoors. Thus a strategic game is more likely to be played outside.

2)      Many mathematical developments have taken place in other countries: Arabia, Eygpt, China and India to name but a few.

3)      One of my favourite games, Owari, can be played with stones and holes or circles drawn in sand or mud.  In one cottage where we lived, my husband and I played this game using the patterns on a carpet and chickpeas for counters.

When creating a base on which to play, chalk can be used or stones to scratch a board pattern onto a paving slab.  This is a tradition which has happened for thousands of years.

In terms of extending children’s strategic thinking, use questions such as:

1) From which positions on the board is it possible to make two / three/ four moves?  Sketch a diagram of the board and record your findings.

2) Where are the best places to put your pieces on the board in order to make a good start?  Why?

3) Is it an advantage to start?  Explain.

A good quick reference place for strategy games is http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/ufa10/games.htm. It’s worth remembering that time is needed to develop competency in any of these games. Thus by introducing them at the start of the year, they can be used as an interesting alternative to indoor board games.

A whole class challenge is to play one of the games as two teams with children acting as counters and some members being the key decision makers.

Oh yes and do challenge me at Owari  - I’m out of practice these days!

Truth be told, a lot of children aren’t that interested in nature.  In my early twenties I witnessed a seven-year old girl raising her fist and telling a ranger to f**k off when he tried to get her to look at a bluebell.

Of course, this is not the reaction we would like any child to have when presented with a harmless flower by a kindly expert. So as teachers we have to create the enthusiasm in imaginative ways, which can require a little forethought and planning:

·         Children sense the open space outdoors and need to move about.  Thus starting with an energetic game can be helpful.  Alternatively, tell the children that you’ll meet them under a tree, 200m away and that they are free to run there.

·         When introducing plant species, have an activity the children can do.  Gathering around to look at a dandelion is dull.  Besides, half the class won’t be able to see and thirty children crowded around one adult tends to create a pack mentality.  Asking the children to find a dandelion clock and count the time by blowing away the seeds is a lot more fun.  An additional challenge can be that the children can’t pick the flowers, they have to crouch down and blow.  This also prevents dandelion wars breaking out where the seedless flowers are chucked about, creating mayhem.

·         Play a short team game, to get the children moving about.  There are lots out there which can be used to discuss knowledge and plant facts. I’ll blog about these in due course.

·         If you have time, try and make up a story about a plant as a way of introducing the facts.  Humans in all societies have passed on knowledge in this way for thousands of years, so why break a good habit?

·         Have a calm activity which allows for reflection.  If you have an excitable class, which isn’t used to being outside, this can be done as part of the follow-up indoors.

To be continued…imagine the Dr Who theme music starting!

TGI Friday. All over Scotland, school staff and children are mopping their brows with relief that the first week is over.  Only 186 school days until the summer holidays begin once more. 

The weather welcomed everyone back with a wet vengeance.  The smell of damp permeated my room all week, even when children were absent on Wednesday. I desperately wanted to escape outside but even I was thwarted by the instant drenching.

Amazingly cabin fever did not break out at school.  The rain kindly stopped once and the children had an outdoor break. Something rarely considered is the need for shade and shelter outside for children.

Evergreen, the Canadian school grounds charity, and the Toronto District School Board EcoSchools team have joined forces have to tackle this issue. Rather than investing in sheds, shade sails or other man-made structures, they have a comprehensive free book which advises schools on how to save energy, increase biodiversity and provide shade and shelter through planting large native tree saplings. Oh yes – learning links are included too!

Want to know more? The book can be downloaded for FREE on http://www.tdsb.on.ca   Scroll down the index to Guides and Publications.  Check out all the other resources too!

Thanks TDSB EcoSchool.  Definitely a TGI (Truly Great Idea)! 

I just discovered this little gem on You Tube: Get Em Outside http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRR1feHqZPY 

It’s been uploaded by the Leave No Child Inside Coalition http://www.nclicoalition.org which is a united group of private, public and non-profit organisations whose aim is to get the Leave No Child Inside Act passed through Federal Legislation.  The aim  is to ensure that learning in and about nature becomes embedded in formal and informal education processes throughout the USA. Interestingly, there is a strong emphasis on the needs and rights of children of all ages to unstructured outdoor play.  This aspect of outdoor learning seems to have been largely forgotten by A Manifesto for Learning Outside the Classroom (England & Wales) and the Scottish Taking Learning Outdoors report.

Back in April I had the privilege of being in Chicago as part of a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship. One of my prime reasons for being there was to find out a little more about Chicago Wilderness http://www.chicagowilderness.org/

I stumbled across this umbrella organisation whilst surfing the net six months earlier.  To quote its own literature, “it is an unprecedented regional partnership among more than 200 public and private organisations devoted to protecting and restoring our precious natural ecosystems for the benefit of the public.” 

By coming together and acting as one voice, much joined up work has happened within the Chicago area for the benefit of people and the natural spaces. Everyone knows what’s happening in other organisations in the area and who’s who.

There is also a full time education officer whose remit is to support and encourage Leave No Child Inside events, training and activities.  A lovely example of this is the Roger Raccoon Club which teaches children how to mess around outside.  The days at this club are spent being taught how to fish, climb trees, track animals and keep safe outside.  Once the basic skills have been mastered the children are free to explore a woodland park area.  Adults are nearby and there are regular rendezvous throughout the day.

All this is food for thought for anyone who works with children or who have children themselves.  In particular, schools need to consider the need for:

• Maintaining access to outdoor breaks and playtimes
• The use of school grounds by children outwith school hours

A good book to read is Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods (2nd Ed. 2008).  This book provides thought provoking arguments for increased contact with the natural world and unstructured free play outdoors for children of all ages. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Child-Woods-Childern-Nature-deficit/dp/156512605X

As for me…I’m away outside to play with my dog. Bye!

Applying for funding to improve your school grounds is like joining a dating agency. Take a moment to compare the similarities:

1)      You take a deep breath and decide you need to develop a relationship (school grounds) and make enquires about which dating agency (funding grant).

2)      You create your profile (grant application form). For both you require a GSOH as you have to write it in ways which someone else will find appealing.

3)      You wait, fingers crossed.

4)      The first person (grant committee) decides you are not quite his “type” – no offence.  In grant speak, phrases such as “lack of socio-economic deprivation” or another factor is given as the excuse.

5)      You try again (go to a different funding grant). 

6)      Success! You have a date with a guy and it goes well (funding application approved, money on its way).

7)      On no!  Your date tells you about his children and how he must see them every other night. Strings are attached to getting involved!  In school grant terms this means there are strict financial deadlines and a complex way of having to submit receipts.

The difficulties get ironed out.  You go on several more dates and all is well. The grounds project gets going.

9)      Publicity – the guy tells his mates.  You tell the press.

10)   You celebrate a successful outcome!

So, if you are a single teacher looking for a relationship, then why not undertake a school grounds development as practice for the dating game?  For married teachers, regard it as the sensible equivalent to a fling (if you have a Not-so-GSOH).

As I mentioned in a previous entry, taking time to get to know your grounds all-year round pays dividends. This almost sounds like advice for going on a first date! Ahem!

I am wondering if you have ever tried to pull a door open, only to notice afterwards a big sign which says “PUSH”.  This happens to me sometimes.  My eyesight is fine, I’m just not seeing.

This past year I have been going in and out of many schools and early years centres, as part of my work as an accredited trainer and facilitator for the Scottish school grounds charity, Grounds for Learning. Thankfully I’m almost always greeted by someone and don’t have to fathom out whether to push or pull the entrance doors.

The vast majority of the settings I visit have GfL membership. Once a school has signed up, a file arrives through the post containing the latest newsletters, information sheets and a membership card with a number. The literature frequently refers to their website www.gflscotland.org.uk and that additional resources can be freely downloaded by their members. It’s a very sensible approach in that schools only need to print out what they need.

Except, only one establishment had accessed this facility. I know because I ask at most schools I enter, regardless of the purpose of the visit.

So, the moral of this entry is to push those buttons on your keyboard, log onto the GfL website and pull down all those resources your school budget has paid for. It’s worth it. Seeing is believing!

NB For those readers in England and Wales, Learning Through Landscapes  www.ltl.org.uk provides the same service.

The last few days of balmy weather have allowed the herb geek within me to surface. I have been out in the garden tidying up and poring over my herb books finding out about my new herbs which include a houseleek and an oyster plant.  I am relying on Corsican mint and Biting Stonecrop to save my garden’s day and take over patches of unused ground.

No-one else in my street shares my enthusiasm for these plants. My son reminds me that our front garden looks different to others. He likes neat rows of bright annuals. So in a token effort to reform I plant some marigolds and asters in a few tubs.

Now unfortunately for my son, I haven’t really conformed.  My birthday is next week and I have decided to ask my family for herbs as presents. Some people collect stamps, I collect herbs for a hobby.

Barwinnock Herbs (www.barwinnock.com ) in Ayrshire is the herb geek’s Garden of Eden.  This is a place like no other.  Firstly it’s situated on a windy moorland roughly 750ft above sea level. Next, they do mail order and when the plants arrive the rootballs are twice the size of the rest of the plant.  They are the toughest plants imaginable. Finally their range of stock is huge.  There are tens of different varieties of thyme, lavender, rosemary, etc. from which to choose.  There is a herb for every event and occasion, including birthdays!

For schools, all this is good news. At Achnasheen Primary, the garden was regularly vandalised by sheep and deer. Erecting a six-foot high fence was not a financial option so instead we planted herbs, most of which survived the occasional bite and the fierce weather (Achnasheen means field of storms in Gaelic). Herbs are generally tough and withstand being chucked in the ground and left to get on with growing without much care. Very few pests seem to enjoy their presence.  Furthermore the uses of herbs throughout time makes for interesting reading.  For example, many of our common culinary herbs were brought to Britain by the Romans.

That’s all for now, folks…I’m out of here! I’m off to plant a fuggle hop, whose task is to rampage up a dull brown fence and to cover the ground where the dandelions rule. 

Well, if you believe all you read in the papers!

 I read an article in the Sunday Times yesterday which highlighted research about vitamin D levels in people’s blood.  Apparently the fat in our bodies absorbs and holds onto this vitamin and prevents it from entering the blood stream.  The absence of vitamin D in our blood affects the functions of the leptin hormone which signals to the brain when the stomach is full. The more body fat you have, the more vitamin D you store in your fat cells rather than use in the rest of your body.

The Aberdeen University scientists who undertook the research suggest that Scotland’s weather makes it less likely for folk to go outside and get the vitamin D needed to help shed excess weight. The more overweight you are, the more vitamin D you need to compensate for the uptake by fat cells.

So teachers, this is good news.  You can take your class outside to enable you to lose weight! The more time spent outside the greater the amounts of vitamin D you and the children absorb.  Not only are you providing quality learning, the vitamin D can be used as a slimming aid! Effortless multi-tasking, that deserves an extra biscuit at break time!

When one takes up a new headship, there is usually a burning desire to fix everything as quickly as possible.  This is especially true if your new school has not been inspected for a very long time and is waiting with baited breath for the dreaded brown box to arrive one Thursday morning.

When it comes to developing your school grounds there is a lot to be said for waiting at least a year and here’s why:

·         You can spend time outdoors at break times observing the children in their play and the role of duty staff.  It is worth doing this in all weathers and seasons.

·         It allows you to monitor the grounds through the seasons.  You can see the plants grow and the variety of animals which visit.

·         The best way to find out what would be most helpful to have outside is to use the school grounds as much as possible for learning activities. Frequently schools decide on equipment and resources for outside such as a seating area without giving enough thought to the ideal place and the type of seating and layout needed.  The more your staff use an outdoor area before a development project, the more you know what is needed.

·         Time is needed to get to know staff and their interests.  Passion creates possibility and by finding out what staff are like, the school grounds and activities can be improved to build upon their strengths.

·         There may be other priorities!

In eduworld, correct choice of words and phrases is very important to some.  If you can’t bring yourself to procrastinate try “monitoring current activity” in the school grounds instead!