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From Death Springs Life
The following piece was inspired by an encounter with a partially fallen tree in our forest. From death springs life. We gather around a large fallen tree- half fallen actually; the top is supported by the limbs of a neighbouring one. It is suspended at an angle; its root base lifted from the soil and exposed. The tree is lifeless; no new growth is evident on its upper limbs. Its greyish hue is washed out, colourless. The tree is dead. Or is it? We begin to explore this tree with fervour- poking, picking, kicking, scraping, knocking- trying to scare up any sign of life. Maybe deep down I hope that…
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Simplicity: Simple and Slow
Thinking a lot about simplicity lately and was inspired to be poetic… Simple. Slow… Static? NO! Everchanging. Ebb and flow. Search for answers. Knowledge grows. Simple. Slow… Static? NO! Transformations. Shifts and change. Thoughts and feelings rearranged. Simple. Slow… Static? NO! Reconstruct, revise, redo. Discover what works best for you. Simple. Slow… Static? NO! Seeing things through different eyes. Understandings realized. Simple. Slow… Static? NO!
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Paths
Seeing tracks on the ground from animals and others. Making our own tracks in the snow. Noticing and following tracks and paths of tree branches and vines twining through the snow. Trying to follow an auditory track of a bird we hear in the trees but cannot see. Using landmarks like the school, the path, to find our path out of the forest. Looking at a path as a route or course that tracks movement. We see this in charcoal works, in the concentrated energies in some places, then the trickle-out effect where marks and energy are less dense but still there. Following animal tracks that will presumably lead us…
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The Spider Web
In the forest, we stumbled upon an area with large tree trunks, branches, sticks, and vines intertwined. The children stood together on this entangled mass almost in awe, possibly wondering “What is this? Why is it here?” Some of the children started walking towards it and the rest followed. As we got to the edge, the children stopped and seemed hesitant to proceed. We entered slowly at first, ducking under the low branches to go further inside. Some of the children observed how the entangled mass resembled a spider web. Some wished to climb it. A small group began not only ducking under but climbing over top of the branches,…
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Trees of Life
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Slowing Down and Embracing the Silence
Working with charcoal and paper was a beautiful, albeit messy, way to slow down and pay attention for everyone. I noticed moments of true connection between the children and educators that I did not necessarily notice before the introduction of the paper and charcoal. I noticed Katlyn slow down and spend serious time quietly making strong connections with the children while they engaged with charcoal. There were beautiful connections between educator and children as they explored how charcoal made marks, how it made dust, how it was messy, but that messy bit on our hands could be turned into new mark making. At one moment it was so calm and…
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Mushrooms and tracks
Our small group ventured out to the forest this morning. We left the centre with an intention to link our experiences with the charcoal to the forest. Our experiences from the day before lingered with ideas of mark making, tracks and circular marks on the paper. We set out to pay attention and notice these connections on our walk in the forest. At first our walk was fast paced, and the children quickly moved. We had to intentionally pause and slow down. I stopped at a puddle where a large impression was embedded into a mud puddle, drawing the children to come back, pause and look at what we had…
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Slowing Down Time Through Charcoal Encounters
I wonder about time… We live fast-paced lives instilled early on to talk fast, move on, check in but something keeps happening to me during these intra-actions that move us into a different time zone where a minute can become an hour. During the charcoal encounters, which often happen with a single child, I lose track of time. I don’t remember what else was happening or who else was there. I am caught trying to remember when it happened – before or after the walk? All I can remember is an intensity -that distinct squeaking sound. It is less disturbing than scratching a chalkboard but it makes my inner ear…
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An Invitation to Slowing Down, Paying Attention and the Art of Noticing
October 30, 2018 We are inviting the children to engage in the arts of slowing down, paying attention, and noticing. Because the children and educators are interested in visiting and sharing stories about the nearby forest, we want to extend what happens in the forest into the classroom. For the past few months, we have been observing children’s engagement (even fascination) with sticks/branches/logs in the forest. To connect to children’s interests, we are inviting children to explore charcoal and paper. It matters deeply what materials we invite into our classroom. Paper and charcoal link us directly to forests—they start in forests… The sticks that children are fascinated with become charcoal…
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The liveliness of charcoal
The invitation to slow down, notice and pay attention to the liveliness of which charcoal offers and the potential connections to the beloved forest, sparked many thoughts of practicality and curiosity in my self as an educator. Lines began to move rapidly from one place to another, offering the extension of a line from one being to another, waiting for the line of travels to connect to the feet of ones body. Charcoal moved with the bodies in fast pace, with gentle pressure to the paper, slowing down was not offered through the children’s bodies but from the noticing of the marks left behind as the charcoal travelled across the…
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The Experience
Lines began to move rapidly from one place to another, offering the extension of a line from one being to another, waiting for the line of travels to connect to the feet of one’s body. Charcoal moved with the bodies in fast pace, with gentle pressure to the paper. Slowing down was not offered through the children’s bodies, but from the noticing of the marks left behind as the charcoal travelled across the paper. Fingers pushed tiny pieces of charcoal, but the creation of dark, thick lines moving from beneath fingers was noticed. How could such a small fragment offer such darkness? Intricate and thoughtful up and down movements with…
