In my practicum classroom, we are encouraging students to engage with the natural surroundings. They seem to be enjoying the activities that we have been doing. The other day the class created Aboriginal talking sticks using found materials. We went outside and the students gathered rocks and sticks. Then we returned to the classroom where the students put their talking sticks together by using corn husks and rope. Afterwards they painted them and we had a discussion about the significance and symbolic meanings behind a variety of colours.

The students planted pumpkin seeds into the class’ germination station last week and since then, they have already grown 8 inches! Later this week, they will be moving them into the school garden so that they can grow further. The students are all anticipating to see how much growth will occur during the next two weeks while they are away on Spring Break.