Moving can unlock our thinking
Walking, wheeling, or crouching and standing as outdoor work is undertaken, side by side a student and a mentor, unpacking and expanding interests and observations into learning.
Learning in this way...
promotes a deep enjoyment of the connections made. To national curriculum benchmarkable subjects, and also beyond the curriculum into subjects not traditionally covered in primary or secondary school. Understanding is checked through low-pressure formative assessment.
Language and vocabulary stretching...
is the bedrock of these sessions. A student's own thinking is echoed back to them with the subject-specific terminology. Literacy and numeracy embedded as the learning relationship evolves. The mentor provides tailored opportunities to further develop learning.
How it works?
After an initial meeting with students and caregiver, I prepare a route or site based activity (for example allotmenting or gardening at home) and a risk assessment.
At this stage the learning journey is not mapped. Allowing for the student to walk and talk through their interests. A first route or activity is kept to a minimum to allow both student and caregiver opportunity to address any anxieties.
Subsequent routes and activities are recorded in an application that allows caregivers access to the routes of learning being followed.
As well as exploring a student's interests and stretching them into subject-specific avenues, I listen. Students often have struggles they want to off-load. With guardians' permission, I can use walking social stories to coach students through others viewpoints and potential remedies to difficult situations.
Case Study
(names have been altered for anonymity)
Jodi and I walk together once a week. Jodi was not keen on the idea of walking any distance at first. After a few walks together I reached a stile where we stopped and took in the view. I ask: "Do you recognise this?" “Our first walk!” she exclaims.
It's the point we reached on our first walk, half a kilometer from the starting point. Today we covered 6km.
She walks ahead greeting the animals we meet on route. Jodi is fascinated by animals. We regularly explore topics such as habitat destruction, adaptations, and more.
Jodi has a sharp business brain. We have discussed setting up a business, the overheads, supply and demand side economics.
Each week we learn something new, address a life situation side by side, and all the time we are building her fitness, academic portfolio, and social understanding.