Forest School Reflections Part 1

Reflection on the Forest School Singapore article on 'Japanese Forest Kindergarten: Thoughts from Atsuko Sensei' and 'Why Planned Inconvenience?'

Reflecting on the article on Japanese Forest Kindergarten. 

https://forestschooleducationseries.wordpress.com/japanese-forest-kindergarten-thoughts-from-atsuko-sensei/

I fully agree on the part about parents being on board with the philosophy and working together with the educator to support the program. Imparting knowledge and communicating with parents is very crucial not only for the child, but for the whole family's growth and well-being. I love how Atsuko Sensei said the philosophy became the strength for raising kids and giving back to the community. I think we really need that here, to empower parents to educate and nurture the children in our community. 

I have a question about being drop off at a young age. I think before a certain age, there is a natural attachment with parents and depending on individual child, we cannot be sure what is the best age for drop off. I feel very sad to see children (babies) are being drop off at infant care/ child care at far too young an age. They grow up prematurely without healthy attachment to their parents and family, and we are doing this in masses and its as though that's  the way it should be. Any child not in school by age... lets say 2 is considered odd. Parents also believe they are not capable to educate their own child and education should be out sourced to a professional institution.

With my own experience with my children, each grow at their own pace and we have to respect their emotional attachment need. As a parent, I also wanted to share first hand experience in the forest with my child and not listen to their stories after. As an educator, I feel parents should be very much part of the space so that they are part of their child's growth and learning experiences. I am curious how it will look like with different age group of children as a drop off program, and how parents can still be very much part of that village that raises the child. The nature group that I run for the homeschoolers have always been a co created space with the parents. Maybe it's the briefing I give prior to the meet up or the fact that homeschool parents generally are present and more willing to give their children the space they need to explore and grow, so far our nature program have been quite smooth and children have been given the respect and space to explore the forest and grow. But I am open to learning and understand why it has to be drop off.

Reflecting on the article on 'Why Planned Inconvenience?' 

 https://forestschooleducationseries.wordpress.com/why-planned-inconvenience/ 

Living in Singapore, not many realise it but we are a super efficient, almost perfect country where everything works, no shortage of electricity, water, public transport on time, safe, super super conveinient.

No complaints about this, I am grateful. But growing up in Malaysia and travelling the world a bit myself, I see that this reliance on convenience may become a problem for my children. That is why I constantly travel back to Malaysia and travel to less developed countries to allow them experience the inconvenience of life. We start to grow when there is inconvenience. I believe there is merit when we accustom ourselves to hardship.  When there is a shortage in electricity, we learn to be creative and work with what we have. When there is a shortage of water, we start thinking about others and use less water when we shower, we wash things and start planning ahead to see if there is enough water for everyone to use. What is essential and what is not essential.

When the train breaks down, or our bus is delayed, we learn to be creative and think of other ways to get to our destination or if really cant help it, we learn to be patient and wait. 

I feel this is when our brain starts thinking and working. Our characters are strengthen when we think of others, think of ways to solve the problem. 

In Singapore, it's a little difficult to find inconveniences, but being in the forest helps to remind us to let go and accept the seemly inconveniences. However these inconveniences is actually the key to inner happiness, something that is good for our soul.

This year is a year of learning!

After 2 decades of motherhood, I have decided it's time to take steps towards my dream of establishing a school. A school with a real difference. 

So this year I am taking both a Master's in Education and a Forest School Diploma! It sounds crazy, but I need to do both, and the timing seems to be right, so here I am, deep in the mud, literally.

The first 2 weeks have been really tough. I doubted myself, asking whether I am qualified enough, whether I have enough experience, whether I am cut out to study again. My brain feels so rusty, and I struggled to cope with the expectations of the Master's. It's one thing to study, it's another to be homeschooling a kid, managing a household of 6, plus commitment to neighbourhood community building endeavours. And on top of that, I am struggling to keep up the energy to do all the above while fasting. ( It's the Bahai fasting month.)

I have been running a homeschool nature co-op group for 9 years now, so forest school diploma should be a walk in the park, oh so I thought. I realised that while I was running the program over the years, I myself wasn't really immersed into the forest myself as I was more observant of the kids and trying to connect with them, thinking ahead of risk/decisions to make/how to guide the group. Since last year, I felt that I was at a standstill, like what else can we do? How can we go deeper into the forest, and how can we connect more with Mother Nature? I wanted more, I feel the need to deepend myself and grow while I guide others.

The first session of forest school diploma training was surprisingly tough. I was too conscious of myself, I felt I should be connecting with the forest but I found myself thrown into the situation... without control of the environment and unable to see what lies ahead. A range of emotions swelled up, and I became scared, as if I was in the forest for the first time. At one point, I felt tears coming into my eyes, which I tried to hold myself together and kept them in. Maybe I should have let it out, all the bottled-up feelings, empty my cup so I can start experiencing and learning.

I feel like if I tell other people of my feelings at this point, it would be like "You ask for it ma!"
Yes I asked for it, I have to survive this no matter what. I need divine assistance to pull through this year! God please help me!