Team Dunkirk at Velskola
February 2016
February 2016
Thoughts from Claire Simpson
I’m still processing everything from our wonderful residential project - there’s so much to take in and ponder. I think each visit to Finland has peeled away more and more layers for me and gives opportunity for more and more reflection.
One of the things I really value in my line of work is the opportunity for reflective practice and to work in partnership with others who value this too. Residential projects like this are incredibly intense and with a packed timetable – but the total immersion in one project gives such a good opportunity for deep discussion and sharing ideas. I feel lucky to have built up a really good working relationship with my Finnish colleagues and every time we work together we share some great conversations around pedagogy - but also much wider issues around society, landscape, community, and creativity.
We were all (adults and children) really drawn to the endless practical things that seem to make life in Finland (and other Scandinavian countries) run so smoothly and gently. This includes large areas for coat pegs and places for outdoor shoes and wet weather gear, the tables and chairs in the dining room (the wooden chairs slot into a tiny shelf / hook under the table to tuck them away and make it easier to clean under the tables) and so many other things that are found everywhere… I feel really drawn to this because it links to calmness, thoughtfulness and a sense of being in the present moment.
I really love the sense of calm gentle ritual that accompanies all these practical things – taking your outdoor shoes off (snow boots for us all) just inside the doorway of every building, making sure food is eaten calmly and shared, lighting the fire, lighting candles, making sure there’s calm time for sharing a drink and a snack… Life in the UK can feel incredibly rushed and busy at times and an average school day can also feel very hectic. Our children from Dunkirk Primary talked a lot about how much calmer things were in Finland, they really noticed the difference.
I’m always so struck by how fast the children build firm bonds and make connections during projects like this – its really inspiring. I think all the very practical creative work we were undertaking really gives great scope for that – partnership work is vital and there was a lot of space for sharing ideas non-verbally through drama, through making models and creating stop frame animations, through dance, through walking and exploring and so much more.
It was really interesting to listen to thoughts from and see the reactions of the Dunkirk children to Finland and to Finnish life. They are still talking about it a lot and whilst there some of the key points they discussed were:
The total lack of walls or barriers around the outside of the school
That they could HELP THEMSELVES to food at residential centre but also at the school – unlike England where portions are dished out for them
The wildlife – what might be in the vast forest…
The feel, look and size of the trees and forests – they talked a lot about how HUGE the trees were and the VAST expanse of forest
The more laid back style of school – no uniform, teachers are called by their first name, there are big soft seats and cushions etc in the big wide school corridors and much more – but it still felt safe, disciplined and it felt very calm.
There are so many things that only a residential project can offer – and whilst its incredibly exhausting for staff its so special – you build a different relationship with the children and with each other. I think the adults are able to get to know the young people better because there is more time for verbal and non verbal interaction - there is time for chats over meals and during walks, there’s big scope for a wider set of nurturing things: all the opportunities for conversations and little moments that just can’t fit into a school day.
My role in Finland was specifically to look at pedagogical documentation and ways of capturing the children’s explorations through film and photography. I’ve now got a long job ahead of me to edit footage together but it’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to deeply focus on this element of the work. I spent the week constantly fixed to cameras and tripods - either inside (in thick socks and cosy clothes) or outside in layers of warm clothes, snow boots and ice chains (I probably looked quite comical balancing tripods and cameras through the snowy forest and icy paths…).
Documenting learning and discovery is a vital part in “making learning visible” (something that plays a key role in the Reggio philosophy) and crucial when it comes to finding ways to share this kind of work. It is hard to capture this – children’s learning and discoveries are often subtle, poignant, quiet, time consuming and things are embedded as they are repeated. When filming or photographing I don’t want to interrupt children when they are lost in their thoughts and deeply engaged in “flow state”; I don’t want posed pictures or children to be aware of the camera watching them. It can almost feel intrusive to observe such important moments and having a really good relationship with the children is vital I think in trust being present whilst their work is being recorded on film.
I know all of us involved in the project are digesting everything, thinking of the next steps and ways forward. Staff from the two schools are getting together again in April but there is constant contact between staff and pupils through the internet and ideas, thoughts and work are exchanged. I’m chipping away at editing everything – an incredibly long job – and this brings a lot of reflective thought in the process.
It’s a privilege to be able to work in partnership in this way with adults and children; especially when it’s a partnership that sets out to ask deep questions and to explore issues which search into areas that many projects wouldn’t touch. We live in an ever-changing world (we always have) and notions of community are crucial as we explore what it means to be a caring and diverse society. Its vital to be faced with situations that challenge, that put you out of your comfort zone, that stretch you and that ask searching questions.
And a walk through the forest is always filled with stories… if you just take time to listen…
see also Claire's blog here at Stories Under Stones
Thoughts from Mark Woodings.
A wonderful experience and privilege to work with children and staff in what must be a rare opportunity within a primary school. The dynamics between the two groups of children was wonderful to watch as they gradually got to know each other.
The other aspect has been the impact on my class of Year 2 children (6 &7 years). They have been so interested in finding out about my experience and where I have been. Here are a few examples of work scanned from their books on my return. It complemented our work on considering our 'Perfect Community. The class commented on how much they enjoyed the Skype during the week.
A wonderful experience and privilege to work with children and staff in what must be a rare opportunity within a primary school. The dynamics between the two groups of children was wonderful to watch as they gradually got to know each other.
The other aspect has been the impact on my class of Year 2 children (6 &7 years). They have been so interested in finding out about my experience and where I have been. Here are a few examples of work scanned from their books on my return. It complemented our work on considering our 'Perfect Community. The class commented on how much they enjoyed the Skype during the week.