Urban Rangers Boston: Session 1, Day 2

Exhaustion got the best of me yesterday, so here is yesterday's post:

**today's to come...

Day two was active, busy, and so much fun! The multi-age dynamic of the group is really working beautifully--older kids helping younger kinds, younger kids leading older kids with their questions and ideas, and we are also so impressed with returning Rangers! They know the ropes and just naturally are taking on their role as leaders in the group. We began the day with a few reminders about walking in the halls and cleaning up in a timely manner, but also took time to really let the group know how well they are working together!! UR is a very busy program, with a lot of different things happening simultaneously. This could be a recipe for disaster, however, Rangers assume responsibility for their own behavior by communicating effectively, resolving their own conflicts, and taking initiative to engage themselves in something. It's a wonderful thing to observe and be a part of, and we feel the Rangers really enjoy their freedom to learn in their own ways and at a pace that suits them. This makes their learning meaningful in a personal way--they are invested and feel respected by the adults, which translates to them respecting each other. I can only describe it as utopia for teachers--it's everything teaching and learning SHOULD be, and it's an honor to be a part of it.

These pics are from our Day 1 Welcome Circle, where each Ranger is asked to choose something interesting from a whole bunch of interesting nature treasures, and we use each item to introduce ourselves to the group. This activity establishes a group culture that honors diversity and individuality, while binding us together as learners. We delve right into the wonders of nature as we identify objects and share personal connections.

Highlights from Day 2:

Breakfast is a time to settle in to the day, chat with friends, and in this group, check out cool books!

From breakfast we head straight to the courtyard and the kids take off. We don't give them directions, just explain any new things we have for the day, such as marigolds to plant, snail painting, etc. They don't need direction--they know what they want to do and they get busy doing it!

In the courtyard...

Snail painting is an oldie but goodie from year1.
Always a favorite and always something
new to observe!

Snails were plentiful as usual and we couldn't even count how many times we heard someone yell, "I found a pill bug! I got an earwig! I found ants!" The flow of time in the courtyard is a weird balance of feeling like we've been so busy outside and at the same time, like everyone is relaxed and not rushing. We accomplish so much in a short time, and kids take advantage of the opportunities to work as individuals and in small groups.
Every Ranger is prepared and willing to drop what they are doing to answer a friend's call to see something they've discovered, and being in a small group of never more than 20 individuals allows Mr. G and I the opportunity to really engage with each and every Ranger on a personal level, to be able to drop everything, to leave work unfinished in order to follow the curiosity of a Ranger. I mentioned teaching/learning utopia earlier--well it truly is! That can't happen in a group of 22, 24, 28, 30 kids, plus the teacher! We are so grateful to share in this type of learning environment. It benefits us as teachers as much as it benefits the kids as learners.

can you guess how many?

snail habitat: air, space, water, shelter, food

snail wedding

catching a moth

Marcella's sunflower garden

observing snails as artists

"Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt"
by Kate Messner

nature journalling

and sharing our observations

In the art room...

We spent some time discussing the design ideas for our t-shirts this year. T-shirts are always a fun activity that also allows each of us to take home a reminder of the week we shared. We are really excited about how they came out this year--(AWESOME!!)--here's a sneak preview! Rangers will wear them home tomorrow!

One of the Ranger ideas we collected yesterday was to sew snail sweaters. We translated that into weaving small blankets, pillows, and bug rugs for our insect friends. Using matte board looms, we are practicing the vocabulary of weaving: warp, weft, over, under, pattern, as we weave. Weaving is also a lesson in patience and perseverance--two pretty essential life skills! There's no way to avoid mistakes as a first time weaver, and there are never enough adult hands to assist everyone at the same time, so Rangers are encountering obstacles, solving problems, developing resilience, and creating a product all at the same time. Like rings in a tree stump, a single sample of weaving can tell the story of the learner from where they began and where they are upon completion. Great assessment artifact!

Rangers also did some watercolor painting, building and balancing rocks, and looking through pictures from years past and of course, books! It's wonderful to observe such excitement and enthusiasm for reading and learning through books! Books we can hold in our hands and pore over with friends offer very different ways of processing information from wikipedia or google searches.

We are grateful today also for our very understanding parents who do not complain about their kids coming home filthy! Urban Ranger-ing can be messy business! Two top contenders for the new

2015 Messiest Ranger award pictured below: