You can’t beat a really great snowfall! I can’t believe it is mid-January and I’m still waiting for the first big one of the season. At least we have a little blanket covering the land! Snowfall brings about so many opportunities to connect with the land in new and exciting ways, and it also promptsContinue reading “When the Snow Falls Down”
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Sway Side to Side
As the trees lay themselves bare, all sorts of magic can be found. There is special magic found in those big clumps of leaves that we see oh-so-high in the treetops. Do you know the ones I mean? I have found these magical clumps of leaves to be such a beautiful entry point to deepContinue reading “Sway Side to Side”
What Tree Knows You Best?
A few years ago, I was at a professional learning workshop and Haley Higdon, Program Director of Natural Curiosity asked, “What tree knows you best?” I love this question! In considering my response, this question opened the door for me to delve deeper into my understanding of reciprocal relationships with the land, an Indigenous WayContinue reading “What Tree Knows You Best?”
Sweet Tree / Bel arbre
I share with you today the song “Sweet Tree” (“Bel arbre” in French). This song captures the excitement of this time of year, when the days get longer, the sun gets stronger, and the Maple trees are magical. This song is intended to spark curiosity, and encourage children to look closely at the Maple treesContinue reading “Sweet Tree / Bel arbre”
Tracks in the Snow/ Les traces dans la neige
“Tracks in the Snow” (Les traces dans la neige) is a song that I wrote to support children in looking more closely in the land during the winter months, and in learning to ask questions about what they notice. I always ask students to ‘fill in the blank’ as we sing together, and their suggestionsContinue reading “Tracks in the Snow/ Les traces dans la neige”
Learning with Covid-19
Here we are, the beginning of a New Year, and in the middle of a break from what Covid-19 has meant in the classroom for the last four months. In our region, we aren’t heading back to the classroom just yet, as we are in lockdown. However, I am hopeful that we will be returningContinue reading “Learning with Covid-19”
Lullaby for Tree/ Une berceuse pour l’arbre
The long winter is just starting to settle in, and in the land I live in, the land of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat, and the First Peoples of the Williams Treaties, we have received two good snow falls recently. It hasn’t been snow that will stay; it’s almost as if the land is tossingContinue reading “Lullaby for Tree/ Une berceuse pour l’arbre”
Feuille verte
I’m thrilled to share with you “Feuille Verte”, which is a French version of “Green Leaf“. This version has come about through collaboration with Pierrette Rouse, to whom I am so grateful! As an educator working in both the English and French streams in the public school system, I know how hard it can beContinue reading “Feuille verte”
Green Leaf – The Tree Song Cycle
Over the course of the next year, I am going to share a cycle of songs I have written that explore a child’s relationship with a tree throughout the four seasons. I wrote these songs over the last six years, as I have been spending time exploring the land with my own children and workingContinue reading “Green Leaf – The Tree Song Cycle”
Play Safe in Your Castle
*This post has been edited to include new posters for Winter Play!Fall/Spring downloadable poster HEREWinter downloadable poster HERE This month, I heard Dr. Brian Goldman on CBC Radio One speaking on the Morning Show about how we can stay safe at schools, using the metaphor of a castle. I was in the hustle of gettingContinue reading “Play Safe in Your Castle”
Land Heart Song 