𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 '𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱'!

From May 2023, group classes from 'In The Real Wonderland' will only be offered on Outschool on a limited/ occasional basis. One-on-one, individually tailored play-based learning sessions will continue to be available on Outschool for the remainder of 2023.

______________________________
Ｃｌａｓｓ　Ｄｅｓｃｒｉｐｔｉｏｎ

In this class, we will use open-ended art, story-telling and play to explore life in an area where bushfires/ wildfires sometimes occur. 

Due to many environmental and geographic factors, growing up in a wildfire or bushfire prone area is an increasingly common experience for many children. This class is intended to provide children with the opportunity to explore their ideas about wildfires in and around their community. Children who are interested in fire or natural disasters are welcome to take this class. Together, our explorations will focus on exploring the geography, nature, strength, safety, re-growth and shared humanity of living in a bushfire area. 

Each session will start with sharing a story in an interactive format, allowing children to explore and talk about concepts that are important to them. Stories will include carefully selected published literature (used with permission). We'll then use a range of open-ended art activities, allowing children to gently and comfortably explore concepts as they relate to life in a fire-prone community. The open-ended and child-led nature of this class ensures that each child can experience a high level of agency, choice and control in self-determining the ways they wish to participate in the activities. 

(Please note, this class may not be suitable for children who have recently experienced a fire in which their immediate safety was threatened. Please see Parental Guidance notes below).

Held over four weeks, our class explorations will include: 

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 - 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞
We will set the scene for our class together, with the story of "Birdie". Birdie escapes as a bushfire approaches his home. When he returns to find his home destroyed, he also discovers that re-growth comes from the friends in his community who come to help. In this class, we will create a colourful sculpture to symbolise the re-growth of Birdie's home and the helpers who come. We will continue to explore these themes in the remaining sessions. 

Following our first class, there will be a small (10 minute) homework task to prepare some paper for our next art project 

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐 - 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬
Today, we will continue to explore wildfire through the eyes of a bird, with a focus on the sensory experiences that wildfire brings. We'll then create our own unique artworks to depict some of these sensory experiences. 

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟑 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬
Our class today will focus on the helpers in a wildfire/ bushfire community. We'll tell an inspiring story about real-life animal helpers from the Australian bushfires. This will give us the chance to think about the helpers we know in our own communities and the things they do to help us feel safe. Today's open-ended artwork will focus on ideas of community and connection, using a range of art materials that most families will have on hand.

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟒 - 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞
Today we will explore ideas about how change can lead to new growth and opportunities. We will do this by sharing a wordless story with (age-appropriate) hand-drawn pictures of toys and blocks, depicting how familiar things can sometimes change unexpectedly. However, as we look at and discuss how things can change - we will also pay attention to what comes next. We might also notice that some other things never change: such as the people who love and care for us. In our artwork, we will explore ideas of new growth using simple sculpture and developing a personal symbol of re-growth. 

______________________________
Ｉｎｃｌｕｓｉｖｅ　Ｐｌａｙ　＆　Ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ　Ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅｓ...Ｆｏｒ　Ａｌｌ　Ｌｅａｒｎｅｒｓ

All children have preferred ways of engaging with learning content. 

Typically, children learn best when they can engage with content in a way that reflects their own unique preferences. 

I endeavor to ensure that this class is inclusive of all learners (including E and 2E learners). I do this by structuring classes, activities and conversations so each child can choose to engage in the whole class, using whatever way is most appropriate, meaningful and rewarding for them. 

In this class, where we will be exploring life in a wildfire or bushfire area, I structure each experience so that children may elect to engage through any one or more of the following ways:
~ sensory experience
~ exploring and discovering the properties of materials
~ manipulative and fine motor activity
~ sorting/ aligning/ categorising/ patterning activity
~ exploring cause and effect
~ problem-solving
~ construction
~ imitation and role play
~ fantasy/ imaginative play and creativity
~ art and artistic play

Because I maintain very small group sizes, I am able to ensure that each child is able to participate in whatever way is most meaningful for them. This means that each child is able to enjoy the benefits of a group class, while at the same time being supported with an individualised and personalised learning experience.

__________________________________________
Ｔｅａｃｈｉｎｇ　Ａｐｐｒｏａｃｈ

This information will help you decide if my approach is a "good fit" for your child.  

This class is capped at a maximum of five learners, to ensure each child has the best possible child-led, personalised learning experience. I believe that learning comes not from memorising abstract facts, but though children being able to create and make sense of new ideas. To guide this learning, we need to have immersive, two-way conversations with children. Small class sizes allow me to work personally in this way, with each child. 

Child-led learning means that your child decides how they participate and what they focus on in our class. In this class, I do not tell children what to think about, or what to focus on. Instead, my goal is to understand your child's unique internal motivation. I do this by using stories, art, creativity and conversation to spark engagement. I then support each child to respond to these ideas and to follow their interests in a way that the class content and material comes to life for them. This helps make their learning become meaningful and sustained. 

You may see some differences in my classes, from the traditional US-based pre-K/ K/ early elementary and seated classroom approach. My aim is to extend your child's learning beyond our allocated screen time, through teaching and classroom practices such as:


🦋 Child-led learning (not teacher-led instruction)

🦋 Shared understanding (not imposing meaning)

🦋 Individualised and humanising relationships (not standardised expectations)

🦋 Hands-on, authentic play (not lectures)

🦋 Deep experimentation with creative, scientific, mathematical and relational process (not factory produced products or worksheets)

🦋 Collaboration and meaning (not rote memorising)

🦋 Imaginative resourcefulness (not mundane replication) 

🦋 Growing children's passions and intellectual discovery (not their performance)

🦋 Reading and responding to children’s cues, behaviours and signals (not managing, pathologising or fixing them)

🦋 Being an adult who is in calm control (not an adult who is battling for control and compliance)

My teaching approach tends to suit families who are seeking a humanising and wholistic learning experience for their young child.