Learning in the Garden

Mōrena,

We’ve been blessed with good gardening weather over the past few months at Epuni School! On Tuesdays we hold lessons between 9-11am, giving each class some time in the garden.

An afterschool garden session

Classes come together around an apple tree and strawberry patch. The opening circle is an equalising space - we’re all learning. Whaea Hannah, (Hannah Honey by her garden name) begins the lesson by asking students “what do you notice about the garden this week?”. Using prompts about the lesson of the week, a base knowledge is established that encourages kids to share what they know and ask questions. 

 Mr Wiggles, Des, Ian, Marama and Ray are all well versed in entertaining children. Each has a wonderful, easy going manner in the school garden.

We then outline some tasks that need doing. With the older classes, we’ll ask students which tasks they would like to do. High energy children often leap at the chance to dig, mulch or wheelbarrow compost - more often than not, this keeps them entertained the entire lesson. Other kids are quite happy with a tentative, repetitive task like planting seedlings or harvesting seeds, chatting away amongst themselves.

The garden offers a place to make connections with other subjects, such as art and food technology. We recently made sunflower seed packets and collected apples to use at the school gala - the toffee apples were a great success. 

Taste testing produce and edible flowers like nasturtiums, calendula and pineapple sage are always a hit. The magenta spreen as face paint - mentioned in Kate’s Harvest post - is also a classic. By engaging their senses, children can apply learning in a mindful way. 

All the harvest which isn’t nibbled on, gets taken to our remakery kitchen and made into lunches - this coming term we’re starting to provide daily school lunches!

Harvesting some Kale

Reading the room and adaptability are good skills to develop. It is likely that if a class wants to spend the lesson looking at worms and slugs, then that’s what will happen. At the end of the day, it’s still learning. All we can do is our best to enjoy the lesson and try not to take things too seriously - life is too short! 

Until next time, 

Katie