[00:00] Speaker 1: (Relaxing music playing) Welcome to All Learning Reimagined, the podcast that defines convention and redefines the purpose and practice of education. Here we venture beyond institutional boundaries. Whether you're a parent, educator, or curious mind devoted to lifelong growth, this is your space to challenge assumptions and co-create a more humane and intuitive approach to education. Let's reimagine what education can be.

[00:42] Speaker 2: (laughs)

[00:48] Speaker 3: G'day, g'day, g'day, and welcome to All Learning Reimagined. I'm your host, Teresa, bringing you a little ray of sunshine, as together, we're reimagining the future of education one inspired story at a time. (laughs) Welcome back, everybody, and thank you. Big shout-out to everybody, uh, who's been contacting me last week and who's really enjoying the series of the All Learning Reimagined framework that we've been developing. So eight, um, eight series. This is number, uh, five today, actually. Gosh, we- we're flying through it. And our topic today will be nature as teacher, nature as a teacher. So episode one, we did language and awareness. We were talking about how words shap- shape our, um, reality. And episode two was more relational learning, you know, connection before content. Episode three, we talked about the learning field, you know, the emergence and the flow of all the field and everything that's actually around us, um, and tapping into that.

[01:53] Speaker 3: And last week, we looked at passion-led learning, you know, following what, uh, lights you up, I guess. And so today, we're looking at nature as teacher, which is tapping into the wisdom of the natural world. And, you know, any of, any of you who are regular listeners of mine know that I'm a huge fan of this. I'm a huge fan of the Anastasia books, The Ringing Cedars of Russia. Um, uh, uh, there's just so many, uh, teachings and learnings around nature in that series of books. I highly recommend it if you can't get your hands on them. They're quite expensive to buy these days, but if anything, th- um, that's a sign for me that there's, uh, information in them that's really valuable. Okay, so let's just dive straight in today. Um, hmm, I guess the big message that I would like us to ponder and reflect on today was just, how can we return to considering nature as our original classroom? Because that's exactly what it is.

[03:00] Speaker 3: When you think about all the traditional, um, indigenous cultures out there, nature was their classroom. It was their, it was their home. It was everything. They weren't separate to the learning, I guess, any age group whatsoever. And let's face it, humans, human beings, we're designed to learn through connection with the natural world. I mean, nature doesn't rush things. You know, grass doesn't strain to grow. Um, a, a tree (laughs) doesn't, you know, get a, um, social anxiety tick when it starts to grow apples or fruit. Um, everything is just very natural, and it's not forced. And yet everything in nature, plants and animals i- is learned. Nothing actually sits and necessarily teaches them, with the exception of possibly parent animals teaching children, um, their, their offspring, um, uh, how to hunt or feed and things like that. But in general, everything seems to be really natural.

[04:06] Speaker 3: And humans, we're wired for nature, and there's something that sort of anchors this, and that's the biophilia, uh, hypothesis. And this is where the hypothesis... Uh, it's really, it's long, but to cut a long story short, basically it's the fact that humans have an innate affinity for nature. Just, just naturally we do. You know, nature exposure really improves our wellbeing and our attention and our creativity. And you only have to look at, um, a small toddler, one that's crawling or walking, to see how the wonder in their eyes and everything that they see around them in their environment, uh, just makes them come alive. I mean, if you take them on a nature walk down the path, they're picking up every rock, every stick, every flower. They wanna, uh, lick something, put it in their mouth. They wanna touch something. They wanna just explore with all of their senses. Um, and it's just beautiful to see. And as we get older, we seem to forget. We seem to get more into our headspace.

[05:16] Speaker 3: The society programming kicks in, which comes from everywhere. It's not just parents. It's, uh, and it's not just schools. It's just everywhere in society. And as we know, children, offspring, copy and mimic their parents. So when, when we as adults or mentors or guides or grandparents or whoever it is that's listening today, when you consider that you always have a pair of eyes watching you of any age, um, and that we are social beings, when you shift how you do things or even make a comment or point something out, it actually has a huge ripple effect. It's like, you know, the butterfly effect. You might think it's something small, but you never know, because someone observing you might then go and do it somewhere else, and then somewhere else, and then somewhere else, and then it sort of grows from there.

[06:08] Speaker 3: But the fact that nature exposure really improves our wellbeing, you know, fresh air in your lungs, just go for a walk in a forest.And when you think about the word forest, it means for rest. Break it up, for rest, for rest, forest. Um, it's just so healing to be around the energetics, um, of the trees and the plants, uh, and then your attention and your senses get sharper as well. And, uh, I don't know about you, but when I am in nature, my creativity just goes through the roof. Um, I'm able to get out of my head space and into my heart space, and a lot of creativity flows through me.

[06:52] Speaker 3: The other thing that happens when this, um, when you're in these environments, and it doesn't have to be a forest, you know, you could be at a beach, you could be in a desert, you could just be in your backyard, uh, you could just be talking to a pa- plant with a, with a, uh, uh, in a pot if you're wo- if you're living in a mid of- middle of a city and you don't have much nature around you, you know, go to the park or something. But, um, nature regulates our nervous system. Now, nervous systems at the moment seem to be the buzzword. Everybody's talking about it. Everybody's talking about voltage, everybody's talking about regulating your nervous system, but a l- a lot of people don't quite comprehend, in my opinion, how simple it is. It's just so simple.

[07:37] Speaker 3: Breath, get that oxygen into your body, because so many of us are shallow breathers, and take your shoes off, get your feet into the earth, into the sand, into the ground, onto the grass, um, or sit with your back against a tree, um, and communicate with the tree, you know, talk to the tree, or just rest and breathe. Being in outdoor environments really does reduce stress. And I don't mean outdoor environments as in by a highway where you're breathing in exhaust fumes, I mean actual nature. So, we know that it improves emotional regulation and then, of course, then that af- it improves our focus, which it primes us for learning, which is what this show is all about, of course. I mean, experiential learning in nature is just so fun. When you take children, and I've had the, I've had the privilege of doing this many, many, many times over, and you take children out of a classroom of four walls and you go on an excursion or take them on a camp, they just come alive, you know?

[08:46] Speaker 3: Uh, and the learning becomes more sensory, but it also becomes embodied. They walk their talk. It's not, um, theory, it's not abstract. It becomes real and it anchors more into their reality and it makes a lot more sense for them. So, your children who are often asking, "Why? Why? Why?" are too busy exploring, um, to be able to... Because they can put the two pieces together, all the three, four, million pieces together, you know? They s- can see the whole picture and they can feel it. And so, examples of this would be, hmm. Some things that I've done in the past would be maybe measuring in the garden. So, if I'm teaching, uh, teaching volume or teaching area or perimeter, and you get the children to take their measurement equipment and let's go outside, let's go and find somewhere outside, uh, to go and do this. And I find, this is gonna sound really creepy, but I find that children come alive when they get outside of the classroom.

[09:52] Speaker 3: And I don't know if any of you have ever seen any of those zombie movies. I don't do zombies and I really don't watch those movies, but I have seen one and it freaked me out, so I never watched any ever again 'cause, ugh, yuck But the zombies sort of just stood there, swaying, still, uh, doing nothing until there was movement around them, and then they all of a sudden just became alive, like almost in a frenzy. And, (laughs) whilst this is a really bad analogy and a really bad metaphor, the children in the classroom are sitting there, they're doing what they need to do, they're going through the motions, they're being compliant, which is what most of our education system is about. Having good little children who are conditioned to just do as they're told and not necessarily think for themselves. I know I'm generalizing, but this is pretty much how, how it happens in the majority of the schooling that I have seen and observed in the Western system.

[10:52] Speaker 3: But as soon as you take them out of those four walls, something shakes in them and they, they just come alive. All of this energy sparks into them, and you know, they get chattery and they wanna move, and it's so exciting, it's contagious to see. And then you give them a task, and don't, don't even show them how to do it. Let them explore, let them figure it out for themselves. And I love it when you put them in teams or pairs so that they can go and explore with other people, because the social interaction is really rich and valuable, particularly when they're expected to come back and report on their findings, and then we can have a big discussion sitting in a circle discussing, "What did you observe? What did you observe? What w- what, what was common? What was not common? What happened?" And then they embody the learning, and it's anchoring because it's so interesting for them. Because emotion is involved. They are having deep learning, not surface learning.

[11:49] Speaker 3: Not surface learning for a test. You know, observing ecosystems, taking children down to the local creek. These days, the amount of red tape you have to do to get permission with risk assessments and things like that is crazy compared to when I first started teaching, but it's worth it. It's worth doing all of... Jumping through all of the hoops with the paperwork in order to get them into these environments, um, because going and observing ecosystems of, you know, the insects and the birds and, uh, just life in a particular place, you know, m- uh, mangroves if you're at the beachOh, wow, there's so much there to see. Uh, going on a beach walk and looking at the rock pools, um, walking in a forest, uh, there's so much that you can see in forests and outdoor, um, environments. Uh, going on a farm stay.

[12:40] Speaker 3: Farm stays are amazing, you know, uh, the men and women and children, uh, who live, who are, who are, uh, blessed enough, lucky enough to live on a property with, you know, horses and dogs and chooks and geese and turkeys, and it's just amazing. And (laughs) please don't take it for granted if you're in that situation, because there, I've taught many, many children in a city who d- don't know where their food comes from. They, they just don't know. They're really disconnected from the food chain. So, there's even something as simple as that, and going and looking and observing and embodying and walking the talk of being outdoors. Of course, another activity that seems to work really well outdoors is building structures, you know, building a chook pen board or building a garden is a very easy one to do, uh, with younger children. But, I mean, I mean, I know in the Schetinyan schools in Russia, students without an adult built buildings.

[13:39] Speaker 3: They, they, you know, they worked it out, they figured it out and they lead themselves. That's self-governance, and then also becomes community governance because they all have to work together. It's, um, it's really amazing. And so nature, even just being in the environment, doesn't have to do anything. It doesn't have to strain. It's just there doing its thing. So today, I guess we ask the simple powerful question, what does learning f- feel, or where does learning feel most natural? Is it in a lecture hall in a university? Is it online with your headphones on and speaking into a microphone into a laptop? Is it sitting in a classroom in a desk facing the front with a, a teacher, an educator at the front, or an expert at the front, depending on your age group? Um, is it in a workshop where it's hands-on or building, or in, in an artist studio? Um, or is it hands-on, or is it, is it, is it outside in nature? I mean, for many of us, the answer is not inside four walls.

[14:50] Speaker 3: And it can be a combination, of course, but in general, when we think about our species, it really is outside. I mean, it's in nature. There's something that happens when we step out at s- outside into the natural environment. So, you know, the body softens and the mind quiets and attention widens and, you know, without even being told, children in particular, but everyone, all of us, we just begin to notice. We notice patterns, we notice movement, we notice sounds. Pretty much it's just life. It's, in my opinion, it's appreciation for life. (laughs) And, uh, any of you who know me know that I love life. Life's amazing. Life is magnificent. Um, and so the concept that I mentioned before, you know, biophilia hypothesis, really suggests that humans have that innate connection to nature and the natural world, and we don't, um, we don't even have to learn how to do it. We just go out there and it just becomes natural. It's almost like we remember it.

[15:57] Speaker 3: I'm not sure if re- remembering it is the right word, but that's, we just appear to just know how to do it. And the research shows that time in nature improves our focus. I can absolutely attest to that. I've, I have observed that many, many times over. It definitely reduces stress. It enhances our creativity, and it supports our emotional regulation, you know, and the nervous system, which in today's day and age, is a really vital skill, um, being able to know how to use nature and, uh, work with nature to bring your nervous system down when you're feeling overwhelmed. You know, that fresh air and that natural lighting in your eyes, not sunglasses, take the sunglasses off, get the natural l- light into your eyes is so healing. And this, in my opinion, really invites the learning to be real. It's not superficial, and it can be deep learning. Um, I, my, my brain just popped to my daughter when she was young. She used to climb trees all the time.

[17:01] Speaker 3: Every time I turned around, she was up a tree. And, you know, but when she did that, she was learning risk and balance, and she really learned how to trust her body. (laughs) And I do remember, you know, she might be having a play date with fam- with family, and I remember this one mother rang me and said, "Uh, your daughter's at the top of our mango tree." And I'm like, "Yeah, that's okay." And she's like, "No, our mango tree's massive. It's huge, and if she falls, you know, she might break an arm or something like that." And I'm going, "Well, you know, she'll learn. She'll be o- she'll be okay. She got herself up. She'll be able to get herself down. She'll be fine." But the parent of that family did not allow her children to climb anything, you know? They were the, uh, the family that y- you, you touched anything, you had to use your wipes straight away on your hands, you know, you couldn't put your hands in the dirt. You couldn't, uh, do anything like this.

[17:50] Speaker 3: So, it was a really interesting, hmm, experience, I guess, because that was probably the first time as a parent where, uh, you know, we went on nature walks all the time, every day. We were constantly outside. And I realized that my parenting, uh, style was not the same, uh, you know s- I just assumed that all other parents did this sort of stuff, because this is how I grew up as a, as a child, you know? We were always outside. We were always up the creek. We were always, um, on the beach or on the farm. Um, and we learned about flow and ecosystems and interconnection and edible food and bush tucker. Uh, we learned how to design things and have resilience and build things, even if it was building a sandcastle or, or just getting a patch of dirt and mapping out a road so that you could have toy cars or an imaginary world, or, you know, as children we did all of these things. And I just......

[18:49] Speaker 3: assumed naïvely that, uh, all other children have this sort of environment to grow up in, and they don't. So, if you're an educator and you're doing things like this, there might be some children that will baulk at this, because it's very new to them. And so, they might need some encouragement, um, to be able to feel safe to know what it is that they need to do. But it's certainly worth it, because in my opinion, nature, it integrates everything. I mean, in our schooling system at the moment, you know, our subjects are separate. You learn everything in isolation and very rarely is it all, um, applied across many disciplines. I mean, I- I know we've tried over the years, particularly in primary schools. You know, we used to work in integrated units and subjects, and we would, um, we'll have a theme and the subjects would all integrate together. But today, from what I've observed, it's just not that anymore.

[19:51] Speaker 3: It's just learn your subject in your isolation, have that assessment for that one subject, and don't apply that to another subject. And some children don't know how to make the connections of a skill that they've learned in one subject to apply it in a different subject. But if you take them out of that environment and put them into nature, then the learning becomes through more direct experience. You know? And that's why I love the Anastasia books. You know, the Ringing Cedars series, uh, embodies all of this as well, through story. And if you have not heard of this book, I highly recommend you check it out. It's, um, it will shift the way you see things. You know, little, little things in that book. For example, hmm, when you take a seed that you're going to plant in the garden, it might be, uh, a seed of a, of food that you're going to grow, and you put that seed underneath your tongue. And that seed actually, uh, um, reads your energy and acclimatizes to your body.

[20:52] Speaker 3: And when you plant that seed, it's going to grow with the nutrients that you need. (laughs) So, the plants actually, um, are here to help, mm, I wouldn't say serve, but they're here to work in harmony with us. And so, if you're deficient in something or, um, uh, there's something that you're actually needing, the plants will grow. Talk to them. Feel with them. Uh, there's so much that's in that book. That's, I mean, that's one tiny, tiny little example, and I didn't even explain it very well. But, uh, go and check it out. There's so much in it. Um, okay. Okay. So, next thing is, you're probably saying, "Well, you know, this is already done. Many places in the world are already doing this." Yes. Yes, they are. Uh, more power to them. That's fantastic. I mean, I've already mentioned Russia, but, uh, you know, countries like Denmark and Sweden and Norway. I mean, Scandinavia are really all over it. They're amazing. Um, you know, there's forest schools popping up all over the world.

[21:54] Speaker 3: There's forest schools in the UK, there's forest schools in Spain, there's forest schools... Well, we do have a few in Australia, but not as many as I would (laughs) really love to see. Um, they're in all different countries. Um, and they have everyday learning being outside with that play. I mean, even small... I mean, childcare centers, don't even get me started on, on my personal opinion on childcare centers. But when you go into preschools and childcare centers, the children have outside play, but then what happens when they transition to school? The only play they get outside is at lunchtime, but... And other than that, everything is just in four walls. And these days, being radiated with wifi. It's just not a healthy environment, in my opinion. But when the children spend that significant time outdoors, in all types of weather, rain, hail or shine, as long as it's not dangerous. Nothing wrong with children getting wet in the rain, in my opinion, as well.

[22:52] Speaker 3: You know, exploring and building and playing and discovering, and they're learning through experience. Ah, it's just magical. It's so good. So, so good. (laughs) Oh, okay. Now, um, I was talking about other things. Oh, okay. So, Steiner education. Um, Steiner schools have been around for... Everywhere. And they are global. They are literally everywhere. And they are based on the work of Rudolf Steiner. And there's definitely a strong emphasis in rhythm and imagination and connection to nature in Steiner schools. I mean, the learning is not rushed. Uh, it follows the natural development of the child. Uh, it's also very central, based around stories, which we know is a rich way of learning. And the environment plays a central role in Steiner schools. So, if you've not heard of a Steiner school or you do have one, go and check it out. Go and have a look, just even if it's for your curiosity, 'cause these approaches are not new. I mean, uh, i- it's ancient. Learning this way is ancient.

[23:54] Speaker 3: And life and learning, (laughs) which is the whole theme of this show, are not meant to be separate. Life and learning are integrated. Uh, we learn through everyday life. Just so vital. And you can see echoes of this in, in movies that are coming out now, like the movie Avatar. Um, you know, that offers a really powerful reflection on connection to land, you know, connection to country, connection to nature, um, and that integrity of self and how you treat nature and the, the symbiosis. Um, and the idea that the environment's not just a place, but it's that relationship, you know, relating. Um, and the living system we're a part of really is the teacher. So, perhaps some of you might have felt this, I know I did, uh, and connected when I watched movies like that. But when I'm outside, I just don't even have words for it. Um, but I do often get a sense of clarity when, when I'm outside.I don't know. Do you get that too?

[24:59] Speaker 3: I mean, sometimes I get the most amazing, um, ideas, and it's really joyful, but something definitely happens when I'm in nature. I mean, it's almost like an embodiment, and it's more, it's more meaningful for me. Okay, so, uh, for those of you who have never listened to my show before, welcome. Um, I did want to mention that every week I usually write an article, and have activities and suggestions that you can do if you're interested in the topic of the week. And you can find these at wonderful BBS Radio, um, shout out to Don and Doug and the t- and the crew, you guys are amazing. Um, so bbsradio.com/alllearningreimagined, um, and that's where you'll find all the archived shows, but you'll also find all the archived- archived articles and activities. And this week, for the activities that I'm going to be having, are all, of course, about learning in nature. So, um, I have, let me see, I actually did write some notes on this one, so I can remember what I wrote in my article.

[26:10] Speaker 3: Um, I've got, so here's an invitation for you, beautiful listeners, my friends. Um, the Return to Nature invitation, let's just put that there. Uh, this is to invite you, uh, children, adults, grandparents, it doesn't matter what age you are, and it doesn't even have to be in a learning situation, but just simply step outside. Go and sit, and walk, or stand barefoot if possible, don't have a phone, do not have any technology on what you're- whatsoever on you. Uh, just leave it away. Like take it, just go outside, just you, and this can be really scary for some people because we're so distracted today, we don't know how to just be. Even when we sit, we need to watch TV, scroll on a phone, read a book, do something. We've been conditioned and programmed to feel like we have to do, do, do, and constantly, um, produce something and be productive. And, but we are hu- we are a human being, and whil- whilst it might seem quite scary, uh, you don't have to do anything.

[27:21] Speaker 3: You don't have to produce anything to be worthy. I mean, all of us are, um, have a gift to share with the world, and so this is a really good activity to, um, to have no instruction. You just go outside, and you notice. You observe. Try and sit in silence. You don't even need to talk. And then, when you walk, you could do this on a daily walk if you want to, you know, take the headphones off. Stop listening to something that's electrical and inputting, inputting, int- inputting into your brain. Um, just be. And then, notice what draws your attention, and also tap into your body. How does your body feel? Um, what do you notice about your body? Because our body, and this will be one of our, I think this is episode eight, Embodying Learning, and tapping into your body, because your body is always communicating with you. It's just that we're so distracted. We often don't listen to what it's saying. Um, yeah, so, so that's the framing. It's not about doing, it's just about reconnecting.

[28:37] Speaker 3: And sometimes you'll notice, you know, a butterfly might fly past. Um, if anything actually lands on you or is buzzing in your face, or is really right there, go and look up what that animal, um, means, or what that, um, you know, if a leaf keeps dropping on your head, well, that tree's trying to get your attention. It's trying to talk to you. It's trying to tell you something. And some people might think, "Oh, that sounds so silly." No, it's not. We are connected. We live in the same field. We live in the same energetic field on Earth. And it's just that we've forgotten how to get out of our heads, back into our heart space and connect with the nature. So, whilst that sounds like a really simple, easy task, it's not that easy if you have been go, go, go in your headspace all of the time. So, take the time, five minutes, 10 minutes, whatever it is that you can, can do, half an hour would be fantastic, to just be. Another activity.

[29:39] Speaker 3: This one sort of brings nature into everyday learning, and it's just, you know, one small shift that you could do, and that's to, you know, read outside instead of inside if you're reading something. Um, if you're doing something like, uh, I don't know, maths, or, or, um, you know, use real objects, sticks and stones, uh, to measure rather than a ruler or a, um, uh, a measuring tape. So, rather than using those manmade things, use natural things in order to do the measurement. Um, you know, okay, or, or use your, use your feet, like walk along with how many feet you have. So, use something that's natural or real in order to do the measurement, just to play and explore, to connect back into that nature. And another thing you could do is just have a conversation when you're walking. So, being outside, having that conversation. I mean, learning doesn't have to move mountains. I'm just encouraging you to move the location from inside to outside to get used to it.

[30:44] Speaker 3: You know, same place, different day, uh, building that awareness over time, 'cause you could visit the same outdoor place, you know, two, three times in a week, um, and just notice. Notice the changes in the light. Is the lighting different? What do the clouds look like today? Look up. You know, look at what's in our sky. Um, what sounds can you hear today?Um, movement. Notice your own internal state and how you're feeling today, what's your body telling you today. I mean, the nature teaches everything through rhythm and change and seasons, um, and the seasons are always changing, so that's a really, um, powerful practice to do at the same time. Um, reflection prompts are really quite good, you know, like, "When do I feel the most calm and clear?" And get- getting to do- do this with children is great, because they really, uh, they love this. They really get involved, and some of the things that they come up with is (laughs) just mind-blowing.

[31:48] Speaker 3: Just makes my heart sing, uh, listening to- to some of the things that they share when they're observing and they're tapping in. And their imaginations just go wild. It's the best time, when you wanna do something that's creative writing, go outside for the inspiration, um, you know, you don't need to even play music because you've got birds and, uh, the frequency of the birds singing actually heals our body. You know, there's so much that we can learn and tap into that's in nature. It's just ... You probably notice that I'm very excited about this topic. (laughs) Oh, my goodness gracious me. Okay, um, so that's the challenge this week, uh, my friends, beautiful people. Um, it's to ... My challenge is to, where possible, go outside, and regardless of your age group, see if you can get other people outside, um, and- and share how you're feeling and notice what you're observing around you.

[32:50] Speaker 3: And if you are someone, and if you're listening to this, you probably are, that's all over this and you're already outside, yay. Please go and encourage and inspire others to do it too. That would just be fantastic. So, I'm gonna sign off for today. Uh, if you're interested in any more information or you want the article for this week, go to bbsradio.com/alllearningreimagined. (laughs) And, uh, big shout-out to all the wonderful people who've been emailing me each week. Um, keep it coming. I really love you, um, reaching out. You can reach out to me at that same link, um, and, yeah, it- it really is so wonderful to hear your stories and to hear the amazing things that are going on in many different countries. Uh, it's just wonderful, so, you know, we've got this, guys. We've so got this. Uh, so thanks for joining me on All Learning Reimagined. Until next week, explore, experience, express, go out, and live learning.

[33:55] Speaker 1: (Instrumental music) Thank you for joining us on All Learning Reimagined, where passion illuminates the path forward. Remember this: The future of learning doesn't arrive from above; it begins within. You are the spark, the shift, the living answer to education's silent call for transformation. So stay curious. Stay awake. Let inspiration be your compass, because how we learn today is not just personal; it is profoundly generative. It shapes the very architecture of tomorrow's world. We are not separate from the system; we are its evolution. Until next time, trust the wisdom of your own unfolding, and let your life be the lessons that light the way for others.

[35:06] Speaker 4: (laughs)