Middle School

Learning from the land

Michael Nelson Head of Middle School

In our world of fast-paced, high-tech culture, where does a sense of place and a connection to the land belong? Although we are continually communicating with each other, it seems that for many people there is something missing. This constant connection does not always help us to communicate deeply, feel loved, be centred or bring us closer to the earth that sustains us. Learning from and in nature is incredibly important in today’s world and it is clear that building a meaningful relationship with the natural world is essential for our wellbeing. In fact, recent studies have illustrated the benefit and importance of spending time outdoors, for both young people and adults alike. Most studies agree that students who spend time outside are calmer, happier, more attentive and less anxious than students who spend too much time indoors or on devices. While it’s unclear how exactly the cognitive

functioning and mood improvements occur, there are a few things we do know about why nature is good for our minds. Learning in the natural world builds confidence, promotes creativity and imagination, teaches responsibility, provides stimulation, encourages students to be active and allows for a new level of collaboration and connection. In the Middle School there are myriad experiences that encourage a connection with the land, from our rich Outdoor Education programs at Toonallook, Hattah and Wobonga, to the wonderful Year 7, 8 and 9 interdisciplinary program. They provide terrific opportunities for students to grow both as individuals and as a collective, learning from multiple experiences in nature and rural communities. Connection to the land is becoming more important now than ever, as is allowing students to be outside feeling the wind, sunshine and

‘Learning from and in nature is incredibly important in today’s world and it is clear that building a meaningful relationship with the natural world is essential for our wellbeing.’

rain while getting to know special parts of the Australian landscape. Another example of how Carey students build a new insight into the concept of connecting to the land is our Robinson River experience. A group of students from Years 6 and 9 travel up to the Robinson River community in the Northern Territory to connect with a small remote school just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria. They spend a week in the school making friends, supporting learning, kicking the footy, reading books, sharing stories and culture, helping teachers, running an annual sports day, doing community service and most of all having fun. It is a very special week and in Term 3 each year we have the joy of hosting some Robinson River students in Melbourne for a week. The program has evolved over the years and each year it has its own joys, surprises and challenges – all the Carey students return to Melbourne with many stories, new perspectives, many unanswered questions, a passion for community, a sense of gratitude for what they have and a lot of red sand in their shoes.

Increasingly we know that the process of education is not simply about giving students chunks of information to be remembered later in a summative assessment situation – it is about enabling students to ‘learn how to learn’ and build a sense of wonder and curiosity. It is also about giving students opportunities to hear what others have learnt and experienced, then discuss, argue, and reflect to gain a greater understanding of how it applies to them. One of the powers of interdisciplinary learning is that life’s lessons are taught by examples in the everyday, often most powerfully by everyday people in the real world. They learn to understand other kids who live in different circumstances to them, and they take home new insights or feelings that will hopefully shape their perspectives. Students learn about many things in the Middle School and lessons of the land give insights which support these stories. Three things that seem to be really powerfully learnt in nature are empathy, compassion and perspective – as a culture we can be fixated on a sense of entitlement and the rights of the individual over the collective. Interestingly though, the students who cope best as things become difficult are those who have the ability to look at issues from multiple angles (empathy), care for others (compassion) and who can process things and then let them go (perspective). In the end, we hope that our children will be healthy and happy, and that they’ll have a positive influence in the wider world. I struggle to think of one concept or subject that is impossible to teach using natural environment – science, biology, maths, language, art, geography, chemistry, astronomy, technology. All subjects can be successfully explored, studied, tested, examined and taught in nature. Nature takes all sorts of forms and at Carey we try to provide students with many ways in which they can be immersed in the natural world. The most important question of our time is how we can look after the environment and each other equally. The future belongs to a generation who figures out how to do this.