How do we catch the moon?
A story of relationship building with the natural world.
From the Boulder Journey School children (2 - 3 years) and teachers 2023-2024 Room 10
A group of children point to the moon in the sky and ask "Catch it?"
Teachers respond by exploring opportunities to actually "catch" the moon.
What do the children know about the moon? What do they believe about the moon’s life? The children have mentioned that the moon has a family and friends. When we can't see the moon, it is going "nigh nigh" and when the moon is full, it is "BIG!" The children have expressed concern that if the moon is not full, it is "broken," maybe because it has been eaten.
Additional questions to explore include: Who is the moon? Who are the moon’s friends? Why is there a moon? Where does the moon go? How did the moon get broken? How do we catch the moon? How can we play with the moon? What is the moon made of? How can we make the moon? Is the moon a he, a she, a they, something else?
Experiences of richness and beauty, highlighting the power of our human relationship with the world around us, take place every day. Children find joy in being in relationships and our responsibility as adults is to take seriously the depth of thinking children bring to each interaction and reciprocate with equal depth and joy.
To facilitate catching the moon, the teachers present the moon through a variety of languages from the children’s repertoire. In the studio, they offer clay and projection. The teachers listen and observe with all of their senses to glean new understandings the children develop during their exploration.
Did the experience flow as anticipated? Did it diverge into new territory? What do we do with this information?
P.S. ABOUT Boulder Journey School
As a school, we embrace social-construction for all learners - children, teachers, and families. We intentionally seek time to come together and discuss children’s experiences through multiple pedagogical lenses. We look to each other to support next steps in the classroom and beyond.
The Teacher Education Program, Residency + Licensure, offers a platform for teachers, both new to the field and seasoned, to come together and think alongside each other. Resident Teachers enrolled in the program teach in a Boulder Journey School classroom for one calendar year*. They are paired with a Mentor Advisor who acts as a thinking partner in every aspect of the classroom life.
Classroom work is complemented and highlighted through the coursework in partnership with University of Colorado Denver. We offer ten courses, taken over the period of fourteen months, that are designed to support this level of collaborative thinking and learning. Resident Teachers have the opportunity to learn alongside educators from around the globe as they take seven of these courses in partnership with our online MA program.
Applications are active now for the 2024 - 2025 Program year. Fill out the Information Session RSVP form on the website to find out more about taking the next step on your educational journey. For more information visit: https://www.boulderjourneyschool.com/
