#1190 Worms!

During May’s rains, my kindergarten students discovered WORMS in the playground.

And the world came to a screeching halt. Plans changed. Educators pivoted and we started investigating the world of worms! Read alouds, making and measuring plasticine worms, writing about worms and… the highlight was a visit from 36 wiggly, lovely, live worms.

It was muddy.
It was messy.
I was GLORIOUS!

Investigate more:

#1181 Trees for Schools (and Parks and Earth)

In the fall of 2015 I was weeding our garden. I pulled a small spruce tree.
As it came out of the ground I realized that tree was valuable for our classroom and the students.
I quickly planted it in a pot and brought it to school. We learned about the tree, science and math… it even served as our class Christmas tree. It was a weedy “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree” but it was perfect!

In the spring, we planted the tree at school. Students wrote a wish on a cedar shim that were placed around the tree. At the end of the school year I asked a student if she ever visited the class tree in the school yard. “Everyday,” she beamed!


I realized the power of trees in the classroom…
Since then I have built learning around potted trees that I introduce to class. We write about them, compare them, measure them, research them… and eventually the trees get planted at school. Students develop a connection with the trees (and related learning.) So good.

Rewind 30+ years: I worked as a tree planter for 4 summers and planted about 240,000 trees in Ontario and Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia. It was a tough job. I loved it. I still have access to two of the tiny trees from 1989. They’re now 5 metres tall.

Trees in this post are some of the trees planted at schools. Below is our backyard tree nursery. Most of these trees come from seed, tree giveaways or from our own yard.

Since 2015 I’ve planted 20-50 trees each year at schools, parks and beyond. I love watching them grow.
Want some trees? Look for free tree giveaways in your community, buy them from a nursery or grow them from seed. Enjoy!

#1178 One Year Anniversary – Online Inquiry Videos

One year ago – April 25, 2020 – I posted the first of my inquiry videos that set the tone of the 70 that have followed…

It all started shortly after COVID closed our schools. An educational assistant and teacher suggested I create a short video to share with the Grade 1s in our school. I didn’t take long to agree. Thanks Kristine and Jenna!

A big thanks to you, the students, teachers and families for watching and inspiring me to create more.
I had hoped to reach 1000 subscribers by the one year anniversary.
Today, there are 1107 subscribers.
Thank-you!

Please subscribe and click notifications on if you want to hear about the latest videos before everyone else!

Watch this recent video Swamp Sounds! What’s Making all that Noise?!

#1177 Inquiry Video Anniversary (and Subscriber Goal!)

Shortly after COVID shut down live schooling a year ago, I created a video to support students learning from home…

Almost a year later, 70 inquiry videos support young students learning from home, public schools and forest schools. The videos support math, language, science through questions and curiosity – usually with an outdoor focus.

Since April 2020, the videos have boomed a little boom. At time of writing videos have attracted 981 subscribers. My goal is to exceed 1000 subscribers by the video anniversary – April 25, 2021.

Want to support young learners?

Subscribe!
… And click the notification bell to receive news of the latest videos:

The most viewed video:

One of my favourites:

Another favourite:

A recent video:

The first one in the style adopted:

Subscribe!
… And click the notification bell to receive news of the latest videos: