How Do We Get Into The "Flow" - Year 4, Week 2
With week two in the books, our learners discover what it means to get in the flow and continue digging into this sessions Quest discoveries!
spark studio
“Go with the flow. Force nothing. Let it happen – trusting that whichever way it goes. It’s for the best.” Mandy Hale
As we continue building the tribe we are learning about what it means to get into flow. How does Spark get into flow? We begin through practical life activities. These activities have layers of benefits. In a simple activity such as washing a table you will find it offers adaptation to the environment and culture, refinement of gross and fine motor skills, development of mental order, concentration, self-direction, and functional independence.
elementary studio
“My hand does the work and I don’t have to think. In fact, were I to think, it would stop the flow. It’s like a dam in the brain that bursts.” – Edna O’Brien
As guides, we want to allow time for discovering and creating and reaching that elusive state called flow. All kids deserve the chance to find an activity that they truly love and that makes them happy. As the school year is ramping up, we are looking to get into the State of FLOW in many areas. These areas include: Core Skills, Civilization, Storytelling, and especially this session's Quest, Forest Got Talent.
But what does the State of Flow look like for a hero between the ages 7-10? During Core Skills that may look like someone laying on the floor with headphones on while cranking out some math lessons. It could be losing track of time while writing your theory of the universe. Flow could also be a hero shooting 300 free throws to perfect his basketball shot for Quest!
As we figure out what the State of Flow looks like for us individually, we are also thinking of what that looks like as a studio. During our first two weeks of school, the Elementary studio created its first iteration of our Contract of Promises, Studio Guardrails to help keep a sacred space, and had our first all level check-ins to discuss badge plans. Having consistent systems that heroes build themselves will help us reach Flow as a group. There are many studio systems to learn and tweek as we move through the year, and while it is a challenge in the beginning, we are headed in the right direction. It is our expectation that Our heroes will discover that sweet spot of flow very early, and we will grow as the year progresses!
middle school studio
This week in the Middle School Studio was all about norms and rhythms. For an environment to truly be learner led, learners need to "own the clock," meaning they have the responsibility of moving through their day without a micromanaging adult telling them where to be at what time.
This is a hard skill to learn, especially for learners who have spent years in other-directed environments. So, this week we intentionally introduced each part of the schedule, created expectations for how to transition between learning experiences, and empowered learners to hold each other accountable to be where they are supposed to be on time.
We continue to march through the Medical Quest. This week, we shifted from focusing on human anatomy and began to explore the skills that doctors need in order to diagnose illness. In Civilization, learners explored the origins of the universe. In Storytelling, learners continued to put together a Medical Funding Pitch, in which they present the case for why a certain illness/disease needs more funding for research. They will submit these proposals to a real audience in the world.
We'll keep it up next week!
high school studio
“We can’t be good at everything, but we’re all good at some thing”. -Leslie Tucker
Entering into week two the high school studio kicked off with a bang. We recapped last week to ensure that systems are in place and new heroes have a better understanding of what it means to be a learner at The Forest School.
Secondly, we took a deep dive into truly defining their gifts and talents in addition to researching their top three industries of interest post graduation. Heroes are interested in the following: electrical engineering, journalism, police officer, environmental scientist, psychologist, record producer, social worker, and the list goes on!
For the second week of storytelling heroes compiled a portfolio of 20 different photos that showcased four different elements including lighting, composition, focus, and emotion. Ask your hero to see their photos. They are truly amazing! To end the week we launched into the first civilization of the school year where heroes dissected the history of vaccines as well as debated the current Covid 19 vaccine. The studio had their first hero lead Townhall where they analyzed the current launch policy, the studio contract, and the rules of engagement. This school year couldn’t have gotten off to a better flow. Super ecstatic about these past two weeks and very much looking forward to what the rest of the session has to offer!
-Onward
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