Filed under:
Uncategorized by Wendy

By Wendy McDonnell

When the words, “There’s ants in my locker,” were spoken in a dynamic Grade 6-7 class, the classroom energy shifted from a self absorbed chatter to a sense of panic.  Instantly, countless numbers of boys ran into the hallway to check the locker from a safe distance, while the girls discussed the possibility of a complete ant infestation of the school.

I could instantly sense their imaginations being switched from self-focused personal fulfillment opportunities, to possible life threatening attacks.  Boys started sharing ant bite stories (which were oddly familiar to the popular fish-tales of exaggeration and domination) while the girls quickly continued with their concern about their lunch being touched by an ant.

I did not take much time to share the endless important qualities of ants (including their nutritional elements), nor did I take much time to point out the relative size of the ants compared to only a strand of their hair.  Instead, I chose to watch and reflect.  I watched as a few of the bravest boys cautiously approached the locker with disgust.  I watched as they opened the lock and reached in to grab the countless empty juice-boxes and pop cans with disdain.  When a few ants presented themselves on the top of the sugary cans, the cans were instantly dropped and a squishing ritual ensued.  Laughter, excitement and smiles were simultaneously paired with the numerous deaths of the ants in and around the locker.

This is but one example of the societal attitudes that have developed around insects of all kinds.  Insects are to be destroyed at all times because they are threatening destructive and dirty, especially if they are in or near a human’s habitat.  This common belief instantly places humans at the whim of the microscopic beings that essentially are responsible for the continuance of life.  Their job as scavengers maintain the cleanliness of our cities, their job as food source maintains the life of our fish, chickens, and ducks that sustain so much of our people.  Their jobs as insect pest control and pollinators ensure that our crops continue without hardship.  They can be annoying, they can sting, and yes they can be fun to squish.  But how much of this true understanding of the cycle of life, do our children grasp?  How many times have they really stopped to watch and learn from the thousands of insects that surround them in their classrooms, their homes and their lockers?  Do they know that some insects raise and nurture their young as we do?  Have they compared themselves with an insect to identify the many similarities? Have they observed the technological marvels that insects create daily?

Although ant squishing, ant attacks and ant infestations are exercises for the imagination of children and adults, take time to identify the positive and imperative place that insects have in our existence.  Research the insects in your neighbourhood and discover their talents, skills and amazing job requirements.  Embrace the unknown and nurture the inquisitive creative mind in yourself and your child by observing, sketching and exploring an insects home.  Most “new” scientific or architectural discoveries are not new at all, but have been “copied” from those that are creep and crawl.  Nurturing this in your child will ensure endless creativity, empathy and future successes.

Filed under:
Articles by Wendy

By Wendy McDonnell

I am pleased to hear that the snow geese have heard the public’s appeal for an alternate means to maintain fields without the use of toxic pesticides.  After walking across a school field, I was thrilled to see the FREE maintenance the geese are providing.  With the Snow Geese on the fields, there is no need for any weed or feed.  The geese are efficiently grazing on any weed shoots that have sprouted while leaving behind a perfect fertilizer blend.  Yes, the fertilizer may be a little slippery when walking, but it is much less abrasive then the toxic smell we had to bear the entire summer from lawns freshly sprayed with chemicals.   When the rain falls, the feces is dissolved into a long lasting nutritious treat for the fields, increasing its ability to fight any “weed” that may want to take root after the geese leave.  The grass on the fields also looks well aerated, very similar to the way it looks when it has been mechanically aerated.  This aeration has been referred to as “the secret weapon for a healthy lawn”, which has also been provided free by the snow geese.  Not to mention the hours of entertainment that they provide.  My children loved running to the geese, watching how they can lift off and land almost as if an invisible string connected them.  The geese were unfazed by them, and I was appreciative that they allowed my children to learn about them through exploratory play. It was almost as if they knew that the children were the ones that would be in charge of their survival in the future.  By allowing them to experience the joy of running through the snow geese, my kids learned about flight, teamwork, survival, music and compassion for others.   Then they returned home with a gift from the geese, some beautiful white feathers to adorn the tree.

As I observe the thousands of geese struggling to survive on what land we have left them, I am amazed at how humans feel that their presence is but a nuisance and that they feel culling is called for.  Yes, the snow geese numbers have finally reached a sustainable population once again, and it is amazing how they have the ingenuity to survive amongst a human population that feels that they are unnecessary, unsightly and “over abundant”.  These “over abundant” geese squeeze onto school fields because the regular cropland that they weed and fertilize over the winter has been built on or sprayed so heavily that no weeds grow!  No food… no geese…

I try to teach my children that it is important to remember that even though we know we are loved, they are loved as well.  Considering their population is not even close to the human population and their carbon footprint is zero, it is unfortunate that we don’t extend the same graces to them as we do to our own.  For instead of taking without returning as humans do, not only are the geese surviving, but they are teaching us how to maintain our earth, within the cycle of life, naturally.  Thank you to the Snow Geese.

Filed under:
Articles by Wendy

By Wendy McDonnell

The music was playing.  It was classical. The room was silent.  Twenty-seven little bodies were leaning over a plain white piece of paper.  Tools in hands and water ready.  Soon colours started to appear.  The energy in the room was vibrant, as were the colours being mixed silently.  Every interpretation, every experience was different. I sat down for the first time all day and watched.  The peace that was radiating from the room was stunning, and by just watching the creative process, I could feel a peace overcome my body as well.    I was amazed, but not near as much as those people poking their heads into the usual chaotic room in shock.  “It is so quiet in here,” was said loudly by all passer-bys.  The boisterous voices were enough to test any seven year old’s concentration.  Not a head moved.  Unbelievable.

This was the third class of the week that was painting their special “alone” place.  I finished reading them the book “Me, Alone, at the End of the World” by Schim Schimmel. Then all who wanted, shared with the class the place they go to be alone.  No video games or televisions.  No brothers or sisters or mothers or fathers.  We passed around the sharing feather and, one by one, they shared their alone places.  The majority were outdoors, or looking outdoors.  Some were in complete darkness, such as a closet or under a bed.  The openness of these children blew me away.  Unlike previous discussions, their reservations seemed to be pushed aside as each child shared a piece of them that no one really talks about any more.  That it was okay to be alone.

Not only is it okay to be alone, but it is a necessary part of children’s psychological development.   As Dr. Neufeld has stated, children need to be able to play alone in order to discover themselves.  If children are always inundated with others, they will eventually take on the persona of others and attach to them, instead of developing the self confidence in themselves that comes with being alone and developing unique likes and dislikes, gifts and attributes.

When I was a teenager, I would escape the chaos of my life and ride to the water.  There I would sit for hours staring at the waves, inspecting the rocks, and learning to express my inner voice.  I would practice singing to the beat of the crashing, writing by connecting with the simple life around me, or sketching the tiny crevasses between a rock.  Once I remember rehearsing my lines from a play balanced on rocks, tucked away from any spectators.  When I arrived at home, I was cleansed without really understanding why.

With research, I now understand the importance of quieting the mind: The importance of switching from the dominant left-brain to the creative right.  Inviting peace into our day is of utmost importance.  Studies have revealed the effect merely looking at a picture of a landscape has on heart rate and brain waves.  Capturing the picture that exists in the mind on paper is one of the most therapeutic remedies for any stress.   New research has also linked the reduction of ADHD symptoms in children who spend time outdoors.  So the question remains, why do we encapsulate our lives, and our children’s lives, in a concrete box?

I believe that we are afraid of the magic that exists within us all.  A few minutes a day harnessing the magic on paper, or just by clearing the mind will allow our bodies to focus, to repair and to heal.  Tapping the endless potential that exists within us is necessary, especially, in a day of school.

My students produced work that was perfect.  It was perfect because it came from within.  And each student is perfect.  They know it.  And as Don Miguel Ruiz, the author of the Four Agreements, says, why do we spend so much time trying to convince them they are not?

Filed under:
Articles by Wendy