We begin with the children sharing what they enjoyed about our last session together.

Many speak about having enjoyed talking to me and making the leaf tattoos.

I am very curious about how many children speak about ‘going outside’.

They describe this activity in many ways. This intrigues me.

‘Going outside.’

‘The leaf walk.’

‘The walk outside.’

‘Collecting leaves.’

A Leaf Dance

We discuss and imagine what journeys our leaves have taken before arriving in our hands.

Beginning as buds (Jamie has a great idea here to interwine our hands so that our knuckles can be used to illustrate buds).

The opening of the bud as the leaf grows.

The wind blows and the leaf begins to dance.

As Autumn comes in the leaf changes colour and prepares to fall.

We create a sequence of movement (through the hands) based on some elements of the journey of a leaf.

Structures to encourage movement exploration 

Miss Kyle and I have considered how we might structure and communicate movement tasks, whilst allowing the children and I move in our own spaces.

We have decided to experiment with a pre recorded warm up.

This will allow each party to listen to one shared recording and respond in movement in our own ways.

I look forward to hearing everyone’s feedback to this task.

I enjoy the freedom to move away from the laptop.

I just listen and move whatever way feels good for me right now. We encourage the children to do the same.

Sound

Today we gather sounds from our place.

We consider the sounds and noises a leaf might meet on its journey and the sounds that a leaf creates.

We take time to work separately to listen and record sounds.

 

Collecting my sounds

I enjoy going outside.

Listening.

The bells of St. Anne’s Church are a resounding sound in my environment.

I go a little closer.

St. Anne’s Church.

There is actually a small museum inside.

I go in.

I discover a little more about Bob and Joan.

 

Bob and Joan went to the Green Coat Hospital School. The school is no longer there. So we’re talking about a long time ago, back in 1716.

That’s interesting the school was founded 300 years ago exactly.

I feel a resonance with ‘Bob and Joan’s Walk’ and our walks outside.

 

From the roof of St. Anne’s Church, I can see the Firkin Crane again.

 

It’s barrel shape is so clear from here.

I’m really enjoying going outside, finding out the stories and engaging my senses as I discover this place.