5th GRADE POETS TO THE RICEFIELDS

Peter Philips, Green School Bali educator, reflects on teaching Grade 5 Poetry the Green School Way. Every Wednesday, he and his teaching team takes Grade 5 out to the rice fields in collaboration with the school’s social enterprise – the Kul Kul Connection. He feels grateful to have its partnership in his learning program; its mission is to bridge the international community of Green School with the local community of Sibangkaja village, seeking to nurture a united community spirit and create a space for local engagement in Green School’s learning and doing. And so out Grade 5 goes, into the fields, spending each Wednesday morning with the farmers. Then each student finds a spot in the field, inspired by what they have seen, heard, done and felt, to sit and write. Subject learning, with nature-based experiences at the heart, are a pivotal part of the Green School way.

As a team, we innovate and create alongside our young people; with head, heart and hands at the ready to collectively serve their innate wisdom and creativity. As adults, we stand in awe of the endless possibilities the young people lead us to as they continuously forge new paths ahead, whilst we stumble at times to keep up with their agility. What do the young people say about all of this as they look back to us? “Well, of course this is the path ahead keep up or just stay there, please!”

Practically speaking, we intentionally design learning experiences that are Relationship-centred, Experiential, Authentic and  Local with an absolute commitment to our child-centred, holistic IRESPECT Values and Green School Skills. We envision learning experiences taking place for our young people within our awe-inspiring bamboo architecture, amidst the beauty of nature that enfolds our campus and as we intentionally cross the Millenium Bridge over the mighty Ayung River, humbly bowing to local knowledge and wisdom as we engage locally.

As adults, we must reawaken our inner-child and live into these experiences through the eyes of young people. With this said, I warmly invite you into a REAL-time, living and breathing, Grade 5 experience. Imagine yourself as the Grade 5 student you once were at 10 or 11 years of age. Yes, recall that time all those years ago! I will pause as you take a breath to recall. 

Embarking on a journey from our Green School bamboo classroom, your feet carry you along narrow paths between plots of land as daily village life slows your pace. 

You wrap a sarong around your waist before we sit together, in silence on the hard ground within the temple. The priest chants ancient mantras, colourful flowers are held, prayers are whispered within, fragrant holy water is sipped and the incense takes our prayers to the sky above. Exiting the temple, as you lift your gaze from the uneven path below, you are gifted an uninterrupted view of mountains and a majestic volcano that rises like a giant above all else. 

Imagine. Imagine arriving in the ricefields and poking the mud with your big toe, before you hesitantly step into the thick, warm mud that embraces your feet and ankles. With sweat dripping down into your eyes, you close them tight just as a flow of cool water surrounds and soothes your tired feet. You keep them closed as you hear the laughter of your friends and the sound of a heron call to its flock as its wings flap overhead. Slowly opening your eyes, you realise. I. Am. Here.