2. The dichotomy in education:

I have been working at an elementary school in North Vancouver which has giving me insight into how the education system is teaching children about ecology and environmental issues. One of our school days we had a performance for the whole school to watch. It discussed environmental issues and how our natural world is in danger due to negative human impact such as: pollution, and garbage etc. One of the key messages from the performance was the little things that we could do differently that can help our environment such as using less throw away food containers, recycling, and walking/biking to school. Right after the performance was lunch time which on this day students were provided with a hot lunch. Ironically these hot lunches where served in all throw away containers. This caused me to think about the dichotomy between what we are teaching children and our actions modeling something that contradicts what we are teaching about. The schools recycling program only recycles certain types of paper and juice boxes because they can make 5 cents off of each one. Are we modeling that only if we make a profit that it’s worth our effort and time to recycle? We really need to think about this and take our actions seriously if we want to support and foster relationships of respect between ourselves/students and nature. If we don’t will be risking more negative impact on our natural world?

Severn Suzuki speech at UN Earth Summit 1992 Tell the World:

Severn Suzuki speaks to the environmental issues of our world and the impact of neoliberalism influence on a business consumerism society causing environmental conditions of crisis. What stands out to me is this recognition that there is a crisis but that people keep making choices that continue this negative cycle. This is a huge issue and can be overwhelming, but the question for me is, what can we do as teachers in the education system to help improve these conditions? Severn Suzuki quotes the great wisdom of her father “you are what you do, not what you say” (6:15). This statement can hold us all accountable if we begin to focus on our actions reflecting our teaching. Richard Louv writes, “ the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship has reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment-but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading.” (2005, p.1). How can we act as teachers in a way to encourage and foster this connected relationship between our students and nature? How can we take seriously environmental issues but also provide spaces for children to make positive environmental changes? What if we increase our engagement with the natural environment by creating outside space on our school grounds for school and community gardens. This would teach children about the value of gardening and create engagement between schools and the communities as we begin to make a positive impact in our world. This would also provide schools with nutritious foods for lunch and cooking programs as well as provide much needed garden space for our communities in which garden space is so valuable in a growing and changing city. We can also begin recycle programs that teach children and their families about recycling.

References:

Louv, Richard. (2005). Last Child In The Woods Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books.

Severn Suzuki speech at UN Earth Summit 1992 Tell the World [online video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaOJrJ_oqFU