Apple Orchards & Experiential Learning

I am a tree.  

Rooted; leaves open to the world; constantly growing.

I was raised in a home with busy parents.  Their hustle to provide often left me alone, but I was gifted with grandparents who lived behind us, and I spent my afternoons with their patience and guidance.  My Papa was kind and warm.  The memory that lives in my heart as brightly as the days we walked, is our afternoon walks in Kidston Orchard.  

The orchard was about twenty steps from our backyard.  Acres of beautiful land overlooking Kalamalka Lake, housed rows of pear and apple trees.  This place was a quiet gift for us to share our day as my Papa and I walked the land.  We had an agreement with the owner of the orchard – we could pick up the apples that had fallen from the trees onto the ground and eat those.  My Papa showed me the value of staying true to your word and honouring people’s wishes, of enjoying and appreciating the land that surrounds us, and that an apple is just as good, even with a few bruises.

In University, I participated in a specialization in Indigenous studies.  It was during this time that I learned about the clash of teaching ideologies with of western with Indigenous views. Indigenous people have historically learned best through experiential learning, by doing and participating in activities that shape their knowledge along the way.  In this program,  I once again was brought back to learning from an elder, as our cohort carved wooden paddles together.  Through this, I noticed I could step away from the usual “when is this due?”  I could relax and enjoy the learning, again, at a walking pace. It wasn’t about a race to the finish or a test at the end; the process was the learning. 

As an Indigenous First People’s English teacher, I use stories of our lands in the Okanagan to give students a strong sense of place.  We learn of the history of the Okanagan Indigenous peoples and the journey that has brought us to today.  I also ask my students to share their stories, through their words or written language.  Through this, I hope to give them the gift of a stronger identity.  Life’s decisions are much easier if we have a strong sense of who we are.  As Pinar describes, “Indeed, currere emphasizes the everyday experience of the individual and one’s capacity to learn from that experience” (2019, p. 2).  

As a teacher, I hope to embark the passion I have for experiential learning into my lessons, to guide my students on their own path of learning and discovery; helping them find their voice in the classroom.  I teach not through just the analysis of the words we read, but through the exploration of the deeper meaning and the connection to oneself.  I aim to give my students the gift of understanding themselves.  

I hope to water the smallest seeds of curiosity to grow.

Reference List:

Pinar, W.F. (2019).  Currere.