“Wow, look at how many flowers you have! Should we count them?”
Jessie* ran up to me with her basket in hand. She had been collecting wildflowers while we waited for the other children to arrive for our Easter Egg Hunt.
As she pulled some out and counted, she laid them neatly on my hand but stopped at only three.
“Oh, I see some more”, I began to say.
She continued to put them on my hand, starting again from one, and it was only then I realized Jessie was counting and organizing the flowers by color.
At only 4 years old, sorting and comparing are critical math skills that build the foundation for Jessie’s mathematical learning journey moving forward. So, I asked her how many she had of each color flower, and which group had more, and which had less.
I didn’t know it when I began In Nature with Nina, but it was specifically for moments like this that I founded it.
After over 15 years teaching in the traditional classroom model, I desired to teach in a way that felt more closely connected to life and our world.
You see, in a classroom setting, I have taught the concepts of “more” and “less” with worksheets and pictures of flowers. But this…this was teaching in a way that felt natural, that allowed me to connect with Jessie, life-to-life, and allowed Jessie to actually live a learning moment. I firmly believe that experiences like this are the ones in which we truly learn, and which stick with us for much longer than completing a worksheet would.
In Nature with Nina’s goal is to inspire multiple moments like Jessie’s – and many more. Moments in which families and children connect with each other, nature and learn together. Beyond this, what guides me? The philosophy of value-creating education for global citizenship. This approach to education believes in the inherent, unlimited potential of every individual. My role as an educator is not to teach, but to guide, to help learners recognize and access their unique potential.
Interested in experiencing moments of connection and growth in nature with us? Visit our Activities & Workshops page to learn about our upcoming nature adventures!
Let’s connect and grow together, and like Jessie, experience the joy of learning in nature.
*pseudonym used for privacy