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The Learning Environment
Creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for learning is essential for every child’s growth and success. The National Association for the Education of Young Children emphasizes that developmentally appropriate support is crucial for developing each child. At Airie, we embrace a approach to our learning environment, which encompasses various vital elements.
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Context: Our instructional practices are designed to meet each child's diverse needs and interests, fostering a love for learning
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Content: Developmentally appropriate resources are balanced to engage children in meaningful, hands-on activities that promote exploration and discovery throughout all dynamic disciplines.
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Culture: We deeply appreciate and encourage the active participation of families and the community, recognizing their invaluable role in enriching the learning experience.
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Location: Nestled in nature, our school leverages the outdoor environment to enhance learning, encouraging children to connect with and learn from the natural world.
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Physical Design: Our learning spaces are meticulously designed to be safe, inviting, and stimulating. They provide an optimal setting for children to explore and grow, giving parents peace of mind.
Integrating these elements creates an enriching learning environment that supports each child's holistic development.
holistic
Context
Our instructional practices aim to evoke and strengthen children’s wonder by flowing through the learning cycle using the educational theory of systematic eclecticism. This means the educator will analyze the learning environment and select an approach that suits the situation.
Airie's educational approaches dynamically blend elements from Forest Schools, Reggio Emilia, and Creative Schools. These methodologies are intentionally integrated into the Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards through invitations for open-ended play, authentic project-based learning experiences, and playful instruction when deemed appropriate.
Educational Philosophies
Educational Approaches
We embrace systematic eclecticism and have found that children are successful when we bring the best teaching methods to their developmental stage. The main philosophies our educators practice are:
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Constructionism - Jean Piaget
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Experiential Learning - Lev Vygotsky, John Dewey, Jean Piaget, and Paulo Freire
Content
People are not standardized, and neither is our curriculum. Education is an organic process; therefore, we embed broad emergent curricula into the play environment based on the children's inquiries.
What are Dynamic Disciplines?
The dynamics of interdisciplinary work fuel the planned curricular experiences in our classes. A discipline is a mixture of theory and practice. Conceiving the emergent curriculum in terms of disciplines allows for the cross-pollination of creative problem-solving and expands the connections possible. Dynamically balancing the disciplines means there will be days when some content areas absorb more time, and others are not explored. This balance follows the children's needs and interests.
"In a sense, there is really no such thing as an academic subject. There are only academic ways of looking at things."
Sir Ken Robinson
Students at Airie Learn within Six Dynamic Disciplines
The dynamic disciplines are the structure that encompasses our eight Core Competencies, which we facilitate to help our students succeed in their lives. Each of the following competencies relates to the four purposes of education.
Eight Core Competencies
Curiosity
The Ability to Ask Questions and Explore How the World Works
Creativity
The Ability to Generate New Ideas and to Apply Them in Practice
Criticism
The Ability to Analyze Information and Ideas and to Form Reasoned Arguments and Judgements
Communication
The Ability to Express Thoughts and Feelings Clearly and Confidently in a Range of Media and Forms
Collaboration
The Ability to Work Constructively with Others
Compassion
The Ability to Empathize with Others and to Act Accordingly
Composure
The Ability to Connect with the Inner Life of Feeling and Develop a Sense of Personal Harmony and Balance
Citizenship
The Ability to Engage Constructively with Society and to Participate in the Processes that Sustain It
What are the purposes for education?
We believe the culture of our classes should fulfill four basic purposes: economic, cultural, social, and personal. Our educators consider these purposes when creating the learning environment to satisfy and stretch our students' inquiries.
Culture
Every individual thread has a distinctive role that is essential in crafting the magnificent tapestry of learning.
Role of Educator
There are four main roles teachers fulfill to
facilitate learning:
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Engage
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Enable
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Expect
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Empower
Role of Children
The children's role is to freely choose where, how, and with whom to spend their time playing. Through play, children will have opportunities to explore, collaborate, discuss, reflect, negotiate, problem-solve, connect, and celebrate with each other.
Role of Family
The role of the family is to support the connection between home and school. The level of involvement of your family has a direct impact on your child’s learner identity. Curious parents who ask their children about the events in school, attend school conferences, advocate for their child’s learning, and participate in school events demonstrate the value they have for education.
Role of Community
It takes a village! The role of the community is to actively engage with enrolled families, ask questions, attend events, volunteer, utilize our resources, and advocate for the rights of childhood! Through collaboration, empathy, and solidarity, communities empower parents to navigate the joys and challenges of raising children with confidence and resilience.
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Locations
Airie is a semi-mobile forest school located in the Highland Rim of Tennessee.
The children will spend time at the Airie Nurture Center, just off the Cumberland River's beautiful banks.
AFS students also enjoy expeditions to local and state parks, farms, museums, and nature centers. Families are responsible for all transportation.
Airie Forest School
Nurture Center Site
778 Potters Lane
Clarksville, TN 37040
Physical Design
Children have the freedom to explore our open-ended Learning Hubs and .
beyond
Outdoor Learning Hubs
Atelier
Our outdoor Atelier is an art studio that allows children to truly be free with their process because there is no stress about the mess! In this creative haven, children can explore big body movements, splatter, pour, and sculpt to their heart's delight.
Mud Kitchen
A mud kitchen provides children with hands-on, sensory-rich experiences that foster creativity, imaginative play, and fine motor skills. It also encourages social interaction and cooperative play while promoting an appreciation for nature and the natural materials around them.
Sand Box
Our sandpit enhances children's fine motor skills and sensory experiences through digging, molding, and pouring. It promotes social interaction, creativity, and problem-solving as children engage in cooperative play and imaginative construction projects.
Learning Gardens
A cozy place dedicated to group meetings, books and story time, and a playful learning space when needed. This is also a place for children who may need a quiet place for rest and rejuvenation.
Fire Circle
A cozy place dedicated to group meetings, books and story time, and a playful learning space when needed. This is also a place for children who may need a quiet place for rest and rejuvenation.
Builder's Hub
A cozy place dedicated to group meetings, books and story time, and a playful learning space when needed. This is also a place for children who may need a quiet place for rest and rejuvenation.
Open Areas
In our grasslands, we have provided space for the children to run, roll, wrestle, climb and balance.
Story Teepee
A cozy place dedicated to story time and for children who may need a quiet place for rest and rejuvenation.
Performance Hub
A place for the performing arts! Puppet shows, story acting, dancing, music, and more. This dynamic hub is designed for children to be free to move their bodies in creative ways and bring stories to life.
Adventure Playground
In our grove area, the children practice their gross-motor skills through carefully designed natural elements utilizing the framework of the Adventure Playground (e.g., playwork) research-based practice. Children learn how to carefully take risks with close adult supervision and support to test their limits and learn more about who they are and what they are capable of achieving.
The Beyond...
The children enjoy expeditions to local parks, farms, creeks, caves, rivers, nature centers, zoos, and museums. This provides our children with the freedom of forest school. They can become mesmerized by nature's beauty, wonder as they walk, and see extraordinary sights. Hiking in the woods is valuable for children as it promotes physical fitness, gross motor skills, and an appreciation for nature through exploration and movement. It also fosters curiosity, observational skills, and a sense of adventure, encouraging children to engage with and learn from their natural environment.
Learn more about our
Nurture Center Shelter
Airie Forest School is an outdoor educational program and only comes into our emergency shelter when there is dangerous weather outside.
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