Holistic Reflection
Using the Enviroschools kaupapa as a lens to ask, listen, understand and share
- To notice where you are at and look ahead to where you might go
- To reflect on and learn from your experiences
- To share and celebrate your journey so far and give voice to aspirations
- To affirm and give support for the kaupapa and to continue the journey.
Pausing to reflect
What are we reflecting on?
Understanding the purpose, outcomes and benefits of reflection. Deciding what we want to focus on and who could be involved. Co-constructing a plan for reflection and identifying key tools, support and roles.
Reflecting
How did it go? What changes have come about because of our learning and actions?
Use key questions and reflection tools to notice the presence of the Guiding Principles, where we are at and where we might go.
Sharing and Celebrating
How will we share and celebrate?
Inviting our community to come together to see, hear, affirm and support the continuing Enviroschools journey. An opportunity to give voice to aspirations.
Continuing
Where to from here?
Distilling the insights, messages, wonderings and ideas that emerged from the reflection and incorporating these into planning for our future Enviroschool journey.
You can download 2 versions of the Holistic Reflection graphic here:
Tools and activities used within this process to help think deeply (to look back so that we can move forward) are broad and varied. Choose a few that work for your situation. You can access a range of activities that support reflection from the Reflection and Celebration category or the Enviroschools Kit.
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Reflection is an integral part of the learning cycle, helping us to make sense of our experiences, deepen our learning, and gain direction for the journey ahead.
Reflection is the step that completes a loop of the learning cycle and launches us into our next round of observing, learning, exploring, deciding and acting.
The Enviroschools Holistic Reflection process is one of open enquiry, which includes celebration of our strengths and honesty about our weaker areas as we explore opportunities for growth. It is a collaborative process of discussion, reflection and future planning based on contributions from a diverse range of people.
Discussing what you did and how it went helps build capacity for future learning and action. It gives a chance for different people’s perspectives on an experience to surface, widening and deepening your collective Pool of Knowledge/Puna Mātauranga.
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Reflection is also about investigating the impact and quality of our actions.
Reflection is also about investigating the impact and quality of our actions.Reflection is about observing change in an Enviroschools surroundings, operation, organisation and curriculum. These changes may be seen in the living, non-living and built environment, and in children/students, staff, whānau and the whole school/ECE centre community. Measuring change can reinforce your achievements and confirm that you are making a difference.
The flow Holistic Reflection starts with building a shared understanding then is guided by the Reflect on Change questions towards celebration and launching into the next part of the journey. There are many benefits of deeply thoughtful holistic reflection. A thorough reflection can reveal both expected and unexpected and yield valuable new insights in your journey towards a more sustainable Enviroschool and community. When sharing these with others, there is also an opportunity for strengthening networks, receiving affirmation/ feedback/ feedforward, sparking new ideas and reciprocal professional development for everyone involved.
Tāmaua kia tina!
Include community
Finding ways to keep the wider community connected and informed can help you gain support and input and may spark further ideas and action beyond your gates. Photos and videos can excite interest and motivate others. Make the most of newsletters, noticeboards, presentations and social media to share your progress.
Have a celebration!
Celebrating as an Enviroschool is about having fun and acknowledging what you did, what you learned and what you created. It’s a great way to mihi to everyone who was involved, thanking them for their contribution. What’s more, it’s a good way to raise the profile of your Enviroschool and the environment as a whole. Your celebration can be big or small, and you can celebrate at many points along your journey.
An opening, a blessing or a gathering is a great way to celebrate achievements and thank the many people who have given their time, energy or resources to a project. It may be the first time that all of these people have been together, and it is often an uplifting experience for people to meet and share their experiences. It also strengthens the networks between school/ECE centre and community.
- Design a special signing ceremony for your Enviroschools Agreement as part of your re-commitment!
- Hold an Enviroschools open day for your community
- Take members of your whānau, friends, kaumātua and other community members around your Enviroschool to see the projects you have been working on and those you would like some help with
- Use kai from your gardens to have a community morning tea
- Plan a special Enviroschools reflection sharing day to celebrate changes and recommit to the Enviroschools Kaupapa
- Have a community harvest festival or a produce market day
Remember, whatever you, your Envirogroup and school decide to do:
- Create learning opportunities in the planning and preparation
- Enjoy the creative process and be open to new ideas
- Reach out to your wider community for knowledge, resources and skills
- Research and plan to use environmentally friendly materials and resources.
Share your story
Share your journey on social media, or compile an Enviro-guidebook, or contribute a case study or story to the Enviroschools website, so that future students and other schools/ECE centres can be inspired to follow in your footsteps!
This story telling and sharing helps because:
- It honours the people, their contributions and the outcomes
- It provides a context for the teachers and tamariki or students who come later
- It is useful for gaining support and funding – funding agencies can see what you are doing and are more likely to fund something that they can see is a well-organised and long-term project
- It can inspire others to want to join in
- It can teach others about how to care for the environment
If you have any questions, please contact your facilitator.