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Illuminating Bitterroot and Relational Learning

What becomes possible in a culture where thoughts, feelings, and actions are at the centre of learning?

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Using our Bitterroot hearts to acknowledge the land

Traditional

Ancestral

Unceded

“The land needs us now as we always need it. Even little things like going for a hike and feeling happy and free. It will feel that. We can speak to the earth through our hearts.”

- Rylee

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Some hopes for the hour:

  • Holding each other up
  • Generous listening
  • Genuine curiosity
  • Feeling empowered
  • Amplifying all our children
  • Care-full conversation

How else might we hold each other up in this space? Share your thinking in the chat window.

When you play with me outside you hold my heart up.

- Noah

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How might outside love us back…

like a friendship?

Noticing our caring feelings for outside like Chief Bitterroot

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Let’s look for things that make us feel good, that we care about… What do you see with your heart?

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Nova - That was fun! It’s so deep!

Rosi - This is exciting! I love nature!

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Krish - I love puddles!!!

Me too!!

Finn - The land makes me happy when it rains.

Lily - I love rain puddles

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Lily - I love my naturedness!

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Kinsley- I love trees. It makes my heart feel good when I hug them. They smell like Christmas!

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Max - There’s a lot of good things in here!

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Mrs. Sarah - This is how I know nature hugs us back. It’s moss. Bentley found it on wood, too

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Finn - I feel really good being in the forest. This stick reminds me of Chief Bitterroot because it makes me really happy.

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Jakob - When my dad makes me a fire at night. It makes me happy.

Amelia - This reminds of when me and my family came up here.

Tessa - Reminds me of when I went camping when I was three and we made a hut for birdies to sleep.

Rylan - This makes my heart think of trees.

Atticus -This reminds me of chief bitterroot. It’s nice and gentle.

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Think Time...

What stories already live within you & your community?

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Breakout Room: Storying our Beliefs Protocol

4 minutes: One member shares: who you are, where you are from, and what stories already live within you and your community.

2 minutes: Others reflect back what they heard. Hold up what you heard the educator valuing in their sharing. (e.g. “I heard you say…”)

1 minute: First member reflects on what others surfaced for them. What resonated? What was unexpected?

After all group members have shared, then...

4 minutes: Open conversation. Sharing resources or possibilities. Snapping beliefs together. Making connections with the offerings others held up, sharing a story of where you have felt tension in living these beliefs, asking questions of each other… and anything else that fuels your conversation.

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Holding Up our Collective Growth as Educators

Tell us in the chat…

What was affirming?

What was illuminated?

What made you think...

“I’m going to have to think about that more.”

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All of our special stories now have a relationship.

THANK YOU for sharing!

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How would you feel if you discovered this on a path?

Beckam - Happy!

Finn - Joy in my heart.

Lily - It would hold my heart up.

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What possibilities are coming to light?

What’s taking root for next year?

How could we continue to grow together?

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Here is the slidedeck (including links) from the video.

Please feel welcomed to use it to spark more conversation!

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Breakout Room #1

Sharing Beliefs Protocol:

2ish mins�Each group member shares:

  • who they are,
  • where they are from, and
  • what belief(s) they felt were held up through the documentation shared this evening or the video they watched in advance.

Repeat.

3 - 5 minutes:

Snapping our beliefs together. Make connections with the beliefs others held up, connect these beliefs to your own practice, share a story of where you have felt tension in living these beliefs, ask questions of each other… and anything else that fuels your conversation.

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Breakout Room #2

What stories already live within you & your community?