Friday fun

Such a fun and interesting day in school today. We started off with the John Muir Award where we took advantage of the crisp and bright morning to head up Pontesbury Hill again. We stopped at the meadow with the sun pouring down on us and talked about how hard it is to switch off sometimes and how much this is to do with how we are all tethered to our phones. It was interesting to me that they all recognised the time spent on phones but actually how destructive they find it. We gave them all roll mats and sent them off to lie down in silence for 15 mins. To be still and silent and to listen to the sounds around them. I had a blissful 15 mins with the sun on my face, listening to all the birdsong around us. Their reflections on the activity were insightful and they all found it funny to see the reaction of walkers hiking past and seeing a field of napping teenagers. 

After that Becci and I wanted to do a little prep for a project that I'm starting next month. We used different coloured rocks that we'd found, ground them up to make pigment and did some painting with natural brush materials. We had a wondeful time and most importantly, got a feel for how things are going to work for this after half term.
 
Becci is now a foster mum and I found it hilarious to see what was in the boot of her car today: a set of skis, a skateboard, about three pairs of roller blades and a bottle of wine. 

Our lunch clubs today were interesting. We happened to be talking about rest again and with both groups it was really telling to hear their thoughts and experiences. I've worked with young people for 16 years now and I've genuinely never experienced a generation of more stressed, tired and anxious young people.

I hate talking about social media as the root of all evil, mostly because it makes me sound like a very old lady, but I am increasingly just really terrified about what this technology is doing to the minds of our young people. I feel like we're not allowed to say it because 'things are just different now' but I just feel deeply uncomfortable that we just shrug our shoulders to hear that 8 hours is a normal time to spend staring at a screen in a day. 

I'm convinced that TikTok will bring about the slow destruction of the human brain. I tell my 23 year old colleague this and she just rolls her eyes at me. Anyone want to come and live on an island with me?