A group of West Wing children went on one of their first exploratory walks in our neighborhood this week. At New School-West, we continue to honor walks as a great way to make connections with one another and develop a group connection to our surroundings. Meeting the people that live in our neighborhood and recognizing landmarks that identify our sense of place has us a part of our larger community. Some children noticed street construction on their way to school. We first gathered to agree on where to go.
Amalia: Let’s go see the workers.
Jai: There is a worker there.
Cooper: No, I want to see the big worker.
Jillian: I want to go this way.
Jai: No, I want to go this way.
Teacher Cindy: It sounds like you all want to go in a different direction. Some want to go to the East and some West. How do we decide?
Theo: My house is there!
Jillian: Let’s go to Theo’s house!
Amalia: Where is your house?
Theo: My house is that way.
Cindy: Oh, that’s North. We must keep walking.
Theo: We go up. Then we go that way (pointing left).
Cindy: We need to turn left.
Theo: This is my house (he says with evident glee).
The children had many ideas about which way to explore but when presented with the idea of a friend’s house, they came together on a destination for their walk. When faced with multiple disparate ideas, we wonder if friendship will always emerge as the goal.