What is an imagination classroom by Yolande

Nurturing and respecting all spaces through imagination and kindness.

For me, an imagination classroom is where we imagine, discover and ignite possibilities for how we can nurture and respect all spaces– the spaces within and the spaces around us – through creative, experiential engagement, powered by imaginative play. 

Students would see how, as human beings, we have some control when it comes to how we interact with these spaces (and even more so for those in developed countries), and that through our choices and actions, we can work to activate the most wonderful stories – so why would we choose otherwise! 

Students would look at internal locus, external locus and the inextricable intersections – and would come up with imaginative ways to activate these spaces. The day would start with physical / aural practices to acknowledge and activate these spaces. And throughout the day, these spaces would be further explored through tangible creation – design (painting the classroom/ gardening/ cooking/ mapping/ building/ clothing); and also through aural – music (singing, writing and playing music); and through physical – movement  (connecting to the body, the sheer joy of flow through physicality and the capacity for non-verbal communication (exploring physical shape motifs and gesture and turning that into story)). Through working with their senses, students can explore how these activities and creations affect their emotions and they would learn how to process failure – and that failure is a natural process which occurs on occasion.

An understanding of unique, yet interconnected perspectives, would unfold. From human beings, to our animal kin, to rocks and the elements, students would have time to consider how every being or thing has their own unique way of feeling, or interacting through/with these spaces – the world. 

Students would have creative opportunities to explore the elements around us, focusing on the elements that cross-weave through all spaces (water, earth, air, light and fire etc) and discover how these elements hold and transmit knowledge through these processes. Students would learn the different ways that spaces and elements have interacted in the past, and look at what the outcomes have been. They would be able to chart comparisons between actions and outcomes, cause and effect, and learn about the potential of reciprocity and how to make positive choices. They would experience how their imagination can provide them with a unique outlook on these situations. Numeracy and literacy skills would emerge through these experiential practices and a value system, where the importance of reciprocity and health  (once again supporting both internal and external spaces) would be clearly recognised and prioritised. 

Imagination and kindness, underpinning the discovery and understanding of the space matrix, would help our next generations action positive stories to rekindle harmony and balance on Earth.