All posts by tamzinperkins

The blind leading the blind

Initially I did think of it as the blind leading the blind. Every person being totally new to Singapore and attempting to lead our peers steadily through an environment we’d never be able to visit before.

After having a little more time to reflect on my facilitation day as well as other groups’ facilitation day in Singapore, I’ve felt more positive about the experiences, and have been able to view them in a more constructive way. Yes, I can still see many ways in which our facilitation could’ve gone better, however after speaking with other groups it has reassured me a little; knowing they faced similar obstacles, perhaps to a lesser extent.

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Do what you love, love what you do!

As I’ve been nearing the end of my degree at university, I’ve been questioning myself, in terms of my readiness for the teaching profession. Am I happy with the level of knowledge that I have? Will my students really gain the experiences and passion for the outdoors that I have?

Outdoor Education in Singapore didn’t appear as those it could ignite this passion for the environment. To me, it seemed to revolve only around recreation, which I used to think meant students would only enjoy the activity, and not gain a deeper connection with the outdoors.

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Who am I?

One day long ago,
Is where it all began.
Far away in Otago,
I laughed and played and ran.

I swam in the creek,
and rode on my horse.
I played with my friends,
Hiding amongst the gorse.

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Me, Myself and Irony

Who am I to others?

I’ll explain the irony of it all first: I’ve battled with anxiety and stress for most of my life, reading into situations too much. I’ve therefore been told constantly to stand back a little, not read too much into things and generally not be too critical of others. So during Outdoor Education, when it’s necessary to read a little deeper into things, and be more socio-critical thinkers, I have felt a little behind the 8-ball.

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From the rolling hills of Otago to Singapore where it’s go go go!

Let me paint a picture of how my relationship with nature began.

The rolling hills of South Otago, NZ. On the farm every single day with dad. Mustering stock, fixing fences and tending to our crops rain, hail, shine or snow (come on, it’s South Otago remember). On holidays, friends would come over, we’d load up the saddle bags and head off on multi-night camping trips with my parents, on the far edges of our property. Sounds pretty idyllic right? It was, but it wasn’t very challenging.

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There’s No ‘I’ in Team

There’s no ‘I’ in Team

     Although in theory the outline and plan for our day walking along the Green Corridor and summiting Bukit Tima seemed great, there are so many factors that can affect how it runs in real-life. Team the fact you’ve never visited the area before with the notion that you’ll be facilitating a group of your peers and it makes thing a little more complicated. Add the fact that you’re facilitating with a bunch of like-minded, competitive, fellow future teachers and you can imagine how tough it just might be!

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Singapore – Discovered

Singapore – Discovered

Although I’d done my research,
I knew not what I’d feel,
When I finally got off the plane,
It was all just so surreal.

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