Metaphor Activity – Campfire
One of the metaphors I frequently come back to in 0teaching is that of a campfire. Having spent time teaching in Outdoor Education and working at summer camps, this is not only reflective of my teaching philosophy but is also personally meaningful.
To me, one of the most important parts of any campfire is creating the right conditions. This includes a clear, dry, and open space to ensure safety. This is reflective of the classroom space and culture that is so critical to ensuring the success of my students. Creating an open, inclusive, and supportive space where students can learn sets the foundations for success.
Next is bringing together the essential elements of any fire, specifically fuel. This is made up of tinder, sticks of all sizes, and eventually larger burning logs to keep the fire going. This is representative of the work we do in class from our lessons, learning activities, discussions, reflections, etc. All of these tasks build on each other to create a cohesive course structure. It encourages critical and creative thinking in students and provides them with the necessary support and feedback to build and strengthen their skills over time.
Finally, the spark and oxygen. The element that sets it all off and allows the campfire to take shape. To me, this is passion. Any successful course relies on the passion of the faculty teaching it and the student enrolled to be interested and invested in the topic, the content, and their learning and development. Oxygen is the frequent jolts we give to our students, encouraging them to consider how the content applies and the value it holds beyond the classroom or the relationship is has to content in other courses. When we give students the chance to make the connections we breathe life into the content and encourage students to think beyond the here and now and consider its long-term value.
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