About Jean Wansbrough

Jean was a joyous person with a quick laugh. Having grown up with farm and cottage influences, when Jean began a 25-year teaching career at Swansea Public School in Toronto, she very strongly valued experiential outdoor learning. Using the schoolyard, local parks, and Boyd and Albion Hills conservation areas, she gradually set up a unique school-wide program that had enduring positive impact on her students.
Grade 7 and 8 students were trained as “student instructors”. On day bus trips with kindergarten classes, these leaders conducted small group a.m. nature/ecology hikes, prepared and served lunch, and conducted p.m. sessions on pioneer artifacts and on the pioneer log cabin that was their base for the day. Learning was “hands-on”, curriculum-based, and always guided by Jean’s presence.
Grades 1 to 6 had the opportunity to invite Grade 7 and 8 “instructors” to present in-class natural science slide presentations and could have teams of these “leaders” help conduct schoolyard learning sessions. Grades 4, 5 and 6 went to an in-residence camp for a three-day learning experience. The “leaders” planned the menu, cooked the meals, conducted outdoor learning experiences and helped with purposeful evening activities.
From K to 6, students progressively learned natural science and essential life skills of listening, observing, sharing, documenting, co-operating, being responsible for self and others… all with Jean positively mentoring each outing. For the older “student instructors”, Jean expresses their central learning as a life foundation of self esteem.
Consider being a student who had progressive K to 8 experiences with Jean… what an impact!