Week 4 Challenge: Sample Class Flow/Schedule

I'm adapting this challenge quite a bit, because it doesn't quite fit how my nonprofit programming operates. Rather than offering a daily early childhood development program or educaring environment, my organization conducts adult and family programming done through workshops, learning intensives, and weekly/monthly learning opportunities coupled with one-on-one tutoring dynamics. Rather than experiencing a daily rhythm, we experience weekly, monthly, and semester rhythms. 

The Baby Book Bag Club that was my reason for taking this class is on a monthly rhythm, with carefully selected board books centered on a monthly theme enclosed in a book bag that also includes extended learning resources, additional materials, caregiver guides, and fully plotted out learning experiences to accompany the books. (Note: I'm going to be detailing the structure of the Baby Book Bag Club in my final project and will therefore avoid duplicating it here, so please reference that document before reading any further in this post.)

The following intention-based moon cycle rhythm comes from Nicolette Sowder of Wildschooling/Kids Moon Club/Wilder Child. My family is participating in the Kids Moon Club journey this year, and we find the moon rhythm to be a highly effective rhythm and flow structure. Here's the guiding document created by Nicolette for use within that structure:

Photos: Nicolette Sowder's Moon Cycle Charts from the 2021 Kids Moon Club. (Spring 2021)

Each Lunar cycle actually starts with the New Moon and carries through to the Waning Crescent, so that's how I'm going to imaginarily schedule how I operate my program. I'm going to give suggestions about how participants are engaging in the cycle, but as this learning experience takes place according to their own time and needs that is usually very different from month to month and family to family. At the same time, there is definitely a cycle to my experience of this project, so that's what I will be charting here.

New Moon (Reseed): 2 weeks before the next bags released. This correlates to the point where the final reminders go out to my online group about picking up bags before they are released to the public, and any remaining digital resources are generally posted in the group. Participants are reminded to document their learning experiences and share them with others via photos, videos, and comments on the posts, and final takeaways are beginning to be generated and shared. There's also often kind of a lull in this period, as everyone has enjoyed their activities for several weeks and are now winding down while they await the new bags.

Waxing Crescent Moon (Root): 1.5 weeks before the next bags are released. This would correlate to the final planning phase related to the monthly bags, which generally sees the creation of all of the caregiver materials, guidance, and detailing of the extension activities. Although the books, themes, and materials are generally purchased at least several months in advance, this would be the point where I sit down and begin to actively think through the final mechanics of how everything ties together. 

First Quarter Moon (Sprout): 1 week before the next bags are released. This would correlate to the period where I begin creating the materials themselves, it also sees final reminders and participation in our online groups regarding the current bags and resources.

Waxing Gibbous Moon (Bud): .5 week before the next bags are released. This is a period of very hectic activity, as the materials for the bags are gathered, compiled, and created into individual resources. Emails, digital resources, Facebook group posts, photos, and the like are also created and scheduled for distribution at this time.

Full Moon (Bloom): next bags are released. This is a period of much social engagement and exchange, with the bags being delivered and then picked up from the proctor locations. Families usually will create a flurry of posts on our Facebook page, and this is also when we are in communication with various stakeholders and participants. Prizes for the previous month's participation are also distributed and enjoyed during this time.

Waning Gibbous Moon (Loosen):  .5 week after the bags have been released. This is actually one of my favorite times of the process, where I can take a breath and sit back to survey all of the hard work. I usually make a note here about what was successful, what challenges came up, what everyone seems to be responding to, how the learning might need to be continued in future weeks, and that kind of stuff. This is usually the point where there is a space between the excited posts of families first picking up their bags versus the posts to come of how they have put them to use. This is also where I usually make sure that all of my documentation, budgeting, purchasing, and supplying is accounted for in the newly released cycle.

Third Quarter Moon (Release): 1 week after the bags have been released. At this point there is a little for me to do in order to guide or support the learning process, and my role is rather to begin wrapping things up from the previous month and responding to needs as they are voiced. The participants themselves kind of direct the action here, although I keep an eye out to make sure that there isn't any significant dead space in the conversation.

Waning Crescent (Compost): 1.5 weeks after the bags have been released. This is often something of a period of rest for me, a time to kind of let go of things and recuperate a bit from the hectic activity of the previous weeks. It's a bit early yet to be finalizing work on the next bags, and most of the work for the current bags has already been completed. At this point I usually just reflect kind of the warm glow of our participants enjoyment and happiness, and gather up some energy before jumping in for another month.