The fog clears and here we are.

Year 2 and The Magic Garden Centre is in a state of massive disrepair. It’s so bad that no-one even bothers to come and visit it anymore. Vines and weeds have broken through the once-beautiful glass windows and the paths are overgrown with vegetative chaos. The children sit on the carpet and listen to this tale of woe. I like to believe that some of them are making the links between this devastating scenario and their current topic entitled “GROW”. We need to focus on the concept of climate but now they are considering the state of the place I have painted for them.

There’s a shed, I suggest to them. In it sits a very old man. I crumple in my chair as the children realise that I am about to represent the old man.

I speak as the old man and tell them of the times when The Magic Garden Centre was a happy place; how people would visit from all over the county and about that time I won an award for Best Garden Centre of the Year. I do this as if I’m leafing through an album of old photographs.

The Year 2s are then up on their feet and they make the old photographs I have described, and they do it really well. One boy, Jack, is buzzing as he receives the award, smiling for the newspaper photographer. A girl, appropriately named Rosie, prunes the bushes, careful not to prick her finger like Sleeping Beauty did (so she tells me).

We are soon back on the carpet and I continue the tale. By now we know my name is Joe. An old man, sitting in his shed, in the middle of the badly-cared-for Garden Centre.

Can we help him?

The children are desperate to help Joe.

If we’re going to help Joe, what tools do we need? I ask this and pretty soon the class are writing lists in small groups.

I ask a group to share what they have and one of the boys has his hand up.

I ask his name.

“Phil,” he replies. This throws me a bit as I haven’t met a Year 2 called Phil before. Sounds like your mate’s Dad.

“Go on, Phil. What tools do we need?”

Phil does that lovely thing where he really explains what he means. And adds action.

“We need a lawnmower. Which is basically an outside Hoover.”

Outside Hoover.

Brilliant.

The magic garden of children’s imaginations

And so, we get to work in order to rescue Joe’s Magic Garden Centre. And it’s all very busy. And it’s all very purposeful - mapping, writing, pitching and so on.

Jack comes to me and says he doesn’t know what to do. The younger, easily exasperated teacher in me wants to tell him to look around and essentially “join in!”. The older teacher in me takes over and suppresses my naive voice.

“We need to plant some beans, Jack,” I say to him.

“Beans?” he replies.

“Joe’s got some beans, and he needs you to plant them. Where’s the best place for them? They’ll need rain; not too cold, not too hot.”

Jack walks off to the display on the wall that the children have made featuring the three climate zones. They’ve been well taught.

“Temperate,” he whispers.

I nod. “Yep, I reckon you’re right.”

Our exchange is interrupted by Joshua, who pitches his BIG idea to me. It goes along these lines:

“The garden centre will have four zones….

(he glances at the display Jack and I have been eyeballing)

…..tropical, temperate and polar, and I know that’s only three, because the fourth is shopping! And a library.”

Joshua waits for my response. I’m about to speak but he interrupts,

“It’s going to be great, Joe! And don’t worry about the money because the snow will be fake.”

He turns on his heel and returns to his little group.

Jack tugs my sleeve and has a conspiratorial smile on his face. He points at the tiled ceiling of the classroom.

“Mister Roberts, it’s a good job the glass roof is broke, cos these beans are going to grow and grow, aren’t they?”

I raise an eyebrow at him.

“I know they are, Mister Roberts! I know they will!” He pulls on my tie, and my head is level with his.

“And then the giants will come,” I suggest.

“Yes!” he fist pumps. He skips away.

And then the fog descends.

As teachers, getting the climate right for things to grow can be everything.

Hywel Roberts is a travelling teacher and curriculum imaginer. He tweets as @hywel_roberts. Read his back catalogue

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