I am taking my first real steps to make outdoor learning the main instructional environment for my students. Right now I am taking the standard curriculum and teaching it outside. I have a sturdy wagon with "all terrain" wheels to hold all the learning materials and plastic covered pillows (up-cycled form the insulated bags my grocery delivery frozen foods arrive in). I've had to simplify quite a bit but I love teaching lessons outside! Student report that it is easier to focus on learning with the nature sounds around them. I enjoy being in the fresh air (It feels a lot safer outside with COVID!) and I appreciate how focused I can be. I only have 1 spot to look for materials and if kids come outside unprepared they have to figure out how to solve their problem. The kids who need more movement have the space and we all feel calmer and more centered. There are also elements of nature that take us in different learning directions, like a woodpecker sighting or the appearance of green grass. I am learning to be open to these teachable moments. I am also learning to let go of my attachment to trying to keep everything clean and in perfect condition. Things break. Mud gets tracked around. Papers rip. The important is impact simply being outside has on the kids.
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| My "trusty"wagon and a camp chair that mostly holds my plan book. |
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| Students working in pairs playing a math game. |
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| Cloth bags I sewed to hold frequently used math materials. |
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| A quieter and less distracting environment. |
The questions and challenges I am facing are:
What do I do on rainy or snowy day? (this is Minnesota after all!)
How can I manage seating when the grass is wet?
Does it matter if they get dirty?
How to I keep enough outdoor clothes so that everyone is comfortable learning outside.
How to I balance structured and unstructured learning?
This is the first part of the journey. I am so excited to learn and grow into this!
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