My own learning cycle would not have progressed as it has if I kept inside a vacuum, unwilling to change as a reflection of the students I’ve met, the teachers I’ve worked with or the professional development I’ve taken part in. Likewise, life cycles, of any animal, do not occur without influence from outside forces.
"…you do have control over your own waste habits and a summer at home is a terrific time to start planning and practicing your own waste-less lifestyle so when school does open in the fall, you have already re-imagined your low-er waste classroom, have put structures into place and through classroom management, you will positively influence the waste habits of your students certainly while at school and arguably outside of school also. What power you hold!”
The pandemic has schools closed and is forcing everyone to adapt. Now is a good time to remind parents and teachers alike that some of our children’s best math lessons are born from time spent with a child, practicing a favorite family recipe. Some of the best lessons on patterns is learning to crochet or knit. Literacy skills are developed and refined during bedtime stories and introductions to our natural environment are done while on family walks.
Not every lesson has to precisely meet every state learning standard for it to be memorable and effective. For all the parents and teachers out there, racking your brains for quality at-home learning experiences, I’d like to suggest, a walk.
While I, and most of you cannot teach right now, we can hone our skills that improve our teaching. We can make time for our physical and emotional selves to cope and rest, reflect and learn. Nature journaling and “The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating” may be a great growth opportunity for you. When schools resume classes, I will fully recommit myself to my students, even more ardently than before this viral jolt to my world. The manifestation of that is dependent on how I spend my time during this pause.
Since 1998, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society has been recruiting citizen scientists worldwide to collect bird data and report it back online. Every February for 4 days, more than 160,000 volunteers spot local birds, reporting it onto a simple webpage where scientists collect the data needed to study changing bird populations due to natural fluctuations, human encroachment and climate change. This is a project that can get students much appreciated time outdoors connecting them simultaneously to their local environment and the larger world.
By creatively connecting outdoor activities to your required objectives, teaching outside the literal box of your classroom should leave you pleased with the learning and behavior outcomes of your students! Yes, it’s cold outside, so dress warmly and open yourself up to the possibility of new discoveries and a rich connection to your natural environment, for yourself and your students.
“The world is not given by our fathers but borrowed from our children.” This thought provides the inspiration for this blog, The Borrowed Classroom. This first post will explain the metaphor and the intention of future posts.
“….a practical guide for teachers who love their students and who are optimistic about the future and about our natural world. This profession demands optimism; personal and professional changes toward a more sustainable life does too.”
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