Thank you! Something I not only needed to hear, but need to share with others. Outdoor play/learning doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be... outdoors. I fall into the trap of feeling we don't have a "nice enough" space for outdoor learning. We have a few young trees and an open field (that's away from the standard playground). But I'm finding it is good enough! I really appreciate this perspective!
Carrie - Thank you so much for reading and sharing this with others. Cheers to you for finding your outdoor space is good enough! And for getting out there. It matters. It counts.
I think it's cool that you took this permission piece as a charge to recognize what you have around you (nice enough) and not wait to have the perfect outdoor classroom. Many (most?) schools have far from amazing outdoor access -- so make it work within the constraints you have. There are so many barriers -- both physical and mental. Let's not let perfect be the enemy of the HAPPENING!
Thanks for making me understand it's Okey to do repeated lessons outdoors and indoors with special learners.we might not have fallen trees around tho we see some fallen branches.
Repetition is amazing for learners - and the cool thing about outdoor nature-based learning is the environment will *naturally* introduce novelty, even in the most routine/mundane tasks. Each day -- each hour -- each minute you are out with your students something is different. Providing routine content in a gently shifting natural environment is learning GOLD!
Becca: a great book is Radical Acceptance: Embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach PhD. It has many lessons and many anecdotes, recommended to me by my Functional Medicine physician (a guy) who thought I needed to read it to remove my "inner critic". LOL Takes focus, but makes super important points.
Ok. I don't believe in coincidences -- but kismet -- and now that book has been recommended by just one too many people. I'm reserving it from the Libby digital library right now. Done. Thanks Eileen.
“ Let’s decouple outdoorsiness or “environmentaliness” from nature-based learning.
Let’s make nature-based learning accessible and relevant to teachers within the constraints and contexts of where they work each day.”
Precisely. The same innovative just in time pivot then pivot again strategies that educators practice inside also work outside. Imagine any educator being told OK now you need to take what you do and teach it inside, outside, online, from space… This is LITERALLY what happened when COVID shut down in person learning. We pivot. We do it poorly at first, we get better. We take small bites and then bigger bites.
I can’t help thinking that teaching and learning outside is a precious gift because there are times here in California during wild fire season (which is most of the time now), where it’s not possible to go outside. Get outside while we still can.
Oh Anna. Yes - the wild fire (smoke) season weighs heavy. And is all the more reason to get outdoors doing outdoor nature-based learning small and big whenever we can. Great call to action!
And the COVID analogy is a good one. Except one thing: we know teaching outdoors is GOOD for us. Yes, we may do it poorly first (though, that too, as you know, is only a matter of very simple translation of indoor expertise to a more liberated learning space) -- but it's certainly not rocket science. And, unlike online learning where the jury is still out (I have an inkling where it's going to land) on if it's good for learners -- we know our efforts to move learning outdoors are met with so many benefits from better learning to improved wellbeing.
Thank you! Something I not only needed to hear, but need to share with others. Outdoor play/learning doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be... outdoors. I fall into the trap of feeling we don't have a "nice enough" space for outdoor learning. We have a few young trees and an open field (that's away from the standard playground). But I'm finding it is good enough! I really appreciate this perspective!
Carrie - Thank you so much for reading and sharing this with others. Cheers to you for finding your outdoor space is good enough! And for getting out there. It matters. It counts.
I think it's cool that you took this permission piece as a charge to recognize what you have around you (nice enough) and not wait to have the perfect outdoor classroom. Many (most?) schools have far from amazing outdoor access -- so make it work within the constraints you have. There are so many barriers -- both physical and mental. Let's not let perfect be the enemy of the HAPPENING!
Thanks for making me understand it's Okey to do repeated lessons outdoors and indoors with special learners.we might not have fallen trees around tho we see some fallen branches.
Repetition is amazing for learners - and the cool thing about outdoor nature-based learning is the environment will *naturally* introduce novelty, even in the most routine/mundane tasks. Each day -- each hour -- each minute you are out with your students something is different. Providing routine content in a gently shifting natural environment is learning GOLD!
Becca: a great book is Radical Acceptance: Embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach PhD. It has many lessons and many anecdotes, recommended to me by my Functional Medicine physician (a guy) who thought I needed to read it to remove my "inner critic". LOL Takes focus, but makes super important points.
Ok. I don't believe in coincidences -- but kismet -- and now that book has been recommended by just one too many people. I'm reserving it from the Libby digital library right now. Done. Thanks Eileen.
This
“ Let’s decouple outdoorsiness or “environmentaliness” from nature-based learning.
Let’s make nature-based learning accessible and relevant to teachers within the constraints and contexts of where they work each day.”
Precisely. The same innovative just in time pivot then pivot again strategies that educators practice inside also work outside. Imagine any educator being told OK now you need to take what you do and teach it inside, outside, online, from space… This is LITERALLY what happened when COVID shut down in person learning. We pivot. We do it poorly at first, we get better. We take small bites and then bigger bites.
I can’t help thinking that teaching and learning outside is a precious gift because there are times here in California during wild fire season (which is most of the time now), where it’s not possible to go outside. Get outside while we still can.
Permission granted.
Oh Anna. Yes - the wild fire (smoke) season weighs heavy. And is all the more reason to get outdoors doing outdoor nature-based learning small and big whenever we can. Great call to action!
And the COVID analogy is a good one. Except one thing: we know teaching outdoors is GOOD for us. Yes, we may do it poorly first (though, that too, as you know, is only a matter of very simple translation of indoor expertise to a more liberated learning space) -- but it's certainly not rocket science. And, unlike online learning where the jury is still out (I have an inkling where it's going to land) on if it's good for learners -- we know our efforts to move learning outdoors are met with so many benefits from better learning to improved wellbeing.