Friday, November 15, 2019

Taking students out into nature

Today students will spend time in nature. A lot of planning went into this exploration and now it's time to focus on the details.

Morning preparation
We'll make sure that everyone has their lunch, warm clothes, water, and a ready attitude for the exploration. We'll review safety and learning behaviors including the following:
  • walk, don't run
  • stay with your group
  • stay to the right side of sidewalks and roads
  • listen when required
  • be curious
  • quiet walking, exploring means we might see more animals
  • use your senses to learn: look up, down, and around, smell, listen, and touch (no tasting)
  • ask questions
  • follow directions
Exploration
We'll keep our groups together and follow the naturalist's directions as we explore the water, soil, and land in a beautiful, local conservation location.

Observe
I'll observe our learners to see what learning they are bringing forth and what questions they still have about the local environment. I'll notice how they explore their natural surroundings and think about what more we can do to inspire students' interest, knowledge and stewardship about the natural world. 

Fun and teamwork
It's important to relax and enjoy these team explorations. Events like these build a strong sense of team and demonstrate to students that learning is an exciting, and sometimes challenging, endeavor. I'll take some pictures too to share this exploration with the greater learning team including family members, colleagues, administration, and interested community members.