Tales of a Timid Educator
By Jennifer Usher
Many of us who work in early childhood education understand that spending time outdoors is important for children. Growing up, I spent time camping with my family almost every weekend. As I got older, I experienced a sense of peace when I was in nature. However, my time outdoors has steadily decreased over the years. When my son was little, we had a large garden in our backyard. I spent hours there weeding and watching him dig in the mud. We created a special section for him to fill with water so he could sit, dig and explore. We also spent time at our local playgrounds and parks. Our favourite was the “Enchanted Forest.” It was cool, quiet and damp amongst the trees. As he is now a teenager, we do not have as many of those moments in nature together. I became busy with work, and he was busy with his friends.
I EXPERIENCED A SENSE OF PEACE IN NATURE
While I went for walks occasionally and sat on my deck, I shied away from being outside with nature. I got comfortable being indoors and did not think much about it. Then when I was asked to be a part of an outdoor pedagogy research project last year, I agreed with no hesitation. I had been yearning to have a reason to be outdoors more, and this would give me a chance. In my first few meetings, I remember saying (a few times, unfortunately), “I’m not an outdoorsy person.” And then one day, someone said, “If you are a person and you are outdoors, you are an outdoorsy person.” That was a turning point for me. I was eager to learn more and to change this perception of myself.
In my work as a college early learning and child care instructor, I am now incorporating more learning outdoors with my students. We have had guest speakers outdoors, played games, and went on walks. I am working hard on this because research tells us that outdoor play has many developmental benefits for young children (Sando & Sandseter, 2020). The outdoors is a place that holds special childhood memories for many of us. “It is important that adults let children experience the woods, the nature and outdoor environments, and give them access to these environments” as it forms their place identity (Sandberg, 2003, p. 219).
I have also been inviting the children from the campus child care centre to visit with us outdoors. The children and my students in a music and movement class recently co-created an outdoor soundscape project where we made a song using sounds gathered outdoors. Coming up soon, we have a musical invitations project to help cap off the end of the semester. We have a ways to go, but I am excited to begin planning more of our classes to incorporate nature and experiential learning outdoors. There are many benefits to taking learning outside with post-secondary students (Davidson & Ewert, 2020; Dietze & Kashin, 2018; Foran et al., 2021; Melton, 2021):
It connects us with our sense of wonder, stimulating our senses and minimizing distractions
It builds community; stronger relationships between students and instructors
It is good for our bodies and minds; increased resiliency and capability
It demonstrates value for outdoor and nature play; allowing students to become more comfortable with it and supporting their transition to working in the field.
I AM SHEDDING THE TIMIDITY AND EMBRACING THE IDEAS OF OUTDOOR PEDAGOGY AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN INSPIRING MY STUDENTS.
With these baby steps, I am becoming more of an outdoor educator myself. I am shedding the timidity and embracing the ideas of outdoor pedagogy and its importance in inspiring my students. I am exiting my comfort zone and entering the exciting, multisensory, and curious world of the outdoors! I look forward to what is ahead in my journey toward fulfilling my role as an “outdoorsy person.” How do you incorporate the outdoors into teaching and learning with post secondary students? What have your experiences been in the outdoors with students and children? Comment below to share your experiences!
References:
Davidson, C. & Ewert, A. (2020). College student commitment and outdoor orientation programming. Journal of Experiential Education, 43(3), p. 299-316
Dietze, B., & Kashin, D. (2018). Outdoor and Nature Play in Early Childhood Education. Pearson Education Canada.
Foran, A., Throop-Robinson, E., & Redmond, K. (2021). Attunement as a pedagogical starting point. Phenomenology & Practice, 16(1), pp. 19-39. Melton, J. (2021). Pre-service teachers in the outdoors: A phenomenological exploration. Phenomenology & Practice, 16 (1), pp. 5-18
Sandberg, A. (2003). Play memories and place identity. Early Child Development and Care, 173, 207-221. doi: 10.1080/03004430303091
Sando, O. J. & Sandseter, E.B.H. (2020). Affordances for physical activity and well-being in the ECEC outdoor environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol. 69. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101430
