Sunshine on My Shoulders

We are having a gorgeous spring day in Colorado and it reminds me of the importance of taking education out into the world. I am going to reference John Medina’s Brain Rules (www.brainrules.net) book again because it supports our human desire to be outside rather than sitting behind a desk, in a cubicle or in a traditional classroom. The Montessori teaching principles also encourage teachers to take their learners out into the world.

Our local school district takes sixth graders out to a camp once during their elementary years. The charter Montessori school, Compass Montessori, www. compassmontessori.org in that same district takes their elementary school students on 6 outdoor trips during 4th through 6th grades.

By getting students out of the classroom and into the real world, we create a rich learning environment—one our brains pay attention to. And, when our brains are paying attention, we are more likely to remember the information.

I know not every school has the budget for field trips. There are non-classroom alternatives besides field trips and camping outings. What about starting a garden at your school? There are so many lessons to be learned in the process of preparing a garden, planting and harvesting. Another Montessori school in our district has a farm for middle school and high school students.

Other activities include:

• Cooking – groups of kids can work with parent volunteers to learn about cooking which includes measuring, chemistry, calculations, and more.
• Walking - take field trips to local parks and educational venues.
• Internships – the more children can be exposed to professional environments, the more likely they are to stay in school.
• Volunteering – service learning has become popular over the last few years. See http://www.servicelearning.org/

Use the comment field to share other ideas for getting out of the classroom.