Thinking about learning gardens

In the reading, I found it interesting how the garden/outdoors was described as a co-teacher, in the sense that it provides an outlet for experiential learning and interaction with the natural world. I think it is a really cool concept. There are many benefits of teaching outdoors. Teaching in the garden is also a great way to foster community building and alleviate the stress and anxiety that students may have in the classroom.  In addition, outdoor learning allows for students to develop an appreciation for nature and our surroundings. However, I do have a couple concerns about working outdoors, some of which are weather conditions, distractions and classroom management. Sometimes, students can be overly excited and easily distracted with their peers. Loud noises from surroundings also can serve as distractions that can sideline students from learning.  With Vancouver especially being cold and raining all the time, outdoor learning can also be difficult and uncomfortable. Regardless, I think these things are manageable. Having the outdoors is an option if the weather is nice and the location is manageable (not too noisy). Addressing classroom management, that is something that any teacher has to develop over time through experience and practice. 

In math, there are a lot of applications and hands on activities that can be done outdoors. Some examples include geometry, trigonometry, measurements, data analysis, etc. I would probably assign mini group projects/assignments outdoors for students. This will give students the opportunity to problem solve and build their critical thinking skills while collaborating and building teamwork.