This week I was at Scout Island nature camp working with elementary aged kids with some of my UBC colleagues. This establishment is located on an inlet surrounded by the lake in Williams Lake. It is dedicated towards education about nature in the ecosystems which surround Williams Lake.

Throughout the week I taught 2 full days, one with a focus on ecosystems, the other focused on invertebrates. I also was an assistant to one of my colleagues with primary students for a day. It has been a very cool experience for me and has given me some practical experience with planning lessons focused almost entirely in an outdoor education setting. We did nature walks, played certain games, had some discussions and expressed learning through art; all interspersed with fun and games throughout each day.

This experience has taught me that the Williams lake community is very in-tune with their natural surroundings and, for the most part, very supportive of environmental activism. It is a very interesting dynamic to be a part of in comparison to an urban setting I am used to, where people for the most part “support” environmentalism, but mostly in a passive way.

While this week has been very fun it has been quite challenging and tiring. I had difficulty organizing a day plan for kids who for the most part know more about the material than I do. I have done my best to plan an engaging day, but it has been a struggle trying to plan when we’ve been tossed into a situation where I have less experience than many of my students.

In terms of behavior, I have found the week quite smooth. It is difficult having things that engage 8 year olds AND 12 year olds. That is quite a different age gap to keep interested in what we’re doing. But, keeping things light, and focusing on have fun with what they are learning has helped in that respect.

I have not necessarily had many “AHA” moments, but I really enjoy the mindset that Sue (the lady in charge) has when it comes to teaching children about nature. She really stresses having students engaged with nature and wants students to understand the processes necessary to learn from nature. The actual “facts” and information is a bonus if they absorb some of that. While this is her method for outdoor education I believe that it is a great model to use for anything we teach. If you have the kids looking forward to certain aspects of your classes, then you will be able to have a much more engaged class. Focus on the skills rather than the information. This seems to me like a great mindset to have, ad something I can bring back to the classroom and keep in mind for anything I am planning with students.

This has been a very positive experience for me and for my growth as a young teacher. I am really happy we were able to be placed here after some of our placements ceased to run due to the teacher strike. Next week we are placed at scout Island for the first two days, then who knows?