I really enjoyed this week’s outdoor class. You don’t notice how much exercise you are getting when you’re having fun. Getting to do fun exercises on the way to the field (instead of simply walking or running) is a really creative way to motivate a PE class. From 2 days in practicum, I noticed a variety of class management techniques to keep students on track and most importantly, engaged. Before I would feel comfortable taking a class outside for class, I would need to ensure my students would be safe and to have those management skills in place.
I think the benefits of having PE classes outside are great. Our scavenger hunt outside was a great lesson plan for the class to experience. We were able to collaborate with other classmates, work together to find clues, and practice physical literacy. (And having a nice healthy snack was a definite plus!) This is something I would like to include in my future classes.
I also enjoyed exploring and taking a walk to the forest. We are extremely lucky to live in such a beautiful city surrounded by the mountains and ocean. I think it is important for teachers to take advantage of their surroundings and incorporate outdoors into PE classes. This would be a great method to motivate young students to value and appreciate physical education; and to instil a love for life long learning and physical education.
Looking forward to our next class!
Hi Amy!
Your post just about summarized everything I was thinking/feeling coming out of Wednesday’s class. It was so nice to be outside, especially because the weather was great too.
Although I would love to include outdoor activities with my future students, I too am concerned about safety and classroom management, especially with the younger children. My practicum class (Grade 2) is extremely high-energy and I would be worried about how to make sure they are all listening and safe if we were off school grounds, or in areas where there is more danger to them (from cars, etc).
However, we did talk about how engaging Outdoor Ed doesn’t necessarily have to mean expensive excursions, which was well-illustrated by both the group teach as well as our little walk to Pacific Spirit Park. Like you said, we are so lucky to have beautiful places in nature right outside our doorstep. Though I wonder how to incorporate simple Outdoor Ed opportunities in very urban schools in Vancouver, or even in other metropolitan cities in Canada or other parts of the world without having to resort to excursions that require a lot of time, finances, and resources for safety and accessibility. This is something that I have been thinking about for a while, but hopefully through the course of this class, and this year, I will gain exposure to other innovative ways of including outdoor education for schools in any environment.
Shirin