Teaching  Notes

 Statement of Teaching Philosophy:

One of my biggest motivators behind teaching and reasons for joining the Environmental Leadership Program is getting more kids outside, as it is important for their physical and mental health. Especially during the pandemic, I know that many kids might not get to explore the outdoors and instead have to spend more time inside. When kids don’t have recess or family members who encourage them to recreate or learn outside, it’s harder for them to experience the outdoors on their own. I’m thankful for my parents taking me outside a lot as a kid. Some of my teaching values are cultivating care for the planet and leaving outdoor places better than I find them. Outdoor education can help students share in these values as well, as it also helps to improve their memory when learning and fosters a sense of care for the planet. Some students listen better and are more focused when they have a chance to run around and participate in hands-on activities, which is another important rationale behind our field trip lesson plans. Altogether, I want to share my own love for the outdoors with the students on our Restoring Connections field trips for the UO Environmental Leadership Program.

Reflections on Teaching Experiences for ELP: 

I became a lot more confident as a leader and teacher. In the beginning, I was more hesitant, especially speaking in front of the whole classroom of students during the pre-trip lesson plans. I know that I am more confident now because of feedback from my professor, project manager, and peers. I received feedback that I did a good job getting students back on track when needed and further explaining the ecology around species like the Oregon White Oak. After each field trip, I wrote down what went well and what did not, and then incorporated that information into field trips for the following week. For example, I received feedback that the timing for one of my stories during the 3rd grade lesson could be better. So, the next week I cut the story down and we had more space for other activities. 

After multiple lesson plans and field trips, I was able to better craft my timing during both the pre-trip lessons and field trips, and be more firm with students when needed. We had to adapt the timing during the rainy days and cut journaling while adding longer activities like a more storytelling. When being firmer with the students, I was also able to get them back on track more easily. This led to the students learning more information on the field trips, as they were less distracted. 

With my confidence speaking in front of the group, I was also able to better bring in outside information because I was less nervous. For example, I related our restoration project with removing grass to Earth Day to increase empathy for the planet. I also told a student who talked about rescuing a bee that she was being a good environmental steward, which was significant, as teaching environmental stewardship is a main goal of the Restoring Connections project. With all these tools, I was able to teach around 100 students. 

One thing I’ve learned from our project is that not every lesson plan aspect will work for every student. Because of this, we created lesson plans to engage all types of learners. Some students were into animal forms while some were not. Some students drew a lot in their notebooks during quiet observation time, while some barely drew anything. However, it is important to not be discouraged if some students don’t like an activity. It is more important to focus on if they are retaining the lesson plan content and distractions are okay. Even seemingly small things like a squirrel running along a wire were mind-blowing to many of the students. Altogether, I learned a lot about how important environmental education is, as so many students learned about ecology, were engaged, and excited to get outdoors and explore somewhere new. 

Photo above is a Bigleaf maple at Madison Meadow