I sit on a swing at the top of a bank overlooking Strawberry Creek. I hear the water rushing, rolling really, through the rocks below. I pause a moment to listen and an assortment of birds speak as if on cue: chickadees fluttering above me, a woodpecker pecking furiously to impress a mate and another song unidentifiable to my untrained ear.
The sun shines but the wind is cool. The trees do not yet have their spring buds though May presses on. I hear a rustle behind me and look to see a rabbit cavorting in the bush seemingly oblivious to my presence.
A simple change of setting changes my thought process, changes my writing. How often do we give this experience to our students? Reading, writing or even creating art out of the classroom environment? Sprawled on the grass or spread throughout the playground. How might our students’ creations change when we change their setting?
What a wonderful reminder about awakening the learner in each of us Karen! Stepping out of the ordinary puts us in a position to expect something different and perhaps more some how; even if it is sitting in a different seat with a different person beside us and sun shining a new light on us. Have an extraordinary week of learning out of your seats. 🙂
May the sun and surroundings inspire all of us!
Once again I enjoyed your blog. When we start the outdoor classrooms, we are reminded to allow the students time to enjoy their surroundings. The outdoors are a welcome distraction.
I often wanted to create an outdoor classroom in the courtyard at St. D’s! So much potential.