Outdoor Classroom Management

Thinking of your garden as an "outdoor classroom" is one of the first steps for successful instruction out of doors. The garden is not like the indoor classroom and it is not equivalent to recess. Before you venture to your outdoor classroom have your students help come up with rules and behaviors to practice in the garden.

The 3 F's - Focus, Flexible, and Fun

Strive to have your students be focused on the task(s) at hand - give clear instruction, model activities indoors prior to outdoor instruction, and review the rules of your garden. Make sure you have a grouping call or signal to get your students attention in the garden and practice it so your kids know what it is.

Be flexible, the garden offers many more "teachable moments" than the indoor classroom. "Let go bit" and let the learning come to life in the garden through your students observations and questions. 

Have fun. The garden is a unique instructional tool that can be a joy to many students and teachers. Focus on the positive.

Much More on Outdoor Classroom Management

Pages 79-80 in Gardens for Learning summarizes tips from various teachers on outdoor classroom management.

Life Lab's Managing the Effective Outdoor Classroom page lists many resources including videos and downloadable guides on teaching outdoors. The following is taken from this page:

"I would love to take my students out to the school garden more often, but I'm not sure how to manage that many kids." -Kim Stadler, Teacher comment at a Life Lab workshop

The idea of conducting serious academic work with a class of 28 students in an outdoor setting can be daunting for some teachers and administrators. In many schools, students go outdoors for two primary purposes, recess and physical education. Their concept of the great outdoors during school hours is as a place to play, run, yell and otherwise "blow off steam." The outdoors can be endlessly distracting-other classes at recess, balls flying and traffic noises- keeping students from focusing on the lesson at hand.

How can educators channel the high spirits and energy of their students into focused study of the natural world? Here are some strategies that have worked for Life Lab teachers.

• Establish clear rules of behavior for outdoor work, just as you would for the indoor classroom. When students are part of the process of establishing these rules, they are more likely to uphold them. Post the rules for easy referral. Working outdoors is generally viewed as a privilege by students. Reward their good behavior with more time outdoors when possible.
• Train students in cooperative learning techniques in the classroom, before you go outdoors. Life Lab's activity guide The Growing Classroom contains many such activities in the unit titled Let's Work Together: Problem Solving and Communication.
• Whenever possible, work with smaller groups in the garden classroom or other outdoor setting. Bring in parent volunteers to help out once a week, or contact your local Master Gardeners group. While the volunteer helps manage a gardening activity such as weeding or watering, the classroom teacher can present the academic lesson. Other sources of volunteers include local university or college internship programs, cross-age tutoring programs, or senior centers.
• Set up stations so that students can rotate through different activities. Here is a sample schedule of twenty minute blocks.

Station 1) Students work independently, writing in their field journals. They make note of temperature, weather conditions, and natural history observations.

Station 2) Students work with the teacher on a plant dissection activity.

Station 3) Students work independently on a math activity, measuring and answering questions about plant growth on a worksheet.

• Coordinate with other teachers at your grade level to help each other get more small group time outdoors. For example, if the teacher next door takes half your class for P.E. twice a week, you can take the smaller group to the garden.