For the last ten years, I’ve spent the majority of my professional life teaching teachers how to use environmental education resources. I enjoy lighting up a group of busy teachers with enlightening, energetic activities.
When my own children began to attend elementary school. Naturally, I wanted their teachers to use Environmental Education activities, specifically Project Learning Tree (PLT). I approached the principal with a simple question, “What is the best way to offer PLT to the teachers?” Together, we came up with a plan. I would come in and give a 1 hour in-service training to the entire teaching staff, the school would purchase K-8 PLT books, and I would act as a PLT coach meeting with each grade level to plan out what activities would meet their needs.
During the first planning session one teacher remarked, “I love how some activities cover more than one subject. We can use these for literacy too.” Environmental Education activities are full of multidisciplinary learning. In the hands of motivated teachers, these activities have great potential. Over the course of the planning session however, something else became very clear; teachers have incredible demands on their time. In an effort to bolster confidence in the PLT program , I offered to come back and teach an activity of their choice to each of the classes in the grade.
Two weeks later, I taught the 3rd grade classes. It was awesome! In evaluation, one teacher told me, “The activity went perfectly with our science unit. It was more insightful then lessons taught in the past.” Another teacher mentioned, “It was so helpful to see how you ran the activity. I wasn’t sure how to visualize it.” After working with 2nd grade, I received notes from the kids. One boy drew an amazing picture of each plot we visited and wrote, “Thank you for coming to teach about living and non-living things. My favorite part was measuring that tiny plant in the sand pit!”
Several weeks later my appreciation for the teachers’ efforts in trying PLT and the kids’ eagerness to learn came together. While attending an after school event a blonde-haired boy came up to me. I recognized him as one of the 3rd graders I’d worked with. He looked up at me and began to sing the life cycle song I’d taught him weeks before. The principle happened to be standing next to me, and with a grin shook his head and said, “Wow, that’s pretty impressive.”
In a profession where effort often seems to outweigh product, being in the mix with the kids and teachers spurred my enthusiasm for Environmental Education and its potential for the improvement of young minds. PLT is still the backbone of Environmental Education. Teachers still want it and children still need it. One of my favorite remarks from the kids I worked with was simple and complete: “Thanks for teaching me about science.”
As Environmental Education teaches children about the dynamic natural world around them let’s remember to be just as dynamic in our approach to spreading Environmental Education into lives of the teachers and children who need it.
Kyle Koyle is the CO Project Learning Tree Early Childhood Coordinator. For more information about Colorado Project Learning Tree and our teacher workshops visit www.coloradoplt.org or email [email protected]. Find them on Pinterest and Facebook.
Author: Mile High Mamas
Candace
Loving this. Wondering what kind of cost is associated with this?
Marty
How are we going to expect our children to be stewards of our beautiful world if we don’t teach them to appreciate and love it? Programs like this can go a long way.
Naomi
“As Environmental Education teaches children about the dynamic natural world around them let’s remember to be just as dynamic in our approach to spreading Environmental Education into lives of the teachers and children who need it.”
AMEN.