As an instructor I aspire to create relationships with each of my students. I make an effort to get to know students by quickly learning names, asking questions, engaging in conversation, listening, and genuinely caring for each student. By doing this, I am able to tailor my interactions with every child in a way that will be most valuable for them. I develop a compassionate relationship with students in order to encourage good behavior and I treat them with respect. I know that children often misbehave when seeking attention; I believe that if I give them that attention, compassion, and respect right off the bat, it discourages them from acting out. Through the Environmental Leadership Program and other programs in which I work with students aged 10 years and older, this philosophy has become even more important. Middle school age can be a difficult and confusing time for many people and these students have definitely reacted more positively toward me when I develop a reciprocal relationship with them and do not treat them like children.
I have worked in both indoor classroom and outdoor settings but the majority of my experience comes from various summer camps working with kids aged 6-16 years. Since summer camp is an exciting and playful place to be, as an instructor I have developed a good balance between unrestricted fun and regulation. Safety is always a concern and I keep a constant awareness of my surroundings.
I nurture my own inquisitiveness and continue to question and seek explanations about all the overlooked details of the world myself. I seize every opportunity to ask questions that raise childrens’ curiosity of their surroundings, as well. I investigate right along side of a child watching a spider make a web, or observing a bee fly flower to flower, or noticing all the different types of pinecones littering the forest floor. While there are certain occasions for classroom periods, I prefer working outdoors and believe that any activity that can be brought outside should be. Richard Louv writes about “nature deficit disorder” in his book Last Child in the Woods, highlighting that children sometimes spend their entire day indoors and have thus developed a huge disconnect with the natural world. I view any additional time out of doors as a huge benefit to children’s mental health, and strive to provide the extra parameters necessary in working outside the orderly classroom. As an educator, I aim to utilize every appropriate occasion to work outdoors, regardless of the subject being taught.
I aspire to provide an inclusive and supportive learning atmosphere for all students by implementing many different activities to satisfy diverse learning types and needs. For example, a writing lesson I developed for middle school students through Canopy Connections of the Environmental Leadership Program includes listening to stories and poems, thoughtful discussion, a structured poetry activity as well as an unstructured journaling session. This invites many different types of learners to engage with the activity and explore their creativity. To further develop this type of teaching, I continue to work on my flexibility as an instructor by keeping an open mind to new ideas, educate myself about innovative activities and games that can be implemented, and frequently revise my work. My goal within environmental education is to promote a connection to nature and a love for the environment. Ultimately, I would like to inspire a deep respect for and protection of the natural world.
I have worked in both indoor classroom and outdoor settings but the majority of my experience comes from various summer camps working with kids aged 6-16 years. Since summer camp is an exciting and playful place to be, as an instructor I have developed a good balance between unrestricted fun and regulation. Safety is always a concern and I keep a constant awareness of my surroundings.
I nurture my own inquisitiveness and continue to question and seek explanations about all the overlooked details of the world myself. I seize every opportunity to ask questions that raise childrens’ curiosity of their surroundings, as well. I investigate right along side of a child watching a spider make a web, or observing a bee fly flower to flower, or noticing all the different types of pinecones littering the forest floor. While there are certain occasions for classroom periods, I prefer working outdoors and believe that any activity that can be brought outside should be. Richard Louv writes about “nature deficit disorder” in his book Last Child in the Woods, highlighting that children sometimes spend their entire day indoors and have thus developed a huge disconnect with the natural world. I view any additional time out of doors as a huge benefit to children’s mental health, and strive to provide the extra parameters necessary in working outside the orderly classroom. As an educator, I aim to utilize every appropriate occasion to work outdoors, regardless of the subject being taught.
I aspire to provide an inclusive and supportive learning atmosphere for all students by implementing many different activities to satisfy diverse learning types and needs. For example, a writing lesson I developed for middle school students through Canopy Connections of the Environmental Leadership Program includes listening to stories and poems, thoughtful discussion, a structured poetry activity as well as an unstructured journaling session. This invites many different types of learners to engage with the activity and explore their creativity. To further develop this type of teaching, I continue to work on my flexibility as an instructor by keeping an open mind to new ideas, educate myself about innovative activities and games that can be implemented, and frequently revise my work. My goal within environmental education is to promote a connection to nature and a love for the environment. Ultimately, I would like to inspire a deep respect for and protection of the natural world.