My outdoor lessons

 If the weather allows I love having my part of lessons outdoors. Certainly, it also depends on the topic I teach that day. If for example, I teach general knowledge like what shadow is, plant parts, living non-living things and etc. We also play some games in outdoors which help kids to reduce stress, improve moods, boost concentration and increase a child's engagement at school. 

Sometimes I organize performance days outside of school. On a performance day, kids tell poems, sing a song, perform dance and present it in a public. These help young learners to overcome their fears of performing in a public and boost their self-confidence. Below I want to share our last performance day on the first day of Ramadan.

  

Some research on outdoor learning.

I believe that outdoor learning, or having some lessons outdoor, playing games outdoor during lessons is something new for our culture and traditional educational environment. Our culture got used to follow strict rules on education and have the lessons solely in a classroom. However, green yards as learning environments remain mostly unintegrated in teachers’ educational practices. Amongst other reasons, this may be due to teachers’ unfamiliarity with outdoor learning and lack of hands-on experiences

There are number of advantages of outdoor lessons for kids. For example, having lessons outdoor kids learn by real life experiences, learn how to work as a team, learn about nature and etc. Research has shown that outdoor learning fosters environmental awareness and enjoyed teaching children how to take care of the environment, respect nature, and overcome fears of nature.  Research has shown that

Outdoor learning in natural areas can be an enrichment for children, enabling them to learn beyond of their classroom, and has the potential to, directly and indirectly, strengthen primary schools’ educational practice (Rikinson et. al, 2004). While playing in a green schoolyard, children are invited to handle, touch, smell, explore, and modify natural features with their entire body. These informal, child-initiated, embodied learning experiences can make important contributions to children’s emotional, cognitive, social, and physical development. As for me, outdoor lessons are pivotal in kids' educational growth and development.

Referance:

1. Auer, M. R. (2008). Sensory perception, rationalism and outdoor environmental education. Int. Res. Geogr. Environ. Educ. 17, 6–12. doi: 10.2167/irgee225.0

2. Dyment, J. E., and Bell, A. C. (2007). Grounds for movement: green school grounds as sites for promoting physical activity. Health Educ. Res. 23, 952–962. doi: 10.1093/her/cym059

3. Rickinson, M., Dillon, J., Teamey, K., Choi, M. Y., and Benefield, P. (2004). A Review of Research on Outdoor Learning

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