Managing Your Class Outdoors

Tips and Tricks for Managing Students Outdoors

1. Establish Ground Rules and Outdoor Routines 

• Make sure to prep students days before to be dressed for staying outside 
• Have a routine for gathering equipment, line up, exit and return 
• Go out a different door than you use for recess 
• Establish outdoor boundaries, remind students in first circle 
• Circle up with class at beginning and end of time outside 
• Identify an outdoor gathering cue (whistle, countdown to circle up) & spot 
• Save the time for a closing circle before heading back inside. 

2. Plan a “sacrificial” lesson 

• Just like starting the school year indoors, spend the time to practicing how to work outdoors as a class. 
• At first this can seem a bit out of control, but trust that they will become focused and productive with time. 
• Be prepared to take the privilege of learning away from the class if they misbehave. (They won't next time.)
• For younger students, be prepared to sacrifice the first lesson and take the class back inside if you have behavior problems. 
• For older students, plan an option (asst principal is best) so you can send poorly behaved students back inside or an alternative for them the next time you go outside. 
• You will find that it takes very little example for even your most challenging students (indoors) to become angels outside. 

3. Get to know your schoolyard 

• Take several sessions outside to explore your site before diving into an activity. 

Note: Mapping a Study Site is a great activity for middle school students, and needs scaffolding for younger children.

• Let younger students poke around, have unstructured exploration time, “play” with the outdoor materials before focused study. 

4. Be clear about the purpose of going outside 

• Clear expectations and conveying your intent of the activity is powerful when teaching science anywhere.  
• It is particularly important to determine which experiences:
• enhance learning occurring in the classroom.
• stimulate a child’s personal connection to nature.
• allow children to reflect and be inspired by their connection.

Make sure you make time for all of these opportunities! 

• Give students concrete tasks to help focus their observations and thinking. With older students you can allow these tasks to become more open and abstract over time. 

5. Every student should have something to carry. 

• A notebook or tool in-hand helps students remember why they’re outside. Clipboards, measuring instruments, journals can be crucial in keeping younger students on-task. 
• Always bring extra pencils and writing materials. Even older students can be forgetful or careless (sometimes conveniently if they are less inclined to write!)