“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” – John Muir, The Yosemite (1912).
Thirty-eight degrees and thunderstorms in the Sierra Mountains will always prove that you didn’t plan accordingly for your camping adventure. The chill that permeates your bones painfully reminds you of your middle-aged status. Fearing that the few dry clothes left in your tent might float away into the nearby river makes you question your life choices. You’re cold. You’re miserable. You just want to be in bed watching Netflix.
Uproarious laughter at the damp picnic table nearby pulls you from your numbness. You realize that forty seventh-graders are scattered around the soaked campsite, and YOU are the chaperone.
You are the one supposed to put on a brave smile and find comforting, warm words. But all you see are pre-teens giggling, some playing Slap Jack with heavy hands, and a few future engineers digging a deeper trench around the tarped area to prevent flooding. Could these kids be having fun? Even under these dismal circumstances that have left you shivering in damp boots, are they actually… thriving?
Once back home, warm and toasty, the answer to this reflection is a decided YES.
Why Experiential Learning?
Working at schools that prioritize experiential learning with a focus on outdoor education, it’s clear to us that learning outside the classroom can be as valuable as learning inside. Students need structure and routine, especially at the elementary and middle school levels. Routine benefits children’s ability to form and maintain healthy habits, helps with time management, and sets a framework for learning. It has even been proven to support cognitive development by forming neural connections that make students more efficient (source). But comfort in routine is just that – comfort. True learning occurs when a person faces challenges and perseveres through them. Outdoor experiences, with the right preparation (as we determined, the right gear!), can encourage grit and tenacity.
What’s more, spending more time outside makes us healthier and happier. One researcher found that, “Natural environments and shared nature experiences have a beneficial effect on well-being by providing opportunities for social interaction and strengthening bonds within families or communities.” The study also suggests that natural settings may foster social empowerment, enhance interracial interaction, and promote social cohesion and support.
There are myriad reasons to take students outside, yet many rarely leave their classrooms or lift their eyes from screens. Teenagers are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression. These are trends that should concern educators. Going outside more often and interacting with nature and the local community might be at least one remedy to combat the rising tide of mental health challenges faced by young people today.
Student Thoughts on Experiential Learning:
Reflecting on her experience on a recent grade 10 hiking, biking, and cultural trip in the countryside of Vang Vieng, Laos, one of Megan’s students said, “The hike was memorable as well as tiring, but it wasn’t too much of a challenge because my friends were with me. A relaxing sunset view made it all worthwhile. And yes, pizza afterward was the best part of the day.”
Another student echoed similar feelings of happiness and pride after the trip, saying, “For the trip this year, my goal was to challenge myself to develop new skills. During the trip, I was able to take risks and try new things even though I wasn’t comfortable with it at first. I also developed international-mindedness as we dove deeper into Lao culture. This allowed me to become more open-minded, as it forced me outside my comfort zone to try new things and appreciate the local environment.”
We firmly believe that any educator can implement experiential learning experiences. To help you get started, consider the following tips when planning your experiential learning trips with students.
Tips for Successful Experiential Learning Trips:
- Purpose and Prep Work: Have a clear, overarching purpose for your trip. At Megan’s school, the purpose is to promote joyful learning, build empathy, encourage engagement with the local community, foster wellness, and help develop a pioneering, inclusive & collaborative community. At Marri’s school, the Outdoor Education Coordinator emphasizes, “This is not a vacation, it’s a trip.” Knowing there will be uncomfortable moments allows students to mentally prepare. With parental guidance, letting students pack themselves also prepares them mentally and physically.
- Gratitude Journaling: Encourage students to bring journals to write down their impressions of nature, draft poems, and sketch. Provide time for gratitude journaling in a serene setting like under a tree or by water. This practice has been documented to impact happiness, goal attainment, and physical health positively.
- Curriculum Integration: Experiential learning can align with nearly any curriculum. While science might be the obvious connection, humanities and arts offer opportunities too. At Marri’s school, day trips to local parks extend science lessons. For example, learning about fungi is enhanced by identifying them in their natural habitat. Similarly, humanities can be enriched by exploring historical or literary connections during field trips.
- Reflection: Make outdoor experiences more meaningful by providing reflection opportunities. Ask students to set individual goals for what they want to achieve outdoors and reflect on these afterwards. Reflection can be through painted journals, one-pagers, photo collages, or Canva posters. Creativity enhances this process.
- Be Prepared for the Unexpected: Things can go awry on trips; you can’t control weather, traffic, or health issues. But preparation can mitigate these challenges. Conduct a risk assessment of sites, keep emergency contacts handy, gather medical information, and ensure your first aid training is current. This preparation allows for relaxation and enjoyment once at the destination.
We acknowledge that not every school can afford extensive outdoor trips. However, even smaller outings to local parks can be effective. A day trip or a few hours outside can offer valuable connections to nature and peers, providing time for reflection.
If you’re creative and persistent, you can find ways to get students outside. Building relationships in nature will surely enhance classroom interactions. So, put on your hiking shoes and explore! And remember, sometimes it’s better to turn off your phone and fully engage with your surroundings.
Marri Bayour is a humanities teacher and instructional coach at Sonoma Country Day School in California. Megan Vosk teaches the middle years program individuals and societies and is the secondary community engagement coordinator at Vientiane International School, Laos.
The article header image features photos from experiential learning experiences led by Marri and Megan, including the Khao Niaow Farm Stay outside Luang Prabang, Laos, Nam Xay mountain hike outside Vang Vieng, Laos, and Long Lake and Devil’s Head Peak near Tahoe, CA.