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In this episode, Carol Murdoch is joined by Lindsay Shepherd, a teacher in Aberdeen City. Lindsay shares her journey and experiences in outdoor education. She discusses her time with Tinkergarten in the US and how it inspired her to bring outdoor learning to Scotland.
Takeaways
- Outdoor learning can be a dream job for teachers, but it requires a combination of luck, being in the right place at the right time, and hard work.
- Tinkergarten is a nature play-based experience for children and their caregivers, aimed at promoting learning through nature and community.
- Creating routines and using welcoming and engaging activities can make outdoor learning enjoyable for both teachers and students.
- Outdoor learning can be particularly beneficial for children with additional support needs, providing them with a different learning experience and helping them build confidence.
- Teachers should take small steps and not be afraid to try outdoor learning, as it can have a positive impact on both students and teachers’ well-being.
- Scotland has a wealth of natural resources that can be utilized for outdoor learning, and teachers should make the most of the opportunities available.
Timestamps
00:00 The Journey to Becoming an Outdoor Teacher
14:13 The Benefits of Outdoor Learning for Children with Additional Support Needs
15:34 Developing outdoor learning across the school
18:59 Starting out Outside
23:49 One last tip
Thank you for listening. Here are the show links:
From Others
- Tinkergarten (in America). They’re also on Instagram, Facebook, and X
- 5 Minute Nature Stories: True tales from the Woodland
- Outdoor Learning Across the Curriculum: Theory and Guidelines for Practice
- Teaching the Primary Curriculum Outdoors
- Understanding Schemas in Young Children: Again! Again!
- In 2022, there were 705,874 pupils in Scottish schools. There were 241,639 pupils recorded as having additional support needs, which is 34% of pupils. (Scottish Government, Pupils with complex additional support needs: research into provision, Published 19 September 2023)
From Us
Where you can find Lindsay
