Just as you have a place to come together in the classroom, you should have a place to gather outdoors. Having a meeting place is a helpful classroom management and instructional tool for both indoor and outdoor learning environments.
I teach at a private international school with an outdoor learning program for all children from preschool to grade six. The elementary school students go outside twice daily for recess, too. Our children are fortunate to be able to spend time learning and playing outdoors every day.
The outdoor learning spaces for the children in kindergarten to grade six are separate from their playground area. It is important to distinguish learning spaces from playing spaces for the older students.
Designate your own meeting place.
The Reception class (children aged 4 and 5 years old) is self-contained. The Reception children do not join the older children on the playground for recess. In Reception, there is no distinction between playing spaces and learning spaces. The work of young children is play after all.
For the Reception children, I use “the meeting place” as a transition from indoor learning to outdoor learning. Every time we go outside, we first congregate at our meeting place.
The meeting place is a multi-functional space. This is where we can:
- introduce new knowledge, vocabulary, skills and concepts
- set an intention or pose a challenge for the day
- give reminders about newly learned safety rules
- ask the children to share their interests
- sing songs
- tell stories
- facilitate discussions
- assist in problem-solving
We use our craft hut now for meetings in inclement weather.
For many years, our only meeting place was the circle of logs pictured above. Exposed to the hot sun, rain, wind and snow, we were not deterred by the weather. We faithfully met in spite of it all!
In 2015, we lobbied (that means we relentlessly begged, pleaded and pestered our Principal) for a covered area, and we got it! Now, if it’s a particularly hot, rainy, windy or snowy day, we have a place to gather that offers a bit of protection from the elements.
When it’s time to return indoors, we often gather again at the meeting place to reflect on our play and learning.
Many classroom management strategies that work well inside the classroom work very well outdoors, too. Slight alternations might be necessary, of course. Indoors, we gather on the blue carpet. Outdoors, we sit on logs and benches. Adapting your best practice for outdoor use can help you feel more confident and secure as you start to take learning out with your students.
