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C&NN Natural Teachers Network

Information

Welcome to the virtual gathering place of the Natural Teachers Network. A Natural Teacher is any educator who uses the natural world as a powerful learning environment—whether the subject is biology, writing, art, or any other.

Website: http://www.naturalteachers.org
Members: 319
Latest Activity: Apr 27

Every teacher can be a Natural Teacher.

Think of this forum as a break room full of your peers ready for a conversation, a place where you can share ideas and ask for suggestions, where you can be engaged, creative, and encouraged. The subject: How to use the natural world as a classroom to improve your students’ health and well-being, including cognitive ability and attitudes toward learning. The objective: Inspire action, individually or in groups.

Like any meeting place where diverse opinions and concerns are shared, the discourse here must be civil. For further guidance on the “rules of engagement,” please see a set of Frequently Asked Questions located at http://childrenandnature.ning.com/page/frequently-asked-questions.
The goal of the Natural Teachers Network and this website is to encourage more teachers to connect their students with nature and to provide a forum where Natural Teachers can share their knowledge and views. Collectively, Natural Teachers can have a profound impact on improving the lives of children, and, in some schools and communities, that is already happening.

Please participate actively, and encourage others to join. Get together face-to-face as well.

You'll find tools and resources on the Natural Teachers Network home pages and throughout the larger Children & Nature Network website.

The Children & Nature Network Leadership Team will monitor this NTN Group web site from time to time, to respond to ideas and encourage action. Thank you for your commitment to children.

Discussion Forum

Nature Preschool Vancouver 5 Replies

I am working towards opening a Nature Preschool in Vancouver BC Canada.I am a Early Childhood Educator and believe that age 0-7 is the most important tie in a human being's life. I want to open a…Continue

Tags: #naturepreschool

Started by sarah emily slade. Last reply by sarah emily slade Apr 27.

No Child Left Inside 4 Replies

Imagine what it would be like if every K-12 school across the country made environmental education (EE) an essential part of the…Continue

Started by Tamra Willis. Last reply by Ken Finch Mar 25.

Please Define Green for Me! 1 Reply

What is a “green” school? Although heads vigorously nod approval to the phrase “green is good”, it’s often not clear what constitutes “green” in a school setting. The Green Schools National…Continue

Started by Herb Broda. Last reply by Ken Finch Mar 25.

A Global Perspective

There is so much to be learned if we look beyond our immediate landscape! The International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA) is a wonderful organization that attempts to serve as a link and…Continue

Started by Herb Broda Mar 24.

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Comment Wall

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You need to be a member of C&NN Natural Teachers Network to add comments!

Comment by Rosie Emery on August 17, 2010 at 11:23am: Thanks for the heads up on Dr. Herb Broda's work - I love the title and concept of the book - Moving the Classroom Outdoors - Schoolyard Enhanced Learning in Action! Nature does indeed provide a wealth of lessons that can be incorporated into every discipline. The curriculum of Willow School in New Jersey is a good example of how nature can be so beautifully integrated into learning www.willowschool.org

Comment by Christy Schultz on August 17, 2010 at 10:59am: Sounds wonderful John, I'll look up his book. Hope the gathering went well...excited for the newsletter!

Comment by John Thielbahr on August 17, 2010 at 8:41am: Good Tuesday morning to all Natural Teachers. Just returned from the annual Children & Nature Network Leadership Gathering in New Jersey and was pleased to meet Dr. Herb Broda, education professor at Ashland University in Ohio and author of Schoolyard- Enhanced Learning which is being used by many college professors teaching our future teachers. Dr. Broda just finished the manuscript of the follow-up book, Moving the Classroom Outdoors: Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning in Action, which will be published by Stenhouse in February. His writing gives wonderful and practical examples of teaching kids using nature as a classroom. I encourage you to make use of it. You will be hearing much more from Dr. Broda in the weeks ahead, as he has agreed to become one of our editors of the Natural Teachers Network Newsletter, which will be coming soon. If you have used Dr. Broda's book in your classroom, please share your experiences on this site. Thanks.

Comment by Suz Lipman on July 27, 2010 at 2:21pm: Any school nurses out there? C&NN's Cheryl Charles is giving the keynote address, The Ecology of Hope, to St. Anselm College's Annual Conference for School Nurses Tues. Aug. 3. http://bit.ly/dnXFdJ

Comment by Suz Lipman on July 27, 2010 at 2:17pm: Sounds like we have interest in a Classified area. I can start one as a Discussion, if that seems like the right place for it. I can also see it working as a Group. I think it should be in whatever place would encourage the most collaboration. Any thoughts or preferences? If it's a discussion no one would have to take ownership of it or feel obliged to moderate.

Comment by Juliet Robertson on July 27, 2010 at 9:18am: Hi

I think this also has wider merits too. For example, students are often interested in gaining practical work experience or even knowing how to get a job working with children outdoors. Sometimes, it's nice to be able to access "friendly information". I started out that way back in the 1980's with a little sheet from a guy who worked for the National Trust.

Also as Christie states, there's a lot of us who are doing things on a small scale through passion and love for the job. How can we support each other and encourage mutual growth. Knowledge if power...but only if it's shared.

In my experience when I started out, my local business network was not appropriate - the advisors were used to working with traditional businesses or in the oil industry. I was invited to the local BNI group and when I stated I needed to know education staff at a national level in different sectors, there was a large group chuckle. Thankfully, 3 years later I now have these contacts and a great group of professional friends.

Some people are often surprised too that I'm willing to help people locally do work that I'm already doing. Why not? I want more children getting outside. I can't do this on my own. I'd rather build cooperative mutual support than competition.

I think C&NN Connect is well placed do all sorts here. Hooray!

Comment by Christy Schultz on July 27, 2010 at 7:35am: Hi everyone...I think the idea of a clearinghouse/classified/job support/nonprofit support would be incredible. Thanks so much for the time put into these thoughts and posts everyone!
I am currently in Florida running a small little business program leading nature classes for local home-schooled children and their families (but not limited to) - thenatureteacher.com. I am at the point where I need to decide whether to continue and build, maybe apply to be nonprofit, or move on to another position in the field...hence John's mention of me looking for a position.
I love the idea of the "Elements" program - an organization built on supporting other organizations, sounds like an excellent idea and something I could sure have used. As you can see it is an area where guidance is useful...so it would be fabulous to have a forum on here for people in the naturalist/teacher field to support each other and network - specifically about employment/running their programs. Maybe it could be a place where people can post their resumes and write a little about what they are seeking - whether it is help running their existent program or looking for a new on. And also a place for people to list leads or jobs they are offering.

Comment by Suz Lipman on July 26, 2010 at 6:10pm: A permanent Classified discussion would work. I thought of a group because we tend to use those more than discussions, put perhaps a Classified discussion would change that.

Comment by John Thielbahr on July 26, 2010 at 5:44pm: I like the idea of a "Classified" section. Hope others weigh in.

Comment by Suz Lipman on July 26, 2010 at 3:26pm: These are all wonderful ideas for engaging the resource pool here! Thank you John and others. Perhaps a Classified group would work. That way people could post jobs wanted or sought, as well as other resources and opportunities, both offered and wanted. I'm eager to hear others' thought on this.