What do you do when?

[Regi Jones]

Hi everyone!

At our last POC in School Gardens Affinity Group meeting, we discussed how we respond to student behavior in outdoor learning spaces. We also talked about ways to prepare and support adults so they understand what to expect during garden-based learning experiences.

We'd love to hear from you:

• What strategies have you found effective for managing student behavior in outdoor learning environments?
• How do you engage teachers and other adults in conversations about expectations for students in outdoor spaces?
• What practices help set both students and adults up for success before heading into the garden?

Please share your tips, experiences, and lessons learned. We look forward to learning from one another!

[Emily Shepherd]

Emily here, new group member from Charlotte NC! Glad to be a part. 

I have found engaging the students in creating the rules for the garden is key. They decide, I approve, and then they take a vote. They create a rules board at the entrance of the garden. They are then more keen to enforce the rules among themselves. I also explain the whys behind the rules, such not stepping in the beds is so we don't crush the homes of decomposers living there. How would they like it if a huge foot stepped on THEIR home? : )  Students also create the consequences for breaking the rules, such as having to pull 10 weeds per infraction, for example. I try to keep things light in the garden with rules and consequences. I want the garden to be a very happy place.  If I have a very defiant student (rare) I just have another student escort them to the principal and remove the privilege of being outside in the garden. 

I also go over the rules with each class every time before we even step foot in the garden. 

Would love to hear what you all do

Emily

[C BLG]

I took a course with Life Lab and they shared a nice exercise to establish behavioral guidelines  (I don't know if they called it "rules") and to build community. They asked "how do you want to feel in the garden" and then, "in order to feel that way, what rules/guidelines do we need.? For the health of the non-human beings in the garden maybe another question can be asked "how do we want the non-human beings to feel in the garden." Or something like that. If I remember correctly, the answers for "how do I want to feel" were written inside an outline of a person (a nice graphic). I've adopted this since in non-garden settings, and it worked well.  I haven't yet had the necessary time to do this exercise for garden settings.

[Helena Kilstrom]

We have students make a Garden Promise before they head out to the garden for the first time. The garden promise becomes a poster that is displayed in the classroom with their signatures at the bottom. Together, they come up with how respect will look in the space for eachother and the organisms that live in the garden. This is an activity that the teacher completely leads. Here are the directions that I provide for the teachers: 

Creating a garden promise is an important first step before you visit the garden and start using it as an extension of your classroom. Alongside your classroom agreement, the goal is to create a set of “rules” for the garden space without calling them rules. These phrases or statements work best if they are kept positive. As you take ideas from all of the students, you can reformat each statement into a positive one. In the end, you should have no more than ten points that fit nicely on a poster. The poster can be hung in your classroom and reviewed before you head out into the garden each week. You will notice a lot of similarities between your classroom rules and the garden agreement; that’s normal. The garden is just an extension of your classroom, and recognizing the similarities between the expectations will be helpful in the end.

Here are a few examples below:

Student: “People shouldn’t squish bugs!”

Teacher writes: Respect bugs

Student: Don’t step on worms! 

Teachers adds: Respect bugs all living things  

Common bullet points to add:

• Speak softly to not scare away animals

• Walk with careful feet

• Ask before picking

• Responsibly use tools as tools, not toys

• Return tools to where you found them before leaving

• Ask questions, be curious

• Respect all living things (plants and animals)

Once you have decided on 10 bullet points as a class, have each student sign the bottom of the poster. Give them ownership!

Sincerely,

Helena Kilstrom (she/her)

District School Garden Coordinator

Center for Research in Environmental Sciences and Technologies

West Linn-Wilsonville School District

(503) 673-7349

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