Learn About Teaching Practices

A guide to how student and nature-centered teaching approaches offer opportunities for the development of Social Emotional Learning competencies.

The first time I led NSI: Nature Scene Investigators, it was a total flop.

Claire Maguire shares some common challenges of engaging students in investigations, and how “letting the messy in” can lead to meaningful teaching moments.

At Shady Creek Outdoor School, it is not uncommon to have a kid screaming with delight when they identify a bird.

Xander Tartter shares how key concepts in the BEETLES Guide to Engaging and Managing Students in Outdoor Science apply to his work in youth leadership development.

Sarah Johnson writes about introducing several foundational BEETLES student activities and Exploration Routines.

Arvolyn Hill of the New York Botanical Garden describes a program she designed on the influence of the African diaspora on the plant world.

An educator describes using I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me of to support stress relief and Social Emotional Learning with classroom students.

Korena David of Foothill Horizons Outdoor School shares tips and techniques for engaging groups of 30+ students in student and nature-centered learning.

There is a large amount of research on how people learn. This session breaks that information down and shows instructors how they can apply that knowledge to their teaching.

Learning is an active, social process. This session focuses on the Learning Cycle, an approach to sequencing phases of activities based on how people learn.

This session focuses on how to use questions to encourage student exploration and learning, and how instructors’ behaviors may encourage or discourage student exploration and learning.

This resource can help programs create effective new outdoor science activities for use by multiple instructors across a program and adapt and revise existing activities.

This series of video offers ideas on building a culture of discussion, responding to students, engaging students in argument, and supporting language learners.

This series of short videos of BEETLES student activities is meant to be used with the Guide to Using Videos for Reflective Process.

A guide on how to engage students positively from the beginning by creating an environment in which they can be the best versions of themselves.

Discussion is key to learning. These resources provide ideas, tools, and routines to support instructors to develop skills required to lead productive, meaning-making discussions.