Teacher and Educator Engagement
Working with educators to integrate Nature Learning Pedagogy into EVS teaching and learning
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For students to experience and learn from nature, it is important to facilitate nature immersion and learning opportunities for their school teachers. With this in mind, we conduct workshops that enable teachers to reconnect with the natural world and learn about the fascinating creatures that share our world with us.
“I really liked the entire workshop. I teach literature and sometimes I used stories that were related to nature...like a man living in a forest. But I have found that students were unable to make a connection with nature through those stories. Earlier I felt unable to bring that connection. But after attending the workshop, I think I can instead use local stories and students will be able to easily relate to these stories.”
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-an educator's experience of a Nature Learning Workshop
Over the years, we have conducted Nature Learning Workshops with school teachers, education based organisations and groups of independent educators. We offer workshops online and when safety permits, physically as well.
Online Workshop with Samavesh (2020)
Nature Learning Workshop with teachers from Parikrma School (2019)
For a comprehensive understanding of nature learning pedagogy, we think a minimum of 6-8 hours of engagement is required. However, for a more intensive Nature Learning Training, we also conduct a four-week long offering (2 hours for one day a week) complete with field assignments, consultations and implementation of our Pedagogy in an educator’s learning space.
A few components of the intensive workshop series include:
a) Introduction to Nature Learning
b) Nature Classrooms Framework & Pedagogy
c) Mapping nature learning themes to EVS curriculum
d) Designing and effectively using nature learning resources
e) Dilemmas in Nature Learning
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Teachers conducting Nature Learning sessions with their students as part of our workshops
Our work with primary school teachers helps teachers design lessons that encourage students to develop empathy, experience wonder and build a connection with their immediate natural environment. Teacher engagement also enables co-creation and conceptualisation of teaching-learning material that is practical, low-cost, age-appropriate and easily adapted to different contexts. Flashcards, visual aids, worksheets, story cards, puzzles, outdoor games that explain ecological concepts and phenomena are some of the forms the materials take.
Are you interested in being part of a Nature Learning workshop or organizing one for the teachers you/your organization works with?
Write to us at edu@ncf-india.org