n my sophomore year, I had a history teacher who, towards the end of the year, would let us work outside. We got to be outside for a good thirty minutes, perhaps longer.
Yet, being able to work outside, especially when it was beautiful out, felt so amazing.
I was able to get so much done with the change of scenery.
Being outside really motivates me to actually get my work done.
The feeling of fresh air and the breeze hitting me, along with the sun, really gets me into a working groove.
The feeling of being cooped up in a classroom is undoubtedly annoying after a long period of time. We have to spend about five to six hours inside those classrooms.
The seats are quite uncomfortable to be in for 56 minutes. I feel as though I can’t get any work done because some classrooms are really hot, while others are extremely cold. It also gives me a headache going from the hot to the cold, preventing me from doing my work at a more efficient rate.
Being in a classroom, you look out the window a lot, and you can see the birds and animals outside, wishing you could join them.
It’s a little break from being in a classroom all day. It gets exhausting being inside all day, where our only break is the short lunch we get. Then the passing period, which is also a very short amount of time to enjoy being outside of a classroom.
It is also beneficial for people to do their work outside. Hearing all the natural sounds, which are Earth’s music.
It reminds us that even when we’re working, we can enjoy the beauty going on around us. We put in so much hard work and effort, and still some people don’t even go outside because of all the work they’re doing. They can’t go and enjoy the little things in life.
In no way should we just be outside and not do any work, not at all. I’m saying that at certain times, certain classes can go out for 20 to 30 minutes and do some work outdoors, unless the weather prevents us from doing so.
Think of it as a P.E. class but with your other subjects. Some people despise P.E., but it’s highly beneficial to get outside and be in the open.
According to the American Institute of Research, “students performed better in school when their curriculum included outdoor education. The study reports that students who enjoyed outdoor education experienced increased standardized test scores, enhanced attitude about school, improved in-school behavior, improved attendance, and overall enhanced student achievement.”
This type of learning would require an immense amount of planning, considering how many students we have. I believe we could come up with some sort of plan to make this work.
This could also be a choice for students. If they don’t want to, then the teacher could stay inside, while we have someone outside just looking out and making sure we’re actually working.