Sharing Good Practice
HOW TO MANAGE GROUPS WHILE
LEARNING OUTDOORS
BY ANITA FOSTER
T
he benefits of outdoor learning
are widely evidenced and
accepted, yet many teachers
are still reluctant to move
outside the classroom. What’s stopping
us? Over the last 25 years I have worked
with countless teachers, developing
outdoor learning opportunities, and
overcoming barriers. Some are real,
some perceived, but most of the time it
comes down to confidence: to try new
things; to get it ‘wrong’; to take children
into an unfamiliar environment; to let
children direct their learning; to know
when to step in, and when to step back.
Concerns around managing groups
outside, is one such barrier, and in this
article, we will briefly explore some
approaches and ideas to help you to
overcome this.
Hierarchy of Outdoor Learning
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a well-
known model, demonstrating that
basic foundations are needed before
we can grow, explore and achieve.
In the same way, foundations need to
be in place to develop your outdoor
practice:
Challenging weather – hot or cold – should not be a barrier to learning outdoors. Good
planning and appropriate clothing can create memorable learning experiences.
Initial outdoor learning activities
may be simply to establish routines,
or familiarise the group with the
environment. Higher level learning
objectives will build on this and
incorporate
relevant
skills
and
knowledge.
Always clearly identify your outcomes -
what do you want to achieve:
• Get used to being outside,
understand boundaries, choose
appropriate clothing?
• Understand
knowledge?
specific
curriculum
• Develop group skills, e.g. problem
solving, collaborative working?
• Develop tenacity, resilience or self-
motivation?
Challenge-support model
Daloz’s Challenge-support model
provides a useful framework to guide
our facilitation of groups outside.
Providing the appropriate level of
support and challenge, adapting when
necessary, means we keep learning
and development in the top-right
‘growth’ sector. Remember though,
an ‘easy’ challenge might prove very
challenging for a group without the
Managing
Learning Outdoors
Managing
Others Outdoors
Be clear about objectives; prepare
with specific knowledge and skills
Establish routines and boundaries;
develop relevant skills, eg problem
solving; consider group management
options
Be prepared; familarise self with
location and environmental conditions;
draw on knowledge and experience of
others
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Comforatble
Stauts Quo Empowered
Growth
Boredom
Apathy Stress
Anxiety
Managing
Yourself Outdoors
Class Time
Challenge