The Main Disadvantage of Outdoors Education
Is there a disadvantage to outdoor education?
As a parent, caregiver, or teacher, there will be one disadvantage. Resistance. Internal and external. Getting out of your comfort zone might be seem to be a disadvantage at first. But you will grow, and so will your child.
The Disadvantage For Parents
In a world where we’re addicted to our screens, it can be hard to budget our time for experiences that bring us meaning. Taking your child outdoors will require some willpower on your part. When it would be easy to scroll through your social media feed on the couch, it’s hard to put down the device. Just know that thirty minutes you might spend walking in the park (or even down the street) with your child will be worth it in ways you can’t imagine.
The Disadvantage For Teachers
In an education system that frequently values test scores over developmentally appropriate practice, teachers might be fighting resistance from outside sources and even from within. Teachers might ask themselves how an extra twenty minutes of recess each day could benefit their students when they could be inside practicing spelling words, memorizing math facts, or taking one more assessment? Taking this one step further and taking a lesson outside might be even more out of a teacher’s comfort zone.
Trying a new approach like taking education outside can have a disadvantage. At first, it will take you, the parent, the caregiver, the teacher, out of your comfort zone. After you meet your edge, though, you’ll see how your child flourishes in nature. And it will all make sense.
Rose Waldeier is a writer and teacher.
Find her on Instagram.
