I don’t think there is a roadmap or template for how to make decisions for students and families during a pandemic. And most decisions that our hardworking educators need to make for next year will have long-range impacts on learning and families. 

Living Classroom is working diligently to reimagine and restructure our lessons to determine what is doable and practical with the new guidelines that we will surely be asked to manage. Fortunately, our instructional and garden teams are resourceful, creative, and most importantly, optimistic and enthusiastic for the possibilities of what we can do. 

Hallmarks of the Living Classroom program are outdoor, hands-on learning and making science come alive through interacting with nature. Being outdoors for even a few minutes a day -- be it at school or at home -- makes a huge difference. Mental health and well-being are as important as educational goals and physical well-being, and possibly more important in times of stress. Right now, outdoors is the best place to be to enjoy nature, to reduce stress, and to minimize possible exposure to viruses. I think our educators know this; I sincerely hope they keep this in mind as they make plans for next year.

In the CAELI newsletter this month, Celeste Royer (director of environmental education at the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education) states: “Students are more engaged when taught in outdoor settings; [an outdoor setting] increases the amount of time they are on-task, which deepens their comprehension of the science and environmental concepts being presented. This depth of learning -- along with their enthusiasm -- can also transfer to other disciplines such as language arts, mathematics, and social science." I agree.

Stay safe!