Student Teacher Safari
The Outdoor School is in collaboration with nearby Universities. The Student
Teacher Safari provides students interested in education the opportunity
to observe and participate in an outdoor teaching experience. The Outdoor
School provides the student teacher with a basic understanding of inquiry,
hands-on, brain based learning and teaching. The use of teambuilding,
structuring questions, differentiation and positive redirection are major
factors in the development of the student teacher. During this experience,
the student teacher evolves into a positive, brain based, hands-on teacher
with diverse ideas to make use of in the classroom. The student teacher
becomes skilled at incorporating the outdoors and hands-on experiences
when teaching science, math and social studies. The student teacher observes outdoor education, will participate in journal experiences
and builds lesson plans that can be used in their career as a teacher.
The science, math and social studies knowledge gained during participation
of Outdoor School activities overall benefits the student teacher. The student
teacher learns how to teach effectively so that students retain abstract concepts.
The Outdoor School lays the foundation for the student teacher with a strong
understanding of outdoor and indoor differential teaching. The student teacher
learns how to apply knowledge of outdoor skills and leaves with a broadened
philosophy of teaching.
There are two programs within the Student Teaching Safari. The Outdoor School Student Teaching Safari has an Outdoor Eyewitness Program that involves only observation and the Open-Air Discovery program which involves the student teacher in a one to three week outdoor school teaching experience during their field experience with the University and Independent School District.