Last week we had the pleasure to have Karim, Jesus, and Vicent, a French and two Spanish men.
For the session, I'd been trying to use an inductive method of teaching, a centric approach based on the idea that usually students, trainee teachers in this case, are more likely to learn when they are actively engaged in the learning process.
This approach challenges the learners to formulate their own beliefs or concepts by examining all the evidence provided and recognizing patterns to arrive at solutions.
It is often also used to help nurture people's inquisitive nature and foster creativity and group problem-solving.
The inductive teaching method is unique because it does not rely on a strict lesson plan or prior knowledge or guidelines, unlike deductive teaching, where teachers give direct instruction on what they want students to learn.
Four of my main aims were:
Encourage their participation
Build natural curiosity
Help in developing a scientific mindset approach
Promote learning by a ‘doing’ approach
So, How did we combine Eco-school with a Joyful English course?
The answer is through one of the best aphorisms I like most.
"I Never teach my pupils, I only provide the conditions in which they can learn"
Albert Einstein
In becoming or being already a teacher, it is important to understand that learning is an active process, and sometimes the best and most memorable learning experiences take place outside the classroom.
Outdoor education has been growing over the years both in the EU as well as globally.
Teachers often think that with a hectic schedule and a demanding curriculum, it is often challenging to practice learning outside the classroom, but what we did during this week was demonstrate to them they could change their minds.
This is what I tried on the second day.
Through different activities, "Creativity", "Empathy" and "Affinity" were the three keywords in order to better lead participants' senses and connect themselves with nature.
Encouraging and engaging more of our participants with how and why learning outside the classroom and including Eco-topics transversally inside their curriculum might be beneficial, shows how both teachers and pupils might appreciate the opportunities that moving lessons outside will represent, and it will help transform school cultures and teaching approaches.
Author: Roberta Muratore, JUMP Trainer
