Why Schools Should Develop Outdoor Learning After The Covid-19 Outbreak
Up to 1.5 billion school students worldwide have experienced disruptions in their education as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now more than ever schools must change their teaching procedures to ensure students can safely return to their education as soon as possible.
Since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic, we all have been forced to make changes to our daily lives. Whether this may be using elbow touches for greetings, learning how to operate zoom calls for meetings or singing happy birthday as we wash our hands, covid-19 has forced us to adapt our daily lifestyle.
As soon as pupils return back to school in September, appropriate adaptations will have to occur too. Procedures involving split classes, hand sanitising stations and most importantly outdoor learning will take place.
Outdoor learning will play such an important role in this transition of school procedures. We have already seen its role in countries like Denmark where, since the reopening of schools, there has been minimal negative impact along with Scotland advocating this teaching method to be implemented on the reopening of schools in August.
But why exactly is it that this outdoor learning method is being advocated so heavily you may be asking?
The Hideout House Company suggests that there are five reasons for why schools should implement outdoor learning:
- Enables teaching with social distancing
Without being confined to the limited spaces of a classroom, teaching outdoors will enable social distancing procedures to be put in place.
Social distancing and being outdoors will also reduce the likelihood of infection spreading amongst teachers and students enabling schools to reopen safely.
- Student Mental Health and Well-being
In such unprecedented and uncertain times, many young adults and children will have feelings of anxiety and have concern about their futures after the devastation of the covid-19 outbreak.
With no routine for children and with minimal human contact from lock-down, this will open up the opportunity for mental health issues to occur.
This is where outdoor learning comes into its’ own. Learning outdoors has been proven to reduce stress and improve the mental well-being of pupils by keeping them actively engaged with innovative learning activities.
- Reduce pressure on staff
Outdoor teaching is not only effective in promoting a healthy mind-set amongst the students but also the teachers.
Since the development of the covid-19 outbreak, schools will experience merging of classes and a reduction in the size of their workforce.
Outdoor teaching during one of the best British summers we have experienced will significantly reduce the stress and pressure put on teachers from their work overload.
- Development of risk assessment and resilience
By providing this new and unique learning environment, students will be able to have an understanding of how to assess risks outside the confines of a classroom and develop resilience.
- The Natural World
Before and during the development of the corona virus pandemic there has been wide speculation about the global environment. With reduced transport and energy usage, there have been noticeable improvements in the natural environment whether this may be the blue skies in Beijing or the clear water canals in Venice, the Earth’s natural beauty is more appreciated.
Outdoor learning can provide such an appreciation of the natural world for children and a first-hand learning of why sustainability will play such an important role in their own lifetime.
What the Hideout House for schools after the Covid-19 pandemic?
In these unprecedented times, the Hideout House Company is here to help in this transition period which schools will have to go through in order to reopen their doors safely for students. Our comprehensive range of outdoor classrooms and shelters will enable children to adapt to these changes and to learn outdoors whilst also offering protection from the elements. We can supply something as simple as logs for children to sit on right up to a fully enclosed, insulated outdoor eco classroom.
We feel that these current times will be the new “normal” for quite some time to come yet and schools would therefore be well advised to adapt these procedures early on to allow for a smoother transition to learning outside of the classroom.
For further details, please contact the Hideout House Company on 01832 275902 or email: info@hidehouthouse.com
www.hideouthouse.com
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