Learn from My Mistakes Using a Dialectical Approach for Training Outdoor Teachers
by Brad Daniel
who, at the end of the line on the nature hike, never had the chance to see what the rest of the students were looking at or learning about. By the time you caught up, the front of the group was moving on to the next place. This article describes a fun and effective dialectical
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approach for training educators on how to teach more effectively in outdoor settings. In this approach, the trainer models a poorly taught lesson, works with the students to identify the mistakes made, and provides solutions for correcting those mistakes. If time allows, the trainer also
E ALL HAVE BEEN BOTHERED by certain things our teachers did (or did not do) when we were students. Perhaps you were the student
models a high-quality outdoor lesson. This article should be helpful for formal and non-formal outdoor educators (e.g. park interpreters), and for those who train teachers.
The Activity
The training begins with a 10-15 minute lesson/skit demon- strating a wide variety of mistakes made when teaching in the outdoors. The idea is to caricature these mistakes in such a way that they stand out. These mistakes are usually some- what inappropriate for the setting or the season and generally fall into one or more of several categories, including group position, delivery, content, pace, and professionalism. A sample of the dialogue, actions, and mistakes illustrated is presented in what follows.
GREEN TEACHER 91 Page 27
Illustrations: Tom Goldsmith
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