Outdoor Classroom Management

Philosophy
Outdoor classrooms are a privilege, it is vital that everyone involved acts responsibly and
is treated respectfully for this program to be a success. By channeling excitement and enthusiasm
into focused learning activities, the outdoors becomes a wonderful space for learning. Outdoor
science school provides students with a new method of learning and interaction with the outside
world around them. My classroom management style would embody the main components of
humanism; in my classroom setting, I would act as a facilitator, prompting discussions and
personal exploration for my students. I would encourage my students to regulate their own
learning environment and I would establish this kind of environment from the beginning. With
this kind of environment, it is my goal that all students would respectfully and responsibly
interact with each other and myself while not being intimidated to ask questions and develop
their own knowledge.
Expectations, Rules and Consequences
Rules
Safety should be every teachers main concern in the classroom and by setting clear rules
and expectations on the first day, maintaining a safe environment can be easily achieved. Rules
in the classroom would be established on the first day. These rules would be in every building on
the outdoor school campus. Students would be made aware of these rules on the first day in a
large introductory assembly.
The Big 3
1. My behaviors will not affect others learning potential.
2. My actions will not endanger myself or any other person.
3. Leave no trace.
Consequences
In this outdoor setting, a focus on positive reinforcement would be much more stressed
than negative reprimanding. I would strive for a 10:1 reinforcement ratio, focusing on the
positive behavior rather than negative. If strong, negative behavior were to arise the plan of
action would be as follows:
1. Warning from the instructor.
2. Removal from the activity.
3. Call home/removal from outdoor school.
However, this is solely for drastically disruptive, disrespectful, or dangerous behavior.
For smaller behavioral issues, such as small disruptive behaviors, I would quietly go up to them
or pull them aside and tell them that their behavior is inappropriate and ask them to please stop. I
would make the best effort to ensure any sort of reprimanding would occur as indiscreetly as
possible. If the behavior continued after I talked to them, I would ask them to stay after to talk to
me. After our activity was over, I would sit them down and ask why they thought they were

there. In this situation, I would want the student to be able to identify the problem and be able to
discuss the outcome of their actions. I would continue to foster that discussion by asking why
their behavior was a problem for me and why it was a problem for the other students in the class.
From there, I would ask if their behavior was fair to their classmates. I believe creating this
discussion with students helps them see the value in self-discipline.
Classroom Environment
Because this would be a outdoor experience, the classroom experience would differ greatly from
the traditional classroom experience. Students would be encouraged to work together, and would
be asked to always stay with a buddy. By asking students to always keep each other accountable
for their friends and classmates, students are being rewarded high responsibility and trust.
Communication of Expectations
Approximately two weeks before the students came to the outdoor science classroom, I would
send them a form with all necessary information expectations, rules, and general information
about the camp. This would accompany a letter detailing the materials they needed and a
permission slip that they would need to return before attending.