September 24th Entrance Slip

The article mentioned a lot about the importance of learning about school gardens. One thing that stopped me while I was reading the article was one of the main points of the article about teaching in a school garden as a co-teacher. When we talk about teaching in a garden, a lot of people would often think of it as another location for learning. But there are so many other aspects incorporated into it, one of them is being closer to nature. When students are outside, they can connect with the world around them better while feeling fresh and relaxed. It also helps develop the empathetic relationship we have with the living ecosystem where we show respect to the environment around us, and I think this plays an important role when it comes to teaching because I believe empathy is something all students should learn. 

As a teacher, I believe that incorporating teaching and learning in a garden is a great idea for both me and the students. Over the last two weeks, my classmates and I have been attending classes at Orchard Garden, where I've learned a lot about respect, connection and observation in relation to the ecosystem. By teaching in a garden, students can learn to show empathy and connect with their surroundings. Students can also learn to observe what is around them. Through visual observations, I can ask the students to relate math to their surroundings, such as the angles of certain objects or the length of a tree branch. 

I think using the garden for teaching and learning has the potential to go both ways. Some benefits include observing and connecting with nature in relation to math, while difficulties can arise, such as the weather and the lack of resources supporting this style of teaching. One way to work through the difficulties is to have an alternative activity planned for on the day of inclement weather. Additional resources can also be added as part of expanding the program of garden teaching. I believe that by adding relevance to what the teaching can offer at the gardens, students and other teachers will begin to see the effectiveness of it. Nevertheless, I am excited to see what teaching in the garden as a teacher means and where it will lead.