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Burlington Middle School, Burlington, CO
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A remote location can make EE professional development challenging—but this teacher has found a way to make it happen.
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Burlington Middle School is in rural eastern Colorado. Yes, “outside” is right out the door, but one of the challenges for Burlington and other schools in sparsely populated areas is how to take advantage of it as a learning opportunity. Science teacher Cherie Wyatt not only has brought environmental education to her students, but she has also been a leader in helping other teachers incorporate EE into their lesson plans.
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The Solution
Here are a few ideas that have worked for Cherie and her colleagues:
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| · High Plains T.E.N. (Teaching Environmental Science Naturally): T.E.N. began in Colorado as a vehicle for educating teachers about resources available locally. Cherie helped introduce the program to the High Plains.
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Each year a different theme is chosen for a four-day, two-credit class that introduces teachers to local speakers (foresters, game wardens, soil conservationists, park rangers, scientists, or policy makers), gives them field experiences at nearby sites (wildlife areas, ranches, or nature preserves), and provides them with environmental education materials.
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· Water Festival: Previously, Burlington students were bussed 50 miles to participate in a water festival at another school. Cherie began a water festival in her district. Eighth-graders first learned how to lead five different water-related activities, then, after some preparation, taught the activities to fifth, sixth, and seventh graders. Thus, the barrier of distance has turned into a new school tradition and a powerful way for students to learn from each other.
· Combining forces with neighboring districts: Cherie often finds ways for teachers in her own and neighboring districts to train together. She also helped introduce Project Learning Tree to pre-service teachers at the University of Northern Colorado. Targeting pre-service is a great way for new teachers to begin their careers comfortable with exposing their students to the lessons that can be gained in the environment.
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Resources
Teaching Environmental Science Naturally (T.E.N.) is an interagency, site-based, outdoor environmental science program for teachers. Using the curriculum guides from Project WILD, Aquatic WILD, Project Learning Tree (PLT), and Project Water Education for Teachers (WET), T.E.N.'s activities focus on local natural resources to provide teachers with hands-on experiences, in their own backyards.
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