Collaborative Teacher Network

Resources here.

The Collaborative Teacher Network offers peer-to-peer support for educators at monthly meetings designed to refresh your mind, take you outdoors, and connect you with other teachers. Together, we share and learn ways to venture outdoors confidently, safely, and joyfully with children and use nature for teaching and learning in virtual and/or in person settings.

Every session has:

• An outdoor social and emotional learning activity that you can modify for your students (bring your coat, hat, mittens, etc!)
• Idea sharing between teachers (whole and small group) and personal reflection time
• Strategies for carrying out place based education in a virtual setting

Register here  – and share with your colleagues! 

Winter Outdoor Activities (January 11): Use winter nature play to build bridges to meaningful outdoor learning experiences. Materials needed: outdoor clothes and shoes, access to the outdoors 

Using 5 Senses to Explore (Feb 8): Practice quiet observation to create a sound map, using words or pictures to describe your experience. Materials needed: paper, writing utensil, outdoor clothes and shoes, access to the outdoors 

Up-Close Observation (March 8): Bring or find a natural object to examine closely. We’ll use sketching and listing to connect with the object before we change our perspective to imagine its role in our ecosystem. Materials needed: natural object, paper, writing utensil, outdoor clothes and shoes, access to the outdoors  

Program is free and open to all Michigan-based educators and teachers.  Focus is on K-12 but can be used with preK and college audiences, too.

Hosted by place-based educators from Michigan State University’s teaching farms across the state:

Abbey Palmer-  MSU Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center, Chatham, MI @msunorthfarm

Ellen Koehler–  Tollgate Farm and Education Center, Novi, MI  @ExperienceTollgate

Kara Haas and Misty Klotz – W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI, @KelloggBioStn Facebook: KelloggBioStn