Kindergarten teacher Donna Schantz, has a unique idea in mind proposing for an outdoor educational classroom. The concept is for students to develop their gross motor skills, imagination, cooperative play, and scientific inquiry in a non-traditional way.
Hemlock Elementary houses infant care up to kindergarten, with students with varied abilities and special needs. Students at this age are energetic, outgoing, and very curious. Ms. Schantz came up with this idea to teach students in ways that pique their interest and prepare them in ways in which they don’t even realize they are learning.
“Learning is an active process,” stated Schantz. “Traditional ways of teaching are not always the best ways to reach my little learners, so I have to be innovative.”
Schantz would like to see students be able to learn and grow in the outdoor classroom with a rope tunnel/bridge, outdoor table, sandpit for exploration, balls and ramp for students to manipulate and create their own cascading ball experiments, and an active area with climbing/balancing, etc.
To help Hemlock Elementary-Ms. Schantz reach her goal and for more information click Outdoor Educational Classroom or email schantz@hemlockps.com.