Teaching Residency at IslandWood
Class of 2021

Teaching Practicum

Teaching for the Afternoon Ecologists program has been an insightful and rewarding experience in my journey as an educator. Although it was my first time teaching in the outdoors, especially during the pandemic, I adapted very quickly to leading my students on the trails while ensuring their safety. I found it exciting to be able to apply what I learned about methods in culturally responsive pedagogy immediately in my teaching each week. As an instructor who practices inclusive and justice-oriented education, I actively work on centering students' learning goals, facilitating community agreements, challenging dominant narratives in science, and uplifting our more-than-human neighbors as part of our community.

During my teaching practicum, I co-taught four different groups of students: Team Thunder (5 consecutive days with 3rd-4th graders), Team Rain (twice weekly for 3 weeks with 5th-6th graders), Team Estuary (once weekly for 7 weeks with 3rd-4th graders), and Team Bog (once weekly for 8 weeks with 3rd-4th graders). Some of the lessons I facilitated with these groups include:

- Moss Community Mapping (an original lesson I developed)
- Lunar New Year Storytelling (a celebration of the new year with a story about the Great Race)
- Draw a Scientist
- Botanical Printmaking
- Cemetery Historical Research
- Garden Scavenger Hunt
- Water Quality Investigation
- Macroinvertebrates Investivation at the Pond
- Each 1 Teach 1: Plant Investigations
- Solo Walk
- Observations at Canopy Tower


Graduate Student Projects