Outdoor Classrooms Library Book Tour

Book 4: How to Grow a School Garden

Over the holidays, I treated myself and bought a few new books for my Outdoor Classrooms library. Although, thrilled to see the volume of incredible resources on this topic, I often can’t decide and wish I could  purchase every book listed.  I am pleased that I chose, “How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers” by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle to be the next book on the Outdoor Classrooms book tour. This book is filled with beautiful garden photographs and affirms the transformative impact school gardens can have on communities. There are three features in this book that I especially enjoyed.

The first feature I enjoyed is how the authors managed to weave in the history of school gardens. I found this section especially appealing, as it is an ideal resource to add to my Foundations of Early Childhood course that I teach at a local Community College. I can’t wait to infuse the history of school gardens into my lecture on the evolution of Early Childhood Education. Fascinating stuff!

The second feature I found interesting is Chapter 6: A Healthy Outdoor Classroom. I am excited to share that I will be joining, as a student, the first group of Natural Teachers taking the Teaching in the Dirt: Designing Outdoor Classrooms e-course. My vision is to transform my backyard empty plot into an outdoor classroom learning lab. Composting is part of this vision. Chapter 6 features fantastic information on soil health, organic plant health, and organic pest control. I can’t wait to explore more in this section of the book and create working compost bins in the Spring.

The third feature are at the end of the book. I know they will be expecially helpful as a Natural Teacher. The recipes,  examples of garden activities that connect with state standards and the extensive resources section are terrific.

As we move deeper into the colder months of winter, I can’t imagine a better time to be dreaming, planning and designing an outdoor classroom. There is still time to join this first group of Natural Teachers on our Teaching in the Dirt: Designing Outdoor Classrooms e-course adventure. Come check it out at: https://www.outdoor-classrooms.com/e-course/ Hope to see you in class.