Morbihan. These teachers decided to hold classes… outside

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Boots on their feet and hats screwed on their heads, on this autumn morning, the little ones of nursery school Yves Coppens of Grand-Champ are not in classroom. But in the small green space which adjoins the playground. Like every week. But this is not an outing like any other. “For 2 years, we have been practicing school outsideexplains the director, Ludivine Azuelos. Once a week, one morning, the 90 kindergarten children have class outside. »

But why then?

First with CM1

In fact, the idea came from one of the school's teachers who was working in CM1 class at the time. Very sensitive to natureCaroline Lanchas-Cruces got involved in the system “School outside” and then proposed it to the management team. “The experiment was very convincing when Caroline decided to change level to take a class to the little ones This year, we said to ourselves that we could also transpose this action to kindergarten,” continues the director.

An attempt which, after two months, confirms that school outside is entirely adaptable to the little ones.

“Actually, we're just changing the frame. We approach the same learning but with different tools.”

Caroline Lanchas-Cruces is categorical. “We noticed that the children were gaining in autonomyin self-confidence, in cooperation. They take better ownership group work ».

The relationship with nature

By registering this project school outside with the National Council for Refoundation, the Yves Coppens school even received a grant of €3,000. “We were thus able to invest in educational materials (observation materials: magnifying glass, tweezers, etc. and books on nature), and also in equipment (like boots or overtrousers),” announces Ludivine Azuelos.

Because the guideline of this way of doing class differently is based on the appropriation of a new space: that of nature. “There are so many things around us. Even adults sometimes don't take the time to absorb the environment local. We realized that some children had a complicated relationship with nature; like just putting your hands in the dirt.”

“We scrutinize, we observe and we explain”

Toddlers, for example, are encouraged to learn colors by looking for anything brown.

“At each session, there is a free activity part so that they can make the place their own. Then a learning part and finally, a final stage with cleaning the site on which we worked.”

What is a hedge used for and what is it made of? What is forest litter? How do plants, shrubs and trees grow? THE areas of learning in nature are unlimited.

You just need to be well equipped

Caroline Lanchas-Cruces also relies on nature to address the vocabulary.

“We have something concrete here. Each time, the exercises are the same: we observe a fact and we explain it.”

It is also a way of raising awareness among the youngest environmental protection. “We tell them not to crush insects, not to pick a flower if it is of no use either.”

And even if it rains a little or if it's cold, we don't deviate from having classes outside. “It’s also a good way to introduce them to the seasons. We also do motor skills exercises when temperatures are low. And then we tend to overprotect our children. But if we teach them to equip themselves properly, they can challenge the weather conditions without problem,” says Ludivine Azuelos, who nevertheless concedes that the first condition for doing class outside is “especially not to not put children in dangerof course.”

Teach differently

For teachers, this new way of working also brings a breath of fresh air. “That’s good, we’re getting out of a box. We also realize that teaching outside is much more pleasant in terms of noise pollution. It is also a questioning of our practices», concludes Ludivine Azuelos who hopes to perpetuate the operation and also make other establishments want to try the experience.

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