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Educator Voices

How to incorpor­ate nature into your teaching: a Q&A with Michèle Banks

published December 14, 2023
Sky view of a mountain range covered by large forests.

Michèle Banks is a nature enthusiast. She has taught everything from kindergarten to adults in New Brunswick, Québec, New Zealand, and England. But no matter the age group, she’s always made sure to incorporate a bit of nature in her teaching. Michelle is currently working on her Ph. D which focuses on sustainable outdoor recreation, place-based learning, conservation, and gender equity.

In 2022, she was employed at the University of Cumbria, England, as an Honorary Research Fellow. She established a research project and collected data on Nature Connectedness and Sustainable Outdoor Recreation, in the Workington area. The research investigated barriers and proposals to increasing connectedness with nature at the local level.

We met with her to discuss the importance of encouraging students to connect with nature and get her insight on the best ways to do so.

Why take your students out in nature?

How did you learn about Ocean School?

I came across Ocean School during lockdown in 2020. I involve students in nature in my teaching and incorporate experiential learning. So, I thought, how can I replicate that during the lockdown? What resources are out there for me to use that would get students involved while at home? And so that's how I came across Ocean School. [The first activity I discovered] was a 360-degree video. I thought, “Wow! The kids are really going to like this.” I then used Anatomy of a cod for my biology class. When we came back post-Covid, I reused it because I was taking some of my outdoor pursuit students ice fishing in my ice fishing shack. I wanted to teach them what we would be fishing. We then had to clean our fish, and they could figure out some of the internal organs beforehand.

Also, for somebody who has taught mainly in French for most of my career, to have [Ocean School] resources so accessible [in French] is just a godsend. It provides those resources, very concrete resources, that wouldn't normally be easily attainable. Many of the sources are local to our region which is easier for students to appreciate.

Michèle Banks headshot

But how to do it?

If you had one main piece of advice for teachers who want to bring more nature into their curriculum, what would it be?

Work with other teachers. When a teacher has a good idea, support them and work with them. Encourage them and advocate to the administration for them because they're often a leader in their field. They will do good for the students and get [other teachers] involved as well. Working together and supporting each other: it's a lot easier than doing it on your own. My experience is there’s usually one teacher at every school that is the lead teacher for outdoors. If you can jump on that wagon together and not be competitive, it's easier. It is for the students ultimately.

A wide wetland landscape at the foot of a conifer-covered mountain. In the distance, four people stand in the tall grass near the water.

Looking for more expert advice from teachers? Take a look at our Educator Voices section to find inspiration for your next lesson plan.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.

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