During the Garden Based Learning Workshop, at North Elementary, Sara Pennington and Liz Stanley's session's intended focus was co-teaching in the garden. However, the audience for one of their sessions was comprised of WVU Extension Agents, Master Gardeners, other community educators, and a few teachers. Like truly great teachers, Pennington and Stanley switched gears to meet the needs of their "students" - during their presentation they focused on what would help community educators collaborate with teachers, get into classrooms, and share their knowledge with students in their respective communities.
They suggested community educators ask classroom teachers for their pacing guide and curriculum map. These two pieces are essential to every classroom teacher's daily planning, and will help community educators understand where they might fit into the teacher's schedule.
Another tool Pennington and Stanley use is an online lesson planning platform called Plan Book. In addition to the pacing guide and curriculum map, Pennington often shares her Plan Book with community educators. She finds it helps community educators understand exactly where they fit into the bigger picture of what her students have been learning. Not every teacher uses Plan Book, others will have classroom plans that would help community educators determine where they would fit best into the teacher's classroom plans.
Pennington and Stanley stressed that they love having community educators in their classroom because they offer a different voice, and provide them with a break from teaching but often teachers struggle to figure out how they can fit community educators into their classroom. Sharing the pacing guide, curriculum map, and plan book with community educators, helps Pennington and Stanley overcome the mystery of how community educators can fit into their classroom teaching.
Check back soon for curriculum from North's Garden Based Learning Workshop soon!