On Teaching: "Open Air Classroom"

For the past few days, I have had some perfectly wonderful classes outside in the garden beside my classroom. Each day I arrived early and set my four folding blue lawn chairs out on the grass, sort of a signal to my students that this would be a day for outdoor classes. The chairs look particularly lovely in the early morning, sitting gracefully in the cool shade of the trees. I imagine my students passing by them as they enter the building and admiring the look of my open-air English classroom. Today was especially delightful. In fact, I had to pause several times during class just to tell the kids how fortunate I felt to be sitting outside with them in such a splendid setting. The speckled sunlight was flickering among us, a perfect April breeze was swirling here and there, and the students were making especially astute comments about the material we were studying. I felt like I was living the dream of all teachers everywhere. No doubt it’s also the dream of students around the world – to have class in a picture perfect garden on an unspoiled spring day. Indeed, English class is often a grind for my students, and I’m lucky I can offer them, at least on pleasant days, a more agreeable setting than my unexciting classroom. Any young student loves the outdoors. Sunshine and gentle winds beat florescent lights and staleness any day.