Hello,
Many of you are either taking or teaching summer classes as we speak, and if you're anything like me, you're experiencing a serious love/hate relationship with the process. On the one hand, five or eight week courses speed by--in fact, they're nearly over (woohoo!). That's clearly something to love. But on the other hand, these lightning quick classes are enormously challenging. For example, grading six essays for two different classes--one of which has 45 students in it--can be a mind-numbing, eye-reddening, time-stealing venture that verges on masochism. Add to this the daily lesson planning and classwork, plus a test or two, and all summer fun is pretty much over. However, I've discovered something that really works and makes class time not only more interesting, but actually quite stimulating: outdoor activities.
Now, you may be wondering what the heck I mean by incorporating outdoor activities into a college English class, so let me explain. Rather than force everyone to pack into a non- or only slightly air conditioned room for two- to three-hour stretches, I hold part of the class outside or have students do writing activities that send them out exploring the campus. For example, when reading a short story, we head for the lawn, plop down under a tree, form a circle, and do a read-around. This is so much more engaging--not to mention healthier--than sitting inside reading and sweating. Plus, all that fresh air really makes the blood and ideas flow; the discussions are so much livelier! Another great activity is sending students out in pairs to do a "My Camera" exercise to teach them description techniques. It works like this: Have students work together to explore and describe the campus, using as many sensory details as possible. Have them wander around for about 20 minutes (in the pairs one talks while the other writes) and then regroup in the classroom and write a paragraph based on their observations. The paragraph should not just describe the campus but should support a main idea about what the physical attributes of the environment reveal about the identity of the school. I find that students not only start thinking more deeply about the mission of the school and how the campus contributes to the "vibe" of the place (and how it contributes--or doesn't--to student success), but that they notice many more specific details about it than they normally would.
I have just started doing these activities and now my summer school experience is really becoming something to love. And I think students enjoy the change of pace and environment also. It keeps it interesting and active, and it harkens back to the open-air "classrooms" of the ancient Greeks. For my money, if it's what Socrates did, I want to try it too. So, open those doors and get yourself and your students out on your campus. I think you'll like what you all can discover together outside the confines of the classroom.
