I don’t know anything about science or nature. How will I know what to say?
No prior knowledge is necessary! We will tell you everything that you need to know in order to lead the walk. You’ll be given advice on how to present material, and suggestions on how to deal with reluctant students. If you like to work with kids, this is an EXCELLENT opportunity to interact with them. The rewards are sure to be terrific!
I have been asked to lead a walk in a different classroom. Why?
We do not always have enough volunteers for each classroom. If you have already been trained for a walk, and have the time, the children would certainly benefit from your experience. Plus, it’s always more fun the second time!
May my child be in my group?
This is up to you, the teacher, and the classroom coordinator. In general, other schools have found that NOT having your child in your group is the most successful experience for both parent and child.
What happens when the weather is bad?
It is up to the room coordinator and the teacher to reschedule the walk if there is inclement weather. Click here to see the list of room coordinators and their phone numbers /e-mail addresses.
May I bring my preschooler on a walk?
Siblings are welcome to come to the training sessions. Please make other arrangements for your preschooler if you are a leader. You will need all of your attention to the group of students that you are leading on the walk! Infants who can be carried on leaders backs (or fronts) are fine.
What if the kids misbehave during the walk?
Remind the children that you are in charge, and challenge them to respond to the next question. If that doesn’t work, feel free to return to the classroom early. Suggest to the teacher that a different grouping would be better, if necessary.
We found a terrific bird’s nest on our walk. May we bring it back to the classroom to share with the others?
PLEASE do not remove anything on your walk! Try to observe without destroying, and emphasize to the children the importance of leaving things the way that we find them.
May I take pictures on the walk?
Yes, by all means – but please don’t do it at the expense of leading. We hope to have volunteers who will take pictures for our web site.
What if the kids ask me a question I don’t know the answer to?
By all means, be honest and say “You know, that’s a really good question that I don’t know the answer to. Let’s see if we can find out the answer after we get back to the class”. You may want to also ask the students to hypothesize the answer, and to suggest sources where they may find the answer (teacher, other volunteers, parents, books in classroom, library, web, etc.).
Do you need feedback immediately?
We prefer to get your feedback right away, so that we can make the appropriate changes quickly. Of course, feedback at any point in time is always welcome!
Once again THANK YOU – we couldn’t offer this terrific program to our children without your help!!