26 June 2012

A Caveat to Outdoor Education...Be Wise....


There are many legal protections that ensure the security and well-being of our students and their families, but teachers and administrators know all too well the challenges of maneuvering the intricate web of do's and don'ts. In a recent article that has gone "viral" two fair skinned students came home with sunburns and blisters after being outdoors all day under the sun without protection. According to the article, they were not allowed to use sunscreen due to legal issues associated with schools administering any type of drug, medication, or other substance (sunscreen included). I don't want this to discourage outdoor education, but when you do go outside, be mindful of student safety as a number one priority. If the law prohibits giving sunscreen to students, provide shaded activities. As a rule of thumb, try not to expose students to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time regardless of whether or not they're wearing sunscreen. It's just the safe thing to do. We are stewards of our student's well-being while they're at school.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

My Philosophy of Teaching

My Philosophy of Teaching:

I just finished my masters in Curriculum and Instruction. I have a firm commitment to my continuing education and strong love of teaching. My greatest draw to education is the opportunity to work daily with students, particularly students for whom success has been elusive or who struggle in the academic setting. I strongly believe in preventative behavior management and, as a student teacher, I have turned the success of lower performing students around using differentiated instructional techniques including collaborative learning, project-based learning and service learning. I do not accept the notion that some students fit a profile of failure and should be side-tracked. I am committed to the success of each and every one of my students. I believe no student should be given up on. I love that none of my students are the same and I value their diversity, linguistic, behavioral, cognitive or otherwise. I do not accept the notion that a student's difference is, necessarily, a hindrance towards their learning and hold the onus upon myself to find ways to facilitate learning for all of my students. Finally, I am aware of the importance of collaboration between faculty and staff. Cross-content instruction is not only important for the student's cognition, but is also important for a teacher's professional development. I believe strongly that a teacher's classroom is a place of constant innovation and improvement, and the sharing of ideas between faculty and staff, as well as the close cross-content collaboration of teachers, is important in improving the overall success of teachers, and, by proxy, our students. We are all responsible for the success of every student in the school, not just those who are in our classroom.