Summer is over, and it’s back to school. So let’s discuss sustainability in the classroom. Thomas Berry states: “teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events.” Education should go beyond mathematics and sciences – our children need to fall in love with their home and learn about the state of our planet. So how do we encourage our little ones to take care of their home? What role do teachers and schools play? How do we create a sustainable classroom environment that inspires and teaches kids to take better care of the domain?
Reality Check: Teach Them the Facts
Do your children know about the state of our planet? Are schools telling them about the increase in global temperatures? Are they aware that the glaciers are melting? Sea levels are rising? That the average American produces about 4.4 pounds of garbage per day? Do schools show them images of the animals that are going extinct? Schools must teach terms and concepts like global warming, environmental sustainability, and greenhouse gases. If we’re looking for a systemic change, we need to get our kids involved and onboard. It is, after all, their future.
Fall in Love with Mother Nature
It’s straightforward to take care of things we love. One of the most vital steps is to encourage our children to go outside – witness the beauty of nature and the wildlife – and fall in love with Mother Nature. Unfortunately, many of the kids today spend way too much time inside. One of the best ways to teach kids about the environment is taking them on outdoor field trips. Recess and lunch breaks are also significant to encourage kids to go outside.
Get Involved and Join the Conversation
Let’s invite our kids to become part of the global conversations. Earth Day is celebrated globally – a great day to incorporate environmental issues into projects and homework. Organize events and activities that get the kids involved. Pick up garbage from parks, plant a tree, turn off the lights for an entire day, or even ask the kids to share their ideas. Different cities and neighbourhoods also have their own events and get involved with local communities to help support their initiatives.
Less Waste and More Creativity
We need to teach our kids to value experience over material objects. Teachers and schools need to deal with the issue of consumption and waste. Make it fun for the kids. Get a points system going. Young kids need to know why composting is important? Ensure that your classrooms have compost and recycling bins. The little steps can go a long way. Think of using both sides of the paper, turning off lights when not in use, producing less trash and reusing scrap paper for arts and craft projects.
Let’s make this school year count. Comment below to share your tips and ideas with us, and sign up for our News Letter for updates and promos.
