Garden, Move, and Be Mindful: Three Great Lessons for Your Classroom This Spring

Sometimes, it can be tough to keep students in the classroom during beautiful spring days. With a little creativity, though, you can keep your class excited and engaged. At the Teacher’s Academy, we offer great Act 48 approved courses for teachers in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. If you’re looking for a little springtime inspiration, try one of these online professional development courses:

Creating a School Garden

Gardens are a popular school activity, but how do teachers build a garden without taking away from crucial learning time? Additionally, how can a class plant a garden when its school is located in an area with long, snowy winters?

In our 15-hour course Creating a School Garden, you will learn how to start a customized garden in your school and integrate it into your existing curriculum. You will also learn the benefits of project-based environmental learning, develop an action plan to start a garden, and create three gardening activities.

Mindfulness in Education

Mindfulness practices — from meditation and yoga to reflection and gratitude — began with Tibetan Buddhism, where they were used to develop greater self-awareness and compassion. Scientific studies have found that these techniques change the brain, alter emotional responses, and promote learning for people of all backgrounds.

Mindfulness in Education is an 18-hour course that will introduce you to the science of mindfulness, encourage you to practice it in your own life, and show you how to bring this practice into your classroom. At the end of this course, you will write a lesson plan that incorporates mindfulness techniques.

Move to Learn

Research shows that kids under the age of 17 need one hour of intense aerobic exercise every day, yet many schools are cutting gym and recess. Regular activity is proven to promote learning and is key to both better academic performance and improved behavior issues.

In Move to Learn, you will learn about the benefits of exercise and write an evidence-based research proposal to administrators that requests more physical activity. You will rework a lesson plan to incorporate movement and even run an experiment to find out how mini-bursts of exercise affect your memory.

This Spring, Revitalize Your Lesson Plans

Going to school on a sunny spring day will be fun when your students are staying active, practicing mindfulness, and growing a beautiful garden. To get started, enroll in one of our Act 48 approved online courses for Pittsburgh teachers and other educators across Pennsylvania and the United States. We have a fantastic course that will help you inspire your classroom, whether they’re kindergarteners or high school seniors. To find out more, browse our catalog today at https://theteachersacademy.com/course-catalog/.