Teach Outdoors

Teach Outdoors is a podcast show that explores the benefits and challenges of bringing learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. Topics range from the science behind the benefits of outdoor learning to practical tips for incorporating outdoor activities into lesson plans. Whether you're a teacher looking to enhance your students' learning experience or simply someone who loves spending time in nature with your kids, Teach Outdoors is the podcast for you. Tune in every month to expand your knowledge and be inspired to take your teaching outside!

Teach Outdoors is a education podcast hosted by Lauren MacLean, with 89 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Lauren MacLean hosts Teach Outdoors, a education show with 89 episodes published.

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  Teach Outdoors

  One Muddy Sock Left

  Aug 18, 202611 min

  A wetland none of us had been to before, a trail that swallowed a boot whole, and a face-plant in the mud that ended in ice cream to celebrate everyone's bravery. In this episode, I talk about the place my kids didn't want to go to and why it became the best part of the week. Plus, everything you get inside the 3-day Summer Institute running September 2-4. Register for the Summer Institute (Sept 2-4, $11) → HERE Grab the free outdoor learning calendar mentioned in this episode → HERE

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  Episode #10

  Nature Journaling for Every Classroom with Billie Jo Reid

  Jun 27, 20261h 23mS4

  Nature Journaling Made Simple: Helping Kids Notice, Wonder, and Connect Nature journaling is much more than drawing outside. In this episode, Lauren sits down with Billie Jo Reid from Pine & Ponder Outdoors to explore how nature journaling helps children slow down, notice the world around them, and deepen their connection with nature. Billie Jo explains that nature journaling combines words, pictures, and numbers to help children make sense of their observations. While drawing is one part of the process, the true purpose is to carefully observe, ask questions, and build meaningful connections with the natural world. In this episode, you'll learn: What nature journaling is—and how it differs from simply sketching outdoors. Why observation and curiosity are more important than artistic ability. How nature journaling supports inquiry, critical thinking, and multiple ways of learning. Why celebrating children's questions is just as valuable as finding answers. How drawings help ground observations and encourage children to slow down and notice details. Billie Jo shares a simple routine that teachers can easily implement: 1. Explore and Connect Begin by giving students time to simply be outside. Allow opportunities to explore, play, and build a relationship with the place before asking them to record anything. 2. Observe Go on a short nature walk and encourage students to find something that catches their attention. 3. Notice Before writing, encourage oral discussion using prompts such as: What do you see? What colours do you notice? What shapes? What size is it? What textures can you observe? Can you count anything? 4. Wonder Invite students to ask questions using the Five Ws and How: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? Make Connections Encourage students to build personal connections: "It reminds me of..." "It looks like..." "I've seen something similar... One of her biggest tips is to always start with metadata , recording: Date Time Weather Temperature Location Practicing these routines—even something as simple as writing the date on classroom whiteboards each day—helps students develop habits that soon become second nature. Whether you're completely new to nature journaling or looking to strengthen an existing outdoor learning practice, this conversation is full of practical ideas that make getting started feel approachable. If your school or district is interested in learning more, Billie Jo offers professional development workshops and presentations through P ine & Ponder Outdoors . Happy exploring!

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  Episode #9

  Turning Down the Doom, Turning Up the Solutions: Elin Kelsey

  Jun 17, 202654 minS4

  In this episode of Teach Outdoors , Lauren is joined by hope and climate communication expert Elin Kelsey for a powerful conversation about how we understand and talk about climate change—and what shifts when we focus on possibility instead of only crisis. Elin Kelsey's website Elin shares the idea of solutions-based journalism , a practice that intentionally highlights responses, innovations, and progress that are often left out of traditional news cycles. Much of what we regularly see and hear leans toward doom and overwhelm, but she reminds us there is also a growing body of real, measurable action happening globally. Even simple shifts—like including positive climate news in school morning announcements—can begin to reframe how young people and educators engage with environmental issues. A central theme in this conversation is the importance of updating the information we rely on . Elin challenges listeners to consider the “expiration date” of what we think we know, especially in a rapidly changing world where new research and solutions are constantly emerging. She also invites us to widen our sense of agency beyond humans alone. Climate response is not only a human story—every species is adapting, responding, and demonstrating resilience in its own way. This broader ecological perspective helps shift learning outdoors from despair toward curiosity, observation, and interconnectedness. The episode also explores the work of Project Drawdown , a major data-driven initiative identifying the most impactful climate solutions available today. Elin highlights examples such as reducing chemical refrigerants—an issue that has already seen meaningful global progress through coordinated scientific and political action, similar to the successful response to the ozone crisis. To close, Elin emphasizes the importance of hope as a practice, not a passive feeling. She is also a prolific author of children’s and adult books that center hope, climate awareness, and possibility. If you are interested in having Elin speak in your district, she welcomes outreach—and her work offers a range of entry points for educators looking to bring more hopeful climate conversations into their classrooms and outdoor learning spaces.

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  Teach Outdoors

  First Steps in Teaching Climate Change to K-3 Learners

  May 28, 202642 minS0

  <p>Today, we’re beginning a brand-new series exploring climate change, sustainability, and environmental learning in BC schools.</p><p>Over the next few episodes, we’ll dig into what these ideas can actually look like in real classrooms — not as something extra to add onto already full plates, but as a way to deepen the learning we’re already doing through connection, curiosity, inquiry, and meaningful experiences.</p><p>Most of us recognize that climate change and sustainability are real and important issues. We trust the science, and we know young people are growing up in a world where these co...

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  Teach Outdoors

  Learning with the Land: A Nature Playbook — Our Book Launch Journey!

  Apr 12, 202640 minS0

  <p>In this special episode, I sit down with my good friend and colleague April Pikkarainen to share the story behind our first collaborative book, Learning with the Land: A Nature Playbook.</p><p>We reflect on our early days working together, the experiences that shaped our thinking, and the inspiration that led us to bring this book to life. Together, we unpack the Spiral of Inquiry and how it weaves meaningfully with four core nature routines to support authentic, land-connected learning.</p><p>We also honour the incredible people who supported this journey—Judy Halbert and Linda Kaser for th...

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