The students are now used to it. We often check in with our bodies and our minds at the beginning of class. How are we feeling right now? Then we go and play outside in nature for 45 minutes, and we do another check in. Here’s how it works:
Thumbs up if you are feeling better in your mind and body (or one or the other) than when we started.
Thumbs to the side if you feel similar or the same.
Thumbs down if you feel worse.
I look around, ask some questions and hear some explanations if we have time. Usually, this is a time to “catch” some stories of what happened. “My thumb is up because I jumped all the way to that rock over there!” “My thumb is to the side because I still have my headache.” “My thumb is down because my team lost.”
Data has been collected, and the students are learning how to check in with themselves. They are learning to identify their feelings and what has caused them. They are also learning what makes them feel better, in their bodies and in their minds.
Outdoor Learning with Weslie 