outsideinsights
Student orientation at a Rock Field Trip. Photo by Becca Polglase.
Taking Care of the Basics Setting your students up for successful learning By Becca Polglase, Director of Programs & Operations
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olunteer-led outdoor education is the heart and soul of The Mountaineers. Our instructors are passionate about sharing their love of the outdoors with others, and many of our students choose to play an important role in our community as volunteer instructors after graduation. While content, expertise, and a spirit of generosity go a long way towards providing a great experience for both students and instructors, we have the opportunity to address some foundational principles to set everyone up for success:
A difference in approach When I signed up for the Basic Climbing Course nearly a decade ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was new to the Pacific Northwest and generally overwhelmed. Fortunately, my misgivings were quickly put at ease. A couple of weeks before the course started, I received a welcome email with directions and a general idea of what to expect. When I arrived, I followed signs to the correct room where I was greeted by a volunteer who had me create a name tag and told me which table I was assigned to. There, I found a seat with a handbook and a practice rope waiting for me, and on the table were a few icebreaker questions that helped start conversation with the folks next to me. My anxiety dissipated, and I felt like I belonged. I was excited to start learning.
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mountaineer | winter 2021
Many years prior, I had a much different experience at a ropes course facilitator training hosted by a military academy in Vermont. My colleague and I drove up for the training from Connecticut, and being unfamiliar with the area we got lost on campus and had to ask for directions. When we finally found the gymnasium, we walked in to find 10 students dressed in uniform. We were clearly the two “outsiders” and I was the only woman. As the majority of the students knew each other and their way around, there were no nametags, and my colleague and I had to ask for simple information. I also had no idea what the plan was for the day. I found myself focusing on whether I was prepared rather than on the course itself.
Some basic psychology Anyone who’s taken an introductory psychology class may remember learning about a psychologist by the name of Abraham Maslow. In the 1950s he proposed a hierarchy of human needs, which is usually depicted as a pyramid. The basic premise is that each level of need must be met before the next level can receive focus. So if people have unmet physiological needs – perhaps they’re hungry – they can’t focus on security or on making friends. Think about a potential situation in the outdoors: you’ve found yourself in an argument with a friend while out on a hike, a stressor on your social needs. You’ll likely focus on that until a grizzly bear crosses your
