EXPLORATION NATURE
M EXIC
O, M AINE
“Worms can have 100 babies!” exclaims one kindergartener. “And they have five hearts!” explains Mrs. Maggie Corlett. The lesson on worms is just the latest in a series of year-long exploration projects outside at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico. Every Wednesday, unless it’s pouring or feels like 11 degrees or colder, the students in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades take their learning outside, into the woods adjacent to the school. Maggie Corlett and the kindergarten team-Kristen Giberson, Heidi Ferguson, and Jessica McMichael- started the Nature Exploration program three years ago, and ever since, the changes in the students’ behavior and ability to learn has grown.
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Maine Educator • June 2019
“Trauma-based research has shown that spending time in nature has proven to be beneficial to helping students regulate emotions and behavior. Oxford County has some of the highest numbers when it comes to students in trauma, which adversely affects behaviors in the classroom. When we started going outside, some of the kids who struggled in the classroom became leaders in the woods.” The next thing we knew, the kids were growing and their ability to learn was expanding so we started spending more time in the woods. If we can come out here and get them stabilized, they get a break-they get the mental rejuvenation-and then they can go into the classroom and learn,” said Corlett.
