Have you involved your students in relevant eco-friendly activities lately? I am sure you have since this eco component became an important ingredient in shaping the profile of high school graduates. It is a real fact that nowadays we urge for a healthy planet, a proper environment in which we can live our lives peacefully. Thus, teachers have a serious, meaningful mission in growing eco confidence in their students. The process of forming eco competencies is obviously a complex and challenging being our duty to facilitate this process and to be part of a green thinking.
In the following paragraphs I am going to uncover top 3 relevant activities that could easily improve students’ eco skills engaging them in the real world, a world that may become a better place for each individual. My belief resides in the fact that my choices can be tried, transformed, readjusted, improved with positive results. From my point of view these unique experiences were possible due to my exceptional students who embarked immediately on our green journey.
1. Recharge your life
Recharge your life activity consisted in recycling batteries. I initiated the activity simply addressing the questions: Would you like to inspire others to recycle batteries? Since the students agreed instantly, the positive results appeared in a week, we had a special designed box, a slogan and ambition to continue the recycling process for months. Consequently, my students involved in Recharge your life with all their hearts and souls. This slogan reflected the importance of responsible battery disposal and the impact it can have on the environment. More than that, they led by example, increasing public awareness and encouraging people (parents, colleagues, friends) to recycle their used batteries.
2. Observe Nature
A memorable activity with a huge impact on students’ wellbeing could be a trip with the aim to observe nature. We succeeded in visiting The Bucharest Botanic Garden during The Green Week Program. Before the trip, we had a class discussion in English on what we are going to do there and consequently, the students informed online about the history of this fascinating place. For example, they found out that now The Garden is named after its founder, Dimitrie Brandza, a famous Romanian Botanist. Of course, we agreed to take notes during the visit, to notice plants, flowers, trees, to take photos, in a word, to create memories. After the trip, tasks such as: talk/write about the adventure called: The Botanic Garden Trip, create an informative poster online about this prestigious institution, or post your impressions while observing Nature in a padlet proved to be beneficial in order to understand the valuable words voiced by the remarkable American essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit”.
3. Think green!
A debate on green thinking in the language you teach, should be on your agenda each school year if you are a responsible teacher. Make sure that the activities you create/plan are to form eco social competencies. You may start with explaining concepts such as green thinking, environmental awareness, food waste, sustainability, the three R’s approach: reduce, reuse and recycle or you could involve students to discover concepts, to research, to create online albums/posters/letters/essays on the issue. Then, show your students that you are part of the process: give them online tests, online worksheets, online projects, bring them some labels from the sustainable clothes you buy and advise them to use the labels as bookmarks when reading a classical book for instance. All the above-mentioned actions are meant to impose practices that can lead to actions and lifestyles to be more environmentally friendly.
In a nutshell, involve your students in different eco activities, they are going to appreciate both the foreign language they study and the environment in which they do that. Even if we refer to promoting a green thinking, recharging your life – recycling a battery or observing nature in different contexts, these are simple and responsible ways in which a teacher can contribute to a student’s growth. Guide your students to make their own relevant decisions in connection with their green future.