Words Live Nature What's happening this week, on our adventure Creatures in Our Schools The school is housed in a small, seemingly nondescript building, offset from the Hesarghatta main road. A lone Singapore Cherry (Muntingia calabura) tree marks one corner of the school. ‘Look, there goes a Haavu Rani!’, one of the teachers casually remarked as she walked into the school. Haavu Rani is Kannada for Skink, it translates to ‘Snake Queen’. More A Bugs Life Is that little piece of paint from the wall moving? Who cleans up the crumbs from my kitchen while I’m asleep at night? Who lives in that little white tent in the corner of the wall? More

Nature Classrooms has developed a programme that integrates nature learning with social-emotional learning. With this programme our goal is to put together effective practices, resources, and frameworks integrated with social, emotional, and nature–based learning at its core, with a focus on supporting the overall well-being of teachers. Nature-Based Social-Emotional Learning for Teachers & Educators Nature Classrooms, to further its goal of supporting teachers and educators with their endeavours in nature education, has developed a programme that integrates nature learning with social-emotional learning. With this programme our goal is to put together effective practices, resources, and frameworks integrated with social, emotional, and nature–based learning at its core, with a focus on supporting the overall well-being of teachers. The long-term vision is that this social and emotional development within teachers also influences the manner in which they impart nature education within their classrooms. Programme goals: Can nature-based practices and engagements support in promoting social and emotional well-being of teachers? How does supporting teachers’ emotional state influence their connections with nature? How does this process of engaging with nature-based social-emotional learning translate in the long-term into subject lessons and classroom practices? PILOT WORKSHOP With the initial framework and practices developed, we launched an online pilot workshop with a goal to engage with a small focus group of teachers/educators, for trialling out the initially developed practices and taking into consideration their feedback and responses which will influence the future implementation of the programme. Download Report This project was undertaken by Priyanka Prakash as a part of her Master’s internship with Nature Classrooms. Download Connect if you want to collaborate with us for a research project: info@natureclassrooms.in

The school is housed in a small, seemingly nondescript building, offset from the Hesarghatta main road. A lone Singapore Cherry (Muntingia calabura) tree marks one corner of the school. ‘Look, there goes a Haavu Rani!’, one of the teachers casually remarked as she walked into the school. Haavu Rani is Kannada for Skink, it translates to ‘Snake Queen’.

-by Priyanka Prakash An Educator's Diary#9 Who wants to even talk about emotions? Do they matter in the space of conservation or nature education? Do teachers even care?   I facilitated my first training workshop for Nature Classrooms a little over two years ago. Newly out of a Master's degree and stepping into the world of nature education, I stood in front of 30-odd teachers freshly under training themselves, with their eyes fixed on me, wondering what either of us was doing there. I had 4 hours with this group to get them not just excited about nature and nature education, but also to push them to take this to their classrooms even after I am long gone. And as someone who had never facilitated this kind of workshop, the pressure was high, and the nervousness was much higher!  As I took them through different nature educational approaches, activities, and discussions, I kept wondering what they felt  every minute of this workshop. Were they here because they were asked to? Does any of this even feel relevant to them? Am I assuming that I know a lot more than they do and that they need to be trained? Do I have sufficient understanding of their contexts and lived experiences? Am I truly adding value to their journeys as educators?  I guess I will never know the answers to any of these questions. But what brought about these feelings and questions in the first place was the research I had going on in parallel in the field of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and other feelings-based approaches to education. When Vena Kapoor, my programme lead at Nature Classrooms, recommended that I pick this up as a part of my Master’s internship work, honestly, I was deeply sceptical. Who wants to even talk about emotions? Do they matter in the space of conservation or nature education? Do teachers even care?   That’s it!  “Do teachers even care?” - that was the question that piqued my desire to untangle a lesser-talked-about relationship between emotions, education, and nature. Some may say - “Do they even have a connection?” But after months of reading, talking to teachers, and facilitating workshops, I truly believe that they do. And for whatever reason(s), as nature educators, especially in India, we are only now beginning to recognize the crucial role of understanding socio-emotional complexities when teaching about and building connections with nature.  A Pedagogy for Feelings towards Nature  Why do people care or not care about nature? What shapes our admiration, our phobias, our actions, or even inaction towards nature? Can just asking people to “Save the Planet” make them save it?  - This began my journey into a rabbit hole of understanding the role of social-emotional contexts in teaching-learning. And I guess I am writing this blog piece, not with the intent to present my work or the framework, but rather to process and share what the journey has been like so far - to imagine practices in nature education that allow for feelings and experiences to become an integral part. And oh! That has not been easy, and remains a work in progress!  The Social-Emotional learning  framework is just one among the many frameworks that explore the importance of bringing in the social and emotional contexts of a learner into education. It is also a  great and relevant starting point for any educator to reflect on how their curriculum and pedagogy can go beyond academic learning. When I began imagining a ‘ Nature-based Social Emotional Learning ’ Framework (a mouthful title for sure!), I tried reflecting on some difficult questions: How does nature shape our sense of identity and belongingness? How does our emotional state affect the way we interact with nature? How do our social, historical, political, and cultural contexts influence the way we perceive, value, and engage with nature? What is the relationship between nature and human well-being? How does the changing climate influence how we feel about nature and even learn about it? And most importantly, how can all of this be integrated into teaching-learning curriculum and pedagogy?  These questions slowly began to shape the practices I started developing (and continue to develop) as part of my work at Nature Classrooms. I was also fortunate to meet Nirmal Govindaraju and Gurpreet Kaur, the founders of the Eikas Foundation, who began mentoring and guiding me as I navigated the complex and evolving space of Social-Emotional Learning. With that, I arrived at a broad purpose for my Nature-based SEL work. Through teacher training and capacity-building workshops, I hope to create spaces where teachers can pause and reflect on their own relationships with nature. The intention is to move beyond the familiar conversation of how nature supports human well-being and instead explore what it means to understand our relationship with nature from a more nature-centric perspective. The goal then is for teachers to deeply reflect on how all of this influences the ways in which they bring nature learning into their classrooms. Nature-based SEL in Practice   And so I had identified my starting point. Even before thinking about the application of this framework in classrooms, I was keen on designing activities and practices that pushed teachers and educators to recognise their social-emotional relationship with nature. And how they think this can translate into their pedagogy. I began by trying to integrate some of this into Nature Classrooms’ larger teacher training and capacity building workshops. One of my personal favourite practices invites teachers to explore their Environmental Identity . Using the metaphor of a tree, its parts and life cycle, they reflect on how their interactions with nature shape their sense of self, belonging, and emotions, and how these experiences influence the way they perceive and engage with the natural world. This activity often leads to powerful reflections. Many teachers share that they have rarely paused to think how they personally feel about nature, or how deeply their childhood experiences have shaped that relationship.In another workshop we conducted with the Aga Khan Foundation for primary school teachers in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, we explored an activity that unpacked the region’s Socio-Ecological Identity. Teachers mapped the rivers, forests, and biodiversity of Bahraich alongside the folk songs, traditions, and cultural practices rooted in its landscape. As they reflected on how these relationships are shifting with changing environments, many observed how such local narratives rarely appear in formal EVS curriculum. The discussion ultimately led to a shared realisation: for nature learning to be meaningful, it must first nurture a sense of belonging to the landscapes we call home. Another way we bring Nature-based SEL into our workshops is by opening up reflective conversations about how our relationship with nature is changing alongside the changing climate. We introduce ideas like shifting baselines  and discuss emotions such as climate grief, anxiety, and burnout. These discussions invite teachers to reflect on how classrooms, instead of leaving students feeling numb or powerless, have the opportunity to become spaces where they process and understand environmental changes in age-appropriate and mindful ways. In Closing…  I vividly remember the very first interview I conducted as a part of my research with an Anganwadi teacher in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh. In addition to asking her all about her socio-emotional experience as a teacher and her connectedness to nature, I casually asked, towards the end, “ What do teachers truly want? ” And she replied, “All we want is for people to ask us how we are.”  I carry that response with me to this day.  When we, as external facilitators, NGOs, researchers, scientists, practitioners (or any of the other hats that we identify with), enter into an education space, we often carry our preconceived notions, assumptions, and experiences. We enter these spaces believing that the people of that space need what we have to offer. Seldom do we pause to understand what is important to them, and what they are already doing within their contexts and capacities. Bringing in this sense of mindfulness to our work could be the first and simplest step we all could take as nature educators to bring a Nature-based SEL approach to our work!And, as for how I imagine Nature-based SEL shaping nature teaching-learning? I see it as a way to create spaces where teachers and students connect with the nature around them, not just through knowledge, but through feelings. A space where they slowly discover their own relationship with the natural world, through their socio-cultural-emotional contexts. I imagine our schools becoming a space to pause, cope with, process, and express the many changes unfolding in nature around us, so that we do not begin to feel distant from nature, but instead be reminded that we are part of it, together. Because perhaps the most meaningful way to learn about nature is not just to understand it, but to truly feel that we are a part of it!  Acknowledgments:  My sincere gratitude to Nirmal and Gurpreet from the Eikas Foundation for their constant guidance and support. I’m grateful to all the teachers and educators who participated in the pilot workshop and to those who continue to engage in the Nature-based SEL sessions through our workshops. And to my wonderful Nature Classrooms’ team for believing in me and the work!  Image credits - Priyanka Prakash, Aditi Rao Written by : Priyanka Prakash , Senior Manager (Education, Training & Research), Nature Classrooms If you are an educator looking to engage with articles and opinion pieces on nature education and pedagogy, a student looking to explore discourses in nature education, or just curious about these things - here's a curated list of essential readings available online.

-by Gousia Taj. English Translation by Aditi Rao An Educator's Diary#8 “ Ma’am, we saw the signature spider! ” On 19/12/25, a workshop on animal homes was conducted for the 4th and 5th grade students of Tarabanahalli. One of the activities included a bingo game about spiders. The bingo sheet had pictures of different kinds of spiders. The children managed to find all the spiders except the 'signature spider'. They kept wishing they could find the signature spider too. So we allowed them to take their bingo sheets home and told them, “It’s okay if you didn’t find the signature spider here. Look for it near your house, on the way, or at school.” About two weeks later, as usual, when I stepped into the classroom to call the children for the lesson, they shouted loudly, “Ma’am, we saw the signature spider!” I was startled for a moment. Usually the children greet me with a “Good morning, Ma’am,” but that day, hearing them shout that they had seen the signature spider shocked me. A Signature Spider from Tarabanahalli School Campus I asked, “Where did you see it?” The children said, “It built a web in the grass in front of our school toilet. Ma’am, come, we’ll show it to you!” and they pulled my hand and took me there. When we went and looked, there were signature spiders in three places. I told them, “Yes, children, this is the same signature spider from your bingo. It was missing, right? Now you can tick it.” I saw so much happiness on the children’s faces about the spider. They were celebrating as if they had found a treasure. Seeing their excitement made me very happy too. I felt the workshop had left a deep impact on the children. Later that same day, at the end of the lesson, we were setting up a table for an insect display. In the corner, a daddy long legs spider had built a web, which was sticking to our hands. I said I would bring a broom and clean it. But a student named Malappa said, “No Ma’am, let it stay here, poor thing,” and left it as it was. Hearing and seeing this made me feel very proud. At the same time, I wondered if I should not have asked to remove the web. Children observing an ant carrying a dead insect. Overall, the children’s interest in observing spiders has increased now. Every time I go to teach, the lesson begins only after the children first share their experiences and stories about animals, birds, insects, and trees they have encountered. Spider made out of natural materials by the students Image credits - Priyanka Prakash, Aditi Rao Written by : Gousia Taj- Facilitator at the Fig Tree Learning Centre (FTLC). If you are an educator looking to engage with articles and opinion pieces on nature education and pedagogy, a student looking to explore discourses in nature education, or just curious about these things - here's a curated list of essential readings available online.

by Jayashree Ramadas and Dhanya K Part 2: Trending a different path Interestingly, the well-known success stories of environmental education come from outside of the formal school system: from homeschooling, out-of-school programs, and from the alternative education space. In the feature ‘Teaching as if the Earth Matters’ iWonder , a science magazine for school teachers, has featured alternative schools like Rishi Valley , Anand Niketan in Sewagram, Puvidham , and Marudam Farm School in Tamil Nadu. There are others around the country whose stories might be told. A response to contradictions Art work by Abdullah Ibrahim ‘The Hidden Wild’ One could trace back the roots of these alternative initiatives to the contradictions that their founders and teachers noticed in the prevalent education system as well as in modern, urban lifestyles. Some of those very contradictions have led to today’s environmental crises: in brief, loss of biodiversity, over-exploitation of the earth's resources, hyper-consumption, unsustainable lifestyles, and imbalanced, out-of-control development. Many of the alternative schoolers responded by physically moving out or staying away from urban, built environments. They created school spaces that would embody values of equity, sustainability, ecology and conservation through a more humane and inquiring approach. Nature learning in alternative schools Art work by Ishaal Azeez ‘A Turtle Walk With A Fly’ Alternative schools strived to expose their students to nature: to develop connections with land and water, with plants, insects, and birds; to remain sensitive to the seasons, and to learn sustainability from the local communities with whom they shared a geographical space. Children in these schools practise farming, gardening, craft and art, and through practice, they seek to develop a lasting relationship with our planet Earth. An obvious yet often missed feature of all these schools, which plays a role in meaningful environmental education, is their small class sizes. Today, in urban areas but also increasingly in rural areas, we are habituated to classes of 50, 60, or more students and we forget that meaningful education is possible only with meaningful communication -- which happens in small classrooms where teachers and students can listen and talk to each other and also allow for a more inquiry-oriented approach. Photo from Aksharnandan Student-teacher ratio is the quantifiable part of this interaction. If children's learning is to happen beyond their classroom, it needs support from the community. Such support may come from sympathetic parents or, in more urban areas, from professionals, academics, and activists concerned with environmental issues. All at once this move could bring more expertise and resources into the classroom, effectively increase the teacher-student ratio and lead to relevant professional development of teachers. An alternative school in Chennai Photo from Al Qamar Academy Al Qamar Academy , an alternative minority school in Chennai, experimented with this model. In its brief 10 years of existence, the school demonstrated how explorations in nature could lead to a love of nature and thoughtful environmental activism. A background to environmental learning was created with the Small Science curriculum for primary science. Then, in a more focused way, the primary and middle school students participated in a three-year unique place-based field ecology program (2018-21), spending time in a restored wetland, and visiting riverfronts, salt pans, beaches, and forests all in their immediate environments. They experienced the enchantment of the wild and also came face to face with the consequences of rampant urbanisation. Their engagement deepened over the years through interactions with academics and environmental activists. Finally, their learning and activism found expression in the Earth Authors Program , conducted collaboratively by the Cogitation Club and Youth Conservation Action Network (YouCAN) -- in which a group of 5th-8th graders wrote and illustrated a set of 14 books that told their own stories about nature and conservation. A subsequent reflective study of this program describes in detail how the children connected with nature – the awe and wonder they experienced; the changes they found in themselves – in relating to nature, resulting in their urge for creating a change – advocating for nature. Photo from Al Qamar Academy Like many small alternative schools in the country Al Qamar led a precarious existence and finally closed down in 2021, morphing into an online program: Cogitation Club . Happily, some of its teachers and parents succeeded opening up two new schools - Scholars Academy and Sunnyside - which continue their quest for nature-friendly, experiential and self-directed learning. Perhaps such intensive interactions of school students with experts may be achieved over a limited period of time. The question remains, how can one sustain a long-term program of environmental learning within any school? Perhaps such intensive interactions of school students with experts may be achieved over a limited period of time. The question remains, how can one sustain a long-term program of environmental learning within any school? In the next part of this series let’s delve into some contradictions that beset our discussions about the environment. What do you think? Is it easy to sustain a program of environmental learning, either in or outside of school? Do tell us about the common activities that your school engages in to connect children with their local surroundings. Share your responses with us by emailing to: edu@ncf-india.org Image credits: The images in the article were sourced from Al Qamar Academy, Chennai and Aksharnandan, Pune. About the Authors Jayashree Ramadas : Research and Development in Science Education; formerly at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and TIFR Hyderabad. Dhanya K : Researcher & Science Educator formerly Teacher at Rishi Valley School.