Outdoor Classrooms Podcast

Over the past few months, I’ve been playing a lot of Sudoku. What began as a simple puzzle quickly became something much more meaningful. As I struggled through Easy puzzles and eventually unlocked the Master level, I began to notice something fascinating: the mindset needed to solve Sudoku is remarkably similar to the mindset needed to teach outdoors.
Episode 191: Finding the Openings: What Sudoku Taught Me About Teaching Outdoors
In this episode of Outdoor Classroom News, I explore the surprising parallels between solving puzzles and guiding children in nature. Both require patience, curiosity, experimentation, and the willingness to keep trying even when things don’t immediately make sense.
Drawing from real moments in our Secret Gardens Outdoor Classroom Nature Classes, I share how children naturally approach learning the same way we approach puzzles—by noticing openings, testing ideas, and persisting through challenges.
If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to bring more outdoor learning into your work with children, this episode offers a refreshing reminder: sometimes the solution appears when we shift our perspective and take the next small step.
In This Episode
How a simple Sudoku puzzle became a lesson in mindset and persistence
Why “looking for openings” is a powerful strategy in outdoor education
Stories from Secret Gardens Outdoor Classroom Nature Classes
How experimentation and curiosity fuel children’s learning in nature
Why persistence is one of the most valuable skills children develop outdoors
How shifting perspective can unlock new possibilities in teaching and learning

Reflection Questions
As you listen, consider these questions:
Where are the “openings” in your classroom or outdoor space right now?
What small experiment could you try with children this week?
When have you seen persistence lead to a breakthrough in learning?

Listener Challenge
This week, try this simple practice:
Notice an opening — a child’s curiosity, a seasonal change, or a moment of wonder in nature.
Experiment — follow that curiosity and see where it leads.
Persist — allow time for discovery and growth.

Just like solving a puzzle, meaningful learning often happens one small step at a time.

Subscribe & Share
If you enjoyed this episode of Outdoor Classroom News, be sure to subscribe and share it with a fellow educator, parent, or nature-loving friend.
And remember:
The next breakthrough—whether in a puzzle or an outdoor classroom—may be just one opening away.

Join the Outdoor Classrooms Community:
Want to continue the conversation, access our workshop library, or collaborate with like-minded educators?
👉 Join the CIRCLE Membership and grow into a more confident, connected outdoor classroom leader.
FREE Outdoor Classroom Resource:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)

Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🎓 Outdoor Teaching Bootcamp
🎓 Seasonal Masterclass Bundle (includes Exploring Nature in Winter Masterclass)
🎓 Teaching Beyond Walls Capstone Course
🌸 CIRCLE Membership for Educators
🌿 30-Day Gratitude in Nature Challenge
🌸 1-hour Online Workshop Library

Connect with Victoria:
WEBSITE: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/outdoor_classrooms/
Facebook: Facebook.com/OutdoorClassrooms1
Mentioned in this episode:
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass (receive all 4 seasonal courses when you enroll!): https://www.outdoor-classrooms.com/exploring-nature-in-spring-masterclass/

Growing Wins: Celebrating Success in the Outdoor Classroom
In this episode, we explore the importance of celebrating our wins—big and small—and why pausing to acknowledge accomplishments can transform the way we approach life, learning, and growth. Drawing inspiration from outdoor classrooms, we reflect on how children celebrate curiosity, effort, and discovery, and how we can do the same in our own lives.
From submitting a major project to noticing small everyday successes, celebration fuels motivation, joy, and self-confidence. Join me as we uncover practical ways to mark your achievements, connect with nature, and create intentional moments of recognition.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why celebration is essential for personal growth, resilience, and joy.
Lessons from outdoor classrooms: how children naturally celebrate small successes—and what we can learn from them.
Practical ways to celebrate wins, including reflection, rituals, shared joy, and connecting with nature.
Fun and inspiring stories from outdoor classrooms and personal experiences.
Reflection exercises to help you honor your accomplishments every day.

Listener Takeaways / Reflection Prompts:
Think of one win—big or small—that you haven’t fully celebrated yet. How does it feel to acknowledge it?
Create a simple ritual to mark your achievements, like planting a “win seed” in your outdoor classroom or journaling a moment of pride.
Share a success with someone else to amplify the joy.

Quote to Inspire You:
"Every plant in a garden gets sunlight, water, and attention. Every win in your life deserves the same."
Celebrate with us and learn how pausing to honor progress can cultivate growth, joy, and resilience in your own life.
Join the Outdoor Classrooms Community:
Want to continue the conversation, access our workshop library, or collaborate with like-minded educators?
👉 Join the CIRCLE Membership and grow into a more confident, connected outdoor classroom leader.

FREE Outdoor Classroom Resource:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)

Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🎓 Outdoor Teaching Bootcamp
🎓 Seasonal Masterclass Bundle (includes Exploring Nature in Winter Masterclass)
🎓 Teaching Beyond Walls Capstone Course
🌸 CIRCLE Membership for Educators
🌿 30-Day Gratitude in Nature Challenge
🌸 1-hour Online Workshop Library

Connect with Victoria:
WEBSITE: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/outdoor_classrooms/
Facebook: Facebook.com/OutdoorClassrooms1
Mentioned in this episode:
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass (receive all 4 seasonal courses when you enroll!): https://www.outdoor-classrooms.com/exploring-nature-in-spring-masterclass/

Episode 189: CIRCLE Roundtable Reflections: What Happens When Educators Truly Belong
In the middle of an East Coast blizzard, our monthly CIRCLE Roundtable began.
Some logged in right on time.
Others arrived late.
One joined after watching a tree fall on her outdoor classroom.
And still… they showed up.
This episode reflects on that unusual night — and what it revealed about community, commitment, and belonging.
CIRCLE isn’t a masterclass. There are no slides or lessons. It’s a space for support, laughter, honest conversation, and real relationship.
In this episode, we explore:
What it means to show up imperfectly
Why educators need spaces where they aren’t performing
How storms reveal culture
The quiet power of gathering — even when things feel uncertain
Who are you showing up for?
And who is showing up for you?
🌱 Because when we cultivate gardens, we cultivate belonging.
Join the Outdoor Classrooms Community:
Want to continue the conversation, access our workshop library, or collaborate with like-minded educators?
👉 Join the CIRCLE Membership and grow into a more confident, connected outdoor classroom leader.
FREE Outdoor Classroom Resource:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🎓 Outdoor Teaching Bootcamp
🎓 Seasonal Masterclass Bundle (includes Exploring Nature in Winter Masterclass)
🎓 Teaching Beyond Walls Capstone Course
🌸 CIRCLE Membership for Educators
🌿 30-Day Gratitude in Nature Challenge
🌸 1-hour Online Workshop Library
Connect with Victoria:
WEBSITE: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/outdoor_classrooms/
Facebook: Facebook.com/OutdoorClassrooms1
Mentioned in this episode:
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass (receive all 4 seasonal courses when you enroll!): https://www.outdoor-classrooms.com/exploring-nature-in-spring-masterclass/

Episode 188: Follow the Water: Story, Survival & Science in the Outdoor Classroom with Ellen Cochrane
What happens when a true survival story becomes a doorway into science, resilience, and deep connection to the natural world?
In this episode, I’m joined by Ellen Cochrane, author of Follow the Water—the gripping true story of Juliane Koepcke, a 17-year-old who survived alone in the Amazon rainforest by following the river.
Ellen writes immersive nonfiction that trusts young readers—their intelligence and their emotions. Together, we explore how powerful storytelling can live inside outdoor classrooms, how science becomes real through narrative, and how stories of survival invite children to see weather, rivers, and forests as teachers.
This conversation weaves literacy, nature, and courage into one beautiful thread.
🌱 A portion of proceeds supports the Panguana Foundation.
Meet Ellen:
Ellen Cochrane writes immersive nonfiction for young readers that trusts their intelligence and their emotions. Her debut, “Follow the Water,” tells the true story of 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke’s survival in the Amazon. It’s an adventure that reads like a thriller and teaches how science lives in the world: weather, rivers, canopy, and the choices that keep us alive.
A longtime middle school teacher of English, English learners, Spanish, and Russian, Ellen brings classroom clarity and compassion to complex topics. She studied science writing at Johns Hopkins, is a certified California Naturalist, and previously wrote a syndicated column exploring the natural world. As a teen exchange student she lived in Lima, Peru, and traveled the same route into the jungle that frames Juliane’s story.
Contact Ellen:
www.ellencochrane.com | Facebook: @CochraneEllen | Instagram: @EllenMCochrane | TikTok: @AuthorTalk

Join the Outdoor Classrooms Community:
Want to continue the conversation, access our workshop library, or collaborate with like-minded educators?
👉 Join the CIRCLE Membership and grow into a more confident, connected outdoor classroom leader.
FREE Outdoor Classroom Resource:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🎓 Outdoor Teaching Bootcamp
🎓 Seasonal Masterclass Bundle (includes Exploring Nature in Winter Masterclass)
🎓 Teaching Beyond Walls Capstone Course
🌸 CIRCLE Membership for Educators
🌿 30-Day Gratitude in Nature Challenge
🌸 1-hour Online Workshop Library
Connect with Victoria:
WEBSITE: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/outdoor_classrooms/
Facebook: Facebook.com/OutdoorClassrooms1
Mentioned in this episode:
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass (receive all 4 seasonal courses when you enroll!): https://www.outdoor-classrooms.com/exploring-nature-in-spring-masterclass/

From Seed to Sanctuary: Cultivating Garden-Centered Classrooms with Sara Rubens
What if your classroom didn’t just have a garden… but was shaped by one?
In this episode of the Outdoor Classrooms Podcast, Victoria sits down with Sara Rubens, author of A Love Letter for a Garden-Centered Life, to explore how gardens can become living, breathing learning environments for children.
Together, they discuss:
What it truly means to live — and teach — a garden-centered life
How gardens support inquiry, literacy, science, and social-emotional growth
Creating rhythms and rituals that connect children to the land
Turning any outdoor space into a sanctuary for learning

Sarah shares how tending a garden mirrors the work of educators: planting seeds, nurturing growth, trusting seasons, and believing in what is not yet visible.
Whether you’re building a school garden, reimagining your outdoor classroom, or simply longing to deepen children’s connection to nature, this conversation will inspire you to see your teaching space differently.
🌱 Because when we cultivate gardens, we cultivate belonging.
Join the Outdoor Classrooms Community:
Want to continue the conversation, access our workshop library, or collaborate with like-minded educators?
👉 Join the CIRCLE Membership and grow into a more confident, connected outdoor classroom leader.
FREE Outdoor Classroom Resource:
🌿 Our Children's Library: 4 Types of Teaching Gardens Booklist (PDF) (halfway down the page)
Outdoor Classroom Resources & Links:
🎓 Outdoor Classrooms Teacher Certification Program
🎓 Outdoor Teaching Bootcamp
🎓 Seasonal Masterclass Bundle (includes Exploring Nature in Winter Masterclass)
🎓 Teaching Beyond Walls Capstone Course
🌸 CIRCLE Membership for Educators
🌿 30-Day Gratitude in Nature Challenge
🌸 1-hour Online Workshop Library
Connect with Victoria:
WEBSITE: www.outdoor-classrooms.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
Instagram: instagram.com/outdoor_classrooms/
Facebook: Facebook.com/OutdoorClassrooms1
Mentioned in this episode:
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass
Exploring Nature in Spring Masterclass (receive all 4 seasonal courses when you enroll!): https://www.outdoor-classrooms.com/exploring-nature-in-spring-masterclass/