Educator Resources

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont believes that to help feel comfortable, capable, and confident in taking students outside, teachers benefit from having access to resources, tips, ideas, etc. On this page, you will find helpful resources from Tremont Institute and partner organizations to add to your teaching toolkit. Taking your students outside can feel daunting, and sometimes impossible, but with the right routines, patience, and practice, you and your students can have transformative experiences in the natural world, just outside your classroom door!

“8th grade science, 1st period, 25 students. I took my first period outside for 10 minutes once we got all work done in class…What I loved about this was these big 8th graders chose to just run around and play tag. The other kids who were too cool for school started to wiggle around and move too. It was really refreshing to see them act like kids again. There was no fight, no anger, just peace.” Jen Sauer, South Doyle Middle School