Bringing the Classroom Outdoors: First Grade Learnings with Maria Villavicencio

By Ellie White

When you talk with Maria Villavicencio, you wish you were back in first grade, with Maria as your teacher.

Maria is outdoors with her first grade every Wednesday (for “Wilderness Wednesday”), and any other time the outdoors fits into her curriculum: observing birds in their bird sanctuary, learning about ice safety, or making volcanoes in the snow. With a mindset of “how can I make this a positive experience” for each student, Maria takes into account the different backgrounds, experiences, and assumptions they bring with them to the outdoors, and ultimately, facilitates meaningful experiences for them all. I had the opportunity to speak with Maria over the phone in March 2021 to learn about her commitment to outdoor learning. 

Maria grew up in Ecuador, spending every weekend outside – from the mountains to the beach to the rainforest, from camping to hiking to kayaking. Being outdoors was a rhythm in her family’s life.

Moving to Minnesota as a child was an enormous transition. Her father was ultimately unable to continue his professional career in the United States, and ended up traveling between Minnesota and Ecuador for work, leaving her mom as a solo parent most of the time. Between work and a new environment, Maria’s mom wasn’t comfortable venturing outdoors alone with Maria and her siblings.

When her dad was around, though, her family would go outdoors and experiment with activities like sledding in their new environment. But things didn’t always go smoothly. 

On one family camping trip, some nearby campers called the police – not because Maria’s family was being loud or breaking campsite rules or causing any disturbance – but because they were a Latinx family. Someone thought they looked like they didn’t belong, a racist assumption that created a traumatic experience for Maria’s family. This incident certainly did not help her family feel any more comfortable venturing out. After all, were they really safe to explore?

It has taken Maria many years to realize the impact of this trauma. Today, these past experiences fuel her passion in connecting her students and their families to the outdoors.

A few years ago, Maria started incorporating the outdoors into her class activities. The wealth of nature right outside her classroom window is a prime location for outdoor learning (and even includes some previously-used outdoor education spaces).

When many of her students’ parents share their own well-founded fears or traumatic experiences in the outdoors, Maria builds trust through her ability to relate. Her students’ families know that she understands what it’s like to experience racism in the outdoors, and that she will do everything she can to facilitate safe and positive experiences for her students.

Many of her students have little direct access to wild places. Parents often work two to three jobs, and many don’t have the time, resources, or experience to go on outdoor adventures.

Maria explains that her students have learned about the outdoors through curriculum and books used in school, but often have no lived experience in the outdoors. “When I say pitch a tent,” she says, “they have no idea what that means.”

Maria began incorporating the outdoors into her curriculum after her principal and coaches encouraged an increase in student opportunities for creativity and curiosity. As Maria started venturing outdoors with her students, though, she worried about the questions they may have, and, more importantly, that she wouldn’t have the answers to them.

But now, she says that “every time I take my kids outside, I learn something new.” A student will come up to her with a question, and she’ll readily respond, “I don’t know, let’s look it up, let’s ask somebody.”

In fact, Maria highlights that “listening to what children are bringing to the table is key.” Rather than have specific, rigid expectations for their time outdoors, Maria guides the students based on their questions and interests.

Creating a bird sanctuary was one of Maria’s student-guided projects. The first step was simply putting bird feeders up and observing what happened. Subsequently, the students generated endless questions about the birds, connected with local bird experts who shared their knowledge, and developed an accessible viewing location for students with physical limitations. Maria didn’t have all of the details planned out at the beginning of the project; the path unfolded as the students interacted with the outdoors. 

Maria notes the importance of acknowledging children’s fears and hesitations about being outdoors, especially if they have few or negative experiences in the outdoors. Their fears are valid. Maria has found that by digging deeper, she can often help a student work through their worry or provide accommodations for individual barriers.

For example, one of her students was afraid of anything outside that flew. This student was so afraid that she couldn’t enjoy her time outside. By talking with her about this fear, Maria discovered that the student had seen a video of someone dying from a bee sting. Maria helped by providing context and creating a safe space for the student to go indoors if she was feeling uncomfortable. 

In another situation, Maria didn’t understand why one of her students was so worried about getting her hair wet. In Maria’s experience, if your hair gets wet, it would soon dry, and all would be well. But not for this student. If her braids or twists get wet, they would be ruined and were not cheap to replace. Understanding the student’s concern in a new way, Maria provided the option of plastic caps for any student who wanted to ensure that their hair didn’t get wet. Maria highlights that she never assumes that a student wants a specific accommodation. Instead, she provides options that students can choose if they like. 

Maria focuses on starting small and creating positive experiences. She has learned that you must be “willing to offer [children] a safe, positive experience outside, because that will keep them coming” back to the outdoors.

Maria encourages families, especially families with few or negative experiences in nature, to seek groups and have support systems as they venture outside. She notes that “many families are grateful for the experiences and ‘Wilderness Wednesdays’ [has] become a favorite day for their child.” She regularly gets feedback from parents about how their children are no longer afraid of bugs, have become “worm hunters,” or the whole family has picked up sledding as a new hobby. She encourages families to continue to explore the outdoors by taking simple steps, such as walks, journaling, drawing, observing, and using their senses to enjoy nature.

From Ecuador to Minnesota, Maria knows the tremendous power of time spent outdoors. And through her approach with her students, Maria helps unlock the magnificent benefits of the outdoors for her students and their families.

Ellie White was born and raised in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She lives in Seattle with her husband and twin toddlers. She loves hiking, camping, and exploring with her family.