Teaching Off Trail: My Classroom's Nature Transformation through Play

by Peter Dargatz

Teaching Off Trail describes the transformation of Peter Dargatz, a national board-certified teacher, and public school coordinator, from an anxious assessor to a fair and fun facilitator of learning. It shares his personal professional journey detailing his evolution as an educator while simultaneously offering strategies for readers to implement Peter's unique teaching philosophy to increase opportunities for play, creative expression, and personalization in both the indoor and outdoor classroom. In his own classroom, Peter brought learning outside by creating a nature kindergarten program that emphasizes community partnerships, service learning, and meaningful and memorable experiences in the outdoors. Teaching Off Trail aims to inspire educators, administrators, and parents across all levels to turn their outrage for today’s educational system into outreach that promotes passionate and purposeful problem-solving. He incorporates techniques often seen in private educational settings like Reggio and Montessori—student-centered, self-directed experiential approaches to learning) and shows how they work within a public school system.

183 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2021

Reviews

[ArlettaDavid Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was a blessing. I have been doing family childcare for over 25 years and outdoor nature learning with the kids in my care for twelve years. I have researched and purchased a few assessments that are very overwhelming and end up not using them. Peter simplifies the whole process of assessing and describes his teaching method in a way that makes me feel confident in what I have been doing all these years.

[Jean Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for teachers who either want to incorporate more nature-based learning or want to make an institutional change in general. Inspirational story. I am especially proud of the author, who is my cousin. I had a chance to visit his nature-based kindergarten class, and it’s the real deal—and so is he!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to read about the journey.