September is a month of beginnings—new classrooms, new routines, and new opportunities to build relationships. In this episode, I sit down with Elsa Medina and Alisa Paul to talk about slowing down at the start of the school year and putting community first.

Together, they share practical routines and activities—like creating names with loose natural materials, morning greetings, and reflection circles—that help students feel safe, calm, and connected. The conversation explores:

• Why social-emotional learning comes before curriculum
• How circles and rituals support regulation and belonging
• Rights and responsibilities as a foundation for classroom agreements
• The Circle of Courage framework for independence, generosity, and belonging
• Ways to nurture intrinsic motivation instead of relying on extrinsic rewards

We also dive into the power of outdoor spaces in September—whether it’s exploring the garden classroom, noticing growth as a metaphor for learning, or playing games like Eagle Eye and Forest Perfume.

Whether you’re a new teacher or a seasoned one, this episode offers fresh ideas for creating routines that foster autonomy, community, and joy right from the start of the school year.

In this heartfelt and reflective episode, we dive deep into what it really means to nurture resilience, perseverance, and empathy in outdoor learning spaces.

We explore how small steps – like starting with just 30 seconds at a sit spot – build stamina and belief in our ability to do hard things. Using learning continuums from Natural Curiosity (2nd Edition), we look at what growth looks like when learning is messy, nonlinear, and rooted in the land. Success doesn’t always look like neat checkboxes — sometimes, it looks like muddy boots and quiet confidence.

We unpack the power of the butterfly metaphor — a reminder that we can't rush the process or rescue too soon. Struggle is part of the learning, and nature offers the perfect environment for students (and educators!) to stretch, grow, and trust themselves.

Through stories, questions, and practical reflections, we talk about how outdoor learning grows empathy — for self, for others, and for the land. What does it mean to truly support a child through challenge without fixing everything? How does nature teach us that?

Tune in to reflect, recharge, and reimagine what learning can look like — when we let it grow at its own pace.

🌿 This episode is for anyone building strength in small moments, one outdoor step at a time.

What does it mean to regulate with our students instead of for them? In this episode, I sit down with educators Alisa Paul and Elsa Medina to explore co-regulation through a social-emotional learning lens—grounded in nature.

We share real stories about feeling dysregulated as teachers, what it means to model honesty with students, and how the land itself can become a co-regulator. Together, we reflect on:

🌿 Why naming our own nervous system state matters
🌿 How outdoor routines can build safety, trust, and connection
🌿 Ways that nature can calm students when adults can't
🌿 Practical strategies a TTOC or classroom teacher can lead—starting tomorrow
🌿 What we wish more teachers understood about managing emotions outside

Whether you're new to outdoor learning or simply feeling stretched thin, this episode offers simple, powerful ways to bring co-regulation to life—step by step, and breath by breath.