When entering seventh grade, we no longer got any time for ourselves. There was no time for us to go outside, no time to interact freely with friends, and no time to just act like kids. Once we turned twelve years old we had to sit through a seven hour work day, doing exactly what our teachers instructed us to do. Every. Single. Day. No wonder kids hate school.  If teachers included nature into more activities, students (and teachers) days would improve so much. 

Teachers claim that the reason they do not take their classes outside is because of the inconvenience. They believe it takes too long to walk up and down the stairs and Ohio weather can be unpredictable. 

The benefits of going outside for students outweighs the inconvenience that it puts on teachers. A study by the University of Arizona, The Benefits of Studying Outside vs. Inside concluded that teaching outside can improve mood, increase energy and improve focus. That’s so many things that high school students struggle with. 

This same study said that 20 minutes outside is equivalent to one cup of coffee and claims that relaxation levels increase by 55%. It also says that spending time outside reduces mortality rates by 12%.  It is clear that both students and teachers could benefit from time outside. 

The down side to teachers planning more lessons outside is that GHS has no outdoor classrooms other than the courtyard. A solution to this would be teachers renting out the courtyard and the district building more outdoor classrooms.