During the next four days (9.-12.05.) we were supposed to teach about 30-40 college students about outdoor education. We had three different groups in those days. The students were in their last year in high school and around 18 years old. We wanted to provide them challenging and fun games/ task with a learning outcome for everyone. So a good mix between physical activity, team building and mental challenges should be best. Our activities were:

Two people were responsible for one game per group. After every group we swapped the games, so everyone did three different games in the end, which made it diversified for us as well. Every game took 40 minutes including introduction, reflection and taking the group to their next station. The groups ended up being smaller, why we cut out the chicken game, which had the least learning outcome. Those guys being responsible for that game, helped at other stations.

All students were really motivated and engaged in solve the task at its best. That made the teaching for us so much easier and more enjoyable. Of course there were always groups which were less competetive and motivated, because of little group cohesion, but in general we were pretty lucky with the students.

Big influence on the motivation of everyone had the weather. It could not have been better. The sun was shining every day and it was warm in dry. In our spare time we went swimming and canoeing and also some of the students went for a swim. The only lack of motivation was within the first group every morning. As we started at 8:30 am every day and we had long evenings at the camp fire the night before, most of the students got little sleep. But we as the leaders were kind of tired as well and it was sometimes kind of challenging to override and motivate the groups to start with full energy in the first game. Paige, as our coordinator and delegator did a great job in welcoming and introducing every morning with power and enthuiasm.

 Most of us slept beside the students shelters in the woods. We only slept on our tarps as it was such nice weather that we didnt need more. Every evening we had a nice campfire and barbeque. Everyone shared their food with the group. This trip improved our group cohesion a lot. We had one common aim, to teach the students, so we were all in the same role, which made everyone equal in the group. It was the first time for a long time, that we were on a trip as a whole class and not as usual divided into at least two groups.

During the days we improved as teachers as well. We had to adjust our games/ task. The lava game turned out to be too easy and a bit boring so we added some tasks that made it more difficult. It was quite windy when it was our (Saedis and me) turn for the canoeing. We figured out explaining and showing the basic strokes and the lake is not woring in this weather as it was hard to stay together as a group, so we decided to do the whole introduction on land. Within the time we got more confident in what we were teaching and how we teach it.

Being so close to the students was also a great opportunity to get to know norwegians better. We took the chance to talk to them and get a better picture of the norwegian youth. And you could tell that there were big difference in outdoor skills. Some were kind of experienced, but most of them not at all. So the myth, that norwegians are born with their skis on is not true at all. Friluftsliv has changed a lot during time and it is not that naturally as it used to be. New technology has had a big influence on the connection between nature and humans. That fact is in evidence with youngsters, which grew up in that kind of environment.

To sum up it up, we got a great feedback from the students, the teachers and the success they had with the tasks. It was a good experience for us to teach the stuff we had learned during our stay here in Norway. But I was glad, that we had only three groups and not four as it was supposed to be. I was kind of tired of talking and standing around the whole day. Even though we weren’t that physically active, I was kind of exhausted after the week.