From the23^rd to the 27^thof April we did the Tangens Project. Therefore we planned outdoor related activities for students who are in their last year in high school of the Tangen High School in Kristiansand. In total we had four different classes with around 45 students in each group. It was a really heterogeneous group, so there were pupils who never slept outdoors before as well as there were pupils with a lot of outdoor experience. For the activities we went to Paulen in Vennesla. There we had a big gras area, a river and forest which we could use for our planned activities. As activities we planned to do eight different station.The class always got split in smaller groups with four to eight students per group and then each group had 30 minutes at each station before they swapped to the next station.The different stations were: fire making, shelter building, orienteering, barefoot path walking, slacklining and three teambuilding games (river crossing, jungle swing and nightline).It was a competition against all the other groups from their class. At each station the groups got scores up to ten points for their performance as well as they got scores for their group name they have chosen for their group.

Each day the students arrived around five o’clock in the afternoon and then they had around one hour to settle down until we started with our activities. We always made three rotations at the first day and then started the next morning at nine o’clock in the morning to do the missing five rotations. After finishing with announcing the winner of the activities the students left at lunchtime and then we had free time until the next class arrived.

To make the organisation easier we split our class into smaller groups that each group could take responsibility about one activity. Frankie and Aussie Sam were the coordinators and took care about the time schedule and organising the classes at Vennesla. After 30 minutes they always blew a whistle to announce the rotation to the next activity. For the announcement of the winner Jed had a special task, he got dressed up in his “KIWI outfit” and made the announcement. I was in a group with the Americans, Abby and Sam. We planned the teambuilding game “Jungle Swing”. Therefore we built up a swing with a static rope at a tree and layed down a rope on the bottom of the swing in the form of a circle. The students had the task to cross the circle with the swing to get to the other side. If they touched the ground inside the circle the whole group had to start again. We had three different rounds. In the first round they had to swing normal. In the second round they had one or two persons who were blind and one or two persons who only could cross the swing one-handed. The last round was the creative one and the group had to show us their most creative swing.

On Monday we met in the morning at the garage to put all the needed equipment in the trailer and then started driving to Vennesla. From Vennesla it was a short walk, around 20 minutes, to come to Paulen. At first we all looked for a nice place to built up our hammocks or tents for sleeping. I decided to sleep in a hammock and choose a nice spot in the forest next to the gras area where the students were sleeping. So I built up my hammock and a tarp and as well a tent, Laura and me were using for our equipment as it was supposed to rain the first days of the week. In total we created three little “hammock villages” next to each other where everybody were sleeping in. I was in a “village” with Abby, Sam, Will, Rob, Brad and Laura. After that we built up our activities. Then we did a little “testround” where we went from station to station with everyone from our class and the responsible ones of the activity explained and showed what to do at their station. So in the end all of us knew every station, where they were located and where the rotations were going to.

Before the classes arrived each afternoon we had quite a bit of spare time. First Laura and me always prepared lunch and then on Monday we met at the Tipi, we built up at the gras area, to play some board games with Maike and Johanna. After that we went for a hike following the pipe further up. On Tuesday I just relaxed in the hammock and read as it was raining. Wednesday was the sunniest day of the week so I went for a 15 kilometres run around the area with Janna and after this we took a refreshing bath in the river. On Thursday most of us were hanging around the area of the Tipi and we read, did some yoga, played Spikeball and Football.

For me it was the first time sleeping in a hammock and I have to say it is more comfortable than sleeping in a tent. I only put a foam mat underneath my sleeping bag to protect myself from the cold and it was actually quite cosy and warm every night.

In general all the classes were really nice and it was fun to do the activities with them. Also the motivation of the students were quite high even if it was raining. The whole week we stayed at our station we planned. So I spent the whole week at the Jungle Swing with Abby and Sam. There we experienced a lot of different emotions of the students. We saw students who were really challenged by our task and even started crying as well as there were students for who it was a quite easy task. But in total all groups managed to finish the task. There were groups with really good group dynamic where they first made a plan and then tried it out and if the plan didn’t work out they found a new way to accomplish their task. Especially the groups, where there were students in which struggled with the task, made up really creative ways to get everybody over the swing. For example by carrying them over, giving them a push and catch them or go on someone’s knee to have a higher starting point. Also at round three we had good entertainment and the groups got really creative, for instance one group performed a song while crossing the swing or another did a play (Tarzan) while crossing. We always varied the size of the circle a little bit depending on each group and also gave advices and motivated the groups if needed. But it was a good game to see the different stages of team formation like forming, storming, norming and performing in a group process.

The whole week was a lot of fun and a good possibility for me to gain more experience in working with students. What was a really interesting point for me I found out while I was talking to one of the teachers, was that the students got a mark on these two days in Physical Education. For example they got marked on their social behaviour or their equipment they brought for staying outdoors. Personally I think that is a great opportunity especially for weaker students in Physical Education to achieve a good mark. I also really want to bring the students more outdoors in their school life in my later profession as a teacher, so this would be an option to integrate my aims in the school routine.