Before you begin planting, you need to set garden expectations. With a little pre-teaching, children will take amazing care of the garden and it will become a wonderful space for learning in your classroom.
Just as students participate in setting classroom expectations, their participation in setting garden expectations will give them a deeper understanding of the rules and enable them to take ownership of the garden.
Materials:
Chart Paper
Markers
Method:
Gather your students together in a way that works for your classroom. I usually have them sit at the carpet facing my chart paper cart. Explain to them the plan for a garden in your classroom for the school year. Tell them that the garden will be a place where they will learn about plants and plant care, but just like in the classroom, there are expectations for the garden.
Write the following questions on your chart paper and have them turn and talk to a partner about the questions.
- How can we respect the garden?
- How do we respect each other working with the garden?
- How do we keep safe when working with the garden?
When they’ve had time to talk with each other, bring their attention back to the whole group and start writing down their brainstorm. Once you’ve recorded all their ideas, start a new sheet of chart paper and consolidate the ideas into the basic rules you want in the garden.
After the expectations are written on a chart paper, have all the students sign their name on the paper and display it near the garden. Remind them that they are in charge of following and enforcing expectations.
Each time you work with the garden, do a quick review of the rules with your students.
Teaching From the Garden 