If there is one thing that I dislike about school, it's that 95% of the classes take place indoors, in closed off classrooms under harsh artificial lighting. That is definitely not my idea of an ideal learning situation. How can you focus on descriptive language in the ancient novel you're studying if the world right outside the window is so much more vibrant? Would it not be better to sit outside in the fresh air and compare the two settings within the novel?

Having class indoors is hardest to deal with when first returning from summer break. I work at a summer camp where I spend all of my days and nights outdoors, no matter the weather. I'm used to constantly feeling connected to nature and feeling rejuvenated and relaxed by being there. It's also so easy to teach the campers when outdoors. They are more comfortable, and it's enriching to draw on nature for inspiration, no matter what activity you choose to teach.

Nothing is worse than waking up on a beautiful sunny day and dragging yourself to class for hours when you could be hiking or simply lying in the sun. If we had class outdoors, we could learn and still lie in the sun, getting as much vitamin D as we need.

I have only had two classes held outdoors, but I still remember the elated look on everyone's face when the professor told us we would be moving outside. In my creative writing class, we sat in a circle in the grass under a tree and discussed each other's writing on a critique day. I felt so at ease and comfortable sharing in such a casual environment. The second class I had outdoors was my geology class. We walked around campus and classified various rocks we found. This was an amazing integration of learning and the outdoors that turned out to be essential to our learning processes.

Life is so much better outside, so why can't classes see and take advantage of that more often?