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Rebecca Fenn's Posts
10.22.19
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What You Can Learn From Natural Consequences

Natural consequences happen after you make choices. If you yell at your friend, she will be upset. After you walk barefoot in the road, your foot could get cut. If you don’t tie your canoe to the shore, you could... READ MORE
10.08.19
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What to Do After Your Plans Don’t Work Out

Perhaps you’re at the side of a river. It’s evening and you’ve just noticed that the campsite you were planning to sleep at is taken already. Or maybe you’re standing at a trail junction and looking at a sign that... READ MORE
08.20.19
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5 Camping Mistakes to Avoid & 4 Mistakes to Embrace

Mistakes are essential to learning in the outdoors. They make it easy to do the right thing because you know what the other choice looks like. And camping mistakes have been the ultimate source of some of my most meaningful... READ MORE
06.18.19
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Why Fun Is an Important Part Of Learning

Last week I ventured into the wilderness to teach a course with two co-Instructors for nine 12 year-old boys. From the second the students arrived, we were in hyperdrive. In the first hour, we played three games, grabbed gear for... READ MORE
05.14.19
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What Happens When Educators Have Creative Freedom

At NYC Outward Bound Schools, we instruct three to five-day long expeditions for public school students and teachers. Students are accompanied by at least one teacher per small student group, and we often see principals, school leaders and additional teachers... READ MORE
04.16.19
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All About Feedback: What It Is and Why It Matters

Feedback is a practice that is both rigid and creative. It requires methodical thinking and sophisticated emotional intelligence. And in order to understand how to give and receive feedback at its best, not only do we need guidelines, but we... READ MORE
03.14.19
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How to Communicate with a Struggling Teen

The foundation of communicating with struggling teens is the same as you would use with anyone who is struggling: listen, affirm, speak assertively, set clear boundaries, respond honestly and provide support. As with all people, effective communication depends on the... READ MORE
02.19.19
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How to Practice Self-Care from an Outdoor Educator

Right now, I am preparing for a 24-day backpacking expedition with six teenage students. As I think about what comes in the next 24 days, I pack my pack carefully. At the bottom of my 70 liter pack is my... READ MORE
01.10.19
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When Teachers Stop Speaking, Students Start Leading

I begin every course the same way: with a torrent of words. “This is your backpack. This is how you use it. This is how we eat. This is where you will sleep.” Although my demeanor is not so robotic,... READ MORE