Harvest - Plan

Communicate with your teacher and volunteers weekly

• Teachers appreciate knowing about a week in advance what the upcoming topic is.  Several teachers introduce the topic to their students before your class.

• Your weekly email should include: the garden topic and activity, supplies students should bring (such as a pencil, scissors, a clipboard if the teacher supplies them), reminder of your garden day and time, where you will meet the class.

• Include volunteers on your email to explain their role in the activity.

Be Prepared

• Be prepared by reading through the lesson in advance and ask questions if you aren’t sure about something in the activity. 

• Check your the garden area you will use for the class in the event there is a point of interest to share with the students.

• Take needed tools and supplies to the location of the activity before the class comes out.

• If you’re planting, collect seeds early from your garden bucket to familiarize yourself with the seeds, how many you have, and where and how you will plant them.

• One of the best ways to learn is to observe and assist an experienced coordinator with her class.

• Always carry a pair of scissors for such things as loosening stubborn weeds or picking flowers.

Meet in the Classroom

• You must sign in as a school volunteer before working in the gardens.  Since we are not school employees, you sign in for the school to issue your a visitor badge for the day.  This identifies you as a permitted visitor to teachers and other employees of the school. 

• Go to the classroom a few minutes ahead of time so the teacher knows you are ready to start on time. 

• Explain the garden rules before going out.  Reminders are often needed early in the season. 

• If you’re using a tool that day, explain how the tool should be used safely. 

• Explain what students will do that day before going out to the gardens.  Review procedures or worksheets.  

Managing the Class

• Ask open-ended questions to find out the level of class knowledge about the topic, generate interest, capture attention, and allow students to showcase their knowledge.

• Remind students to use "inside voices" when they are in the garden.  Many gardens are near classrooms.  Plus, low voices help students to hear you better. 

• Talk to the teacher about the method she/he uses to redirect the students’ attention or use your own signal for quiet.   

• Sometimes a whisper is better than a shout. 

• If you feel you have lost control, stop.  Do not try to continue to teach.  Use your signal for quiet, or let the teacher get students' attention.

• It is possible for just the coordinator and teacher to work with the class, but it is much more fun for all if there are more helpers.  Be sure to get the name and email address for each of your classroom volunteers.  If you cannot recruit parent volunteers, perhaps you can recruit a friend to help.  If only you and the teacher will take out the class, make a plan to involve the teacher.

• Let the children do the work.  They CAN do it all from planting to hauling mulch.  Students take pride in the results of their efforts. 

• Try using teams and team leaders.  Teams can be assigned to areas within the garden, and the team leader can be assigned the responsibility of completing the team's worksheet.   

Flexibility Helps

• Watch for a “teachable moment” – often the students will find them first!  Appease the children's curiosity when possible.  If you find a caterpillar, point it out, and then go back to the planned activity.

• Be prepared for some bad weather.  Find out in advance your teacher's preference on a rainy day.  Most teachers like to continue with an inside activity, others prefer to cancel.  Some activities can be done inside, plus ideas can be found on the inside activities page.  Some inside activities require advance planning.

• If you have “crop failure” don't worry about it.  Turn that into a teachable moment.  If your spinach doesn't come up, ask the students what could have happened, ask how farmers and consumers are affected if this happens to farmers. 

• If insects are eating your plants, ask students about food chains/webs.  See if they can find the culprit.  Split what you are able to harvest into small, single samplings.