Soddy Elementary thinking outside the box for alternative learning spaces

SODDY DAISY, Tenn. (WDEF) — Teachers at Soddy Elementary are finding new ways to get students out of the classrooms, without stopping the learning.

“It’s wonderful to know that there is a de-stress zone,” STEM teacher Julia Phillips said.

Thanks to a $3,000 grant and parent volunteers, Soddy Elementary is almost done with their outdoor classroom.

Construction started last fall. However, now the open-air learning space means even more amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“It will provide a different environment for teachers to have students in,” Phillips said. “So they can come out under a cover and do writing, or science lesson, or even just for a mask break.”

“In this time, it’s just a great place to get outside, to be able to take that break, get outside,” Principal Kim Roden said. “Keep learning, but to be a little bit more relaxed.”

The space is large enough to spread out students and allow them to take their masks off.

Right now, the school is allotting longer outdoor breaks for the kids. This added classroom will provide another option to be outside, without cutting into teaching time.

“I think there’s already so many schools trying to think outside the box with what we can do to help kids learn in a real way during this uncertain time, to give them valuable experiences,” Roden said. “So I think there’s a lot of schools that are going ahead and doing things with outdoor classrooms and trying to make a space that’s safe for kids.”

Phillips says they hope to have the classroom finished sometime in September.