31. Teaching Off Trail with Peter Dargatz

If you are a public school educator, you are in for a treat! In this episode, we have Peter Dargatz sharing the incredible evolution of his public school kindergarten transformed into a nature kindergarten.

HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Education Evolution
2. A Radical Redesign
3. The Power and Possibility of Play
4. The Four P's
5. Onward and Upward

MEET PETER:

While his claim to fame might be as a retired racing sausage for the Milwaukee Brewers, Peter Dargatz is prouder for being a father of three nature-loving children, a national board-certified teacher, and the coordinator of a well-respected, public school nature kindergarten program at Woodside Elementary in Sussex, Wisconsin. Transitioning his classroom from the inside to the outside has allowed him to create and develop his “4P’s” philosophy, focusing on play-based, place-based, project-based, and personalized learning. This philosophy’s foundations are cemented in play, citizen science, service learning, and community collaborations.

Along with the nature kindergarten program. Peter is the coordinator for an all-school collaboration with the Retzer Nature Center and a district-wide family nature club. He is also the volunteer coordinator for the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s Tyke Hike program, aimed at getting families of young children out in nature using Wisconsin’s Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Additionally, he is a founding member of the Wisconsin Nature-Based Early Childhood Association (WINBECA), a board member of the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education, a contributing author to Natural Start Alliance’s Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook, and a regular columnist for Play & Playground magazine. Peter’s first book, Teaching Off Trail, was released by Redleaf Press in November 2021.

CONTACT PETER:

• EMAIL: [email protected]
• WEBSITE: https://www.peterdargatz.com/