INTEGRATING EXPERIENCE: SUPPORTING TEACHERS AS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CO-FACILITATORS IN THEIR COLLABORATIVE WORK TO DESIGN, ENACT, AND INTEGRATE THE LESSONS OF EXPERIENCE WITHIN CLASSROOM CURRICULA

Teachers at an independent, sectarian school had growing concerns and needs related to the design, enactment, and curricular integration of an extensive 6-12 experiential learning (EL) program. In their roles as EL co-facilitators and leaders, these teachers recognized that EL programing (i.e., field trips, outdoor adventure education, service learning, etc.) should represent meaningful, student-centered learning, but they were worried that there was a disconnect between the themes and goals of the EL program and the actual integration of those themes and goals within classroom curricula. The author's review of the literature highlighted the defining features of meaningful EL, and a needs assessment study underscored the contextual issues and opportunities for improvement. These findings led the author to explore literature related to effective professional development in order to conduct a collaborative program evaluation over eight months that studied ongoing efforts to improve the school’s EL program writ large. The findings of this study informed principles related this ongoing integrative work, including the importance of visionary leadership, continued training for chaperones as EL co-facilitators, and a focus on purposeful planning in collaboration