Educator Spotlight: Tiffany Deschler - A Place for Wonder
It's our pleasure to introduce Tiffany Deschler, an educator whose childhood adventures – racing pill bugs, building clay creatures, and constructing bike ramps with neighborhood friends – weren't just games, but the foundation of what would become her life's mission in education.
As the founder of A Place for Wonder, a Reggio-inspired school, Tiffany brings more than two decades of educational expertise to the table. But her journey isn't just about impressive credentials (though she has plenty, including recognition from the Texas Wildlife Association Foundation and spearheading outdoor education programs around Galveston Bay). It's about something more fundamental: the belief that nature is our greatest classroom. Join us as we dive deeper into Tiffany's philosophy on education, nature, and the magic that happens when children are given the freedom to explore their world.
Q: Your educational journey has touched multiple approaches - Montessori, Reggio-inspired, and public education. How have these different perspectives shaped your understanding of children's relationship with nature?
The Montessori school, where I was the lead 2 yr old teacher, only had a fabricated outdoor space with a wooden playground structure and a couple trees, The area was not conducive to much risk taking or natural loose part materials, in which they could engage. When I taught Kindergarten at a Reggio-inspired school, we had a small forested area within 30 yards of our back door and we would visit a couple times a day. I began to notice how different their engagement was in pretend play as well as the early literacy of storytelling. They would bring their stories in and draw pics and I would record their stories (on a cassette player) to transcribe with their picture.
I created my own course, elective, in the public school district in which I taught. This allowed me more freedom and flexibility with what I "taught" my kids. I wasn't regulated by a scope and sequence, which can truly crush a flow of learning. This course and the middle schoolers showed me how nature can truly ignite curiosity and wonder and even the "coolest" kids would jump in and catch bugs or try leaves, etc. I saw kids who "hated being outside" take risks with seining or sweep netting and really enjoy it. Some of the "most challenging" kids were my best birdwatchers. Being in nature brought us to a place where we could be toghether as one. We were not separated by "groups' that are created in middle school. It was a beautiful thing.
Q: We often speak of the environment as the "third teacher" in Reggio-inspired settings. How does nature extend this concept beyond our classroom walls?
It is just that. Just as we have children experience wire and clay and light and paper, we do so in nature. In the forest, they experience clay from the ground, light and shadows, leaves and bark and watching and interacting with little creatures such as earthworms and roly polys. There are loose parts everywhere! They become entranced in pretend play here and have the opportunity for large movements as well.
Q: You've mentioned growing up in a time when being outside was a normal part of childhood. How do you see that experience influencing your educational philosophy today?
Nature has just been a part of me. And really it's a part of all of us although many tend to think it is something separate from us. I grew up in a time when kids were not being over scheduled or over managed. "Go outside and play" was what we were asked to do after school and parents just expected you to be back at a certain time. One of the big takeaways from that, which I realize now, is that adults weren't there to interrupt play flow. They weren't there to manage your disagreements when your play got congested and they weren't there to try to get you to prove you learned something. We didn't come home to questions about how we played and no one was stopping us from just being kids, asking us to perform.
This has really influenced me in the last few years. I want my grandson and other littles to be able to have uninterrupted play in nature.
Q: You've received recognition for your environmental education work, including the Natural Resource-Excellence in Teaching Award. What advice would you offer educators who are just beginning to integrate more outdoor experiences into their programs?
My advice would be not to compare yourself to others, especially those well established programs. It's ok to go slow and start with one small project. When I started my middle school program, we had one tree, donated by a parent and one garden bed. This was for about 40 students. We planned together and walked around the campus to see what was around us. We talked and shared and just connected as humans in that space. Then we were able to get another garden bed put in. I reached out to community groups that wanted to help and got more donations. After 16 yrs, we had 18 productive garden beds, a shed with tools, binoculars and field guides. We were selling vegetables to our staff and taking trips to local greenspaces to learn and do community service. It takes time.
Q: As both an educator and grandparent, you've witnessed nature's impact across generations. How might we help families recognize and value these outdoor learning experiences?
For me, there is a fear of the disconnect of these younger generations with nature. I saw such a change in the middle schoolers over the course of 18 yrs. We know that we are a part of nature and we need these ecosystems to survive. But, you have to have people who care about it to want to protect it. If we create an opportunity for children to connect with natural spaces, then they are more likely to care and, in turn, protect it.
Being in nature reduces stress, allows for larger movements, brings excitement and joy (dopamine). There are constant learning experiences in nature that are just laid out for you, no "lesson plans" needed. The way the wind moves the grasses, the way an osprey flies over the water, how the vultures fly in thermal vents, how insects are attracted to light, and on and on. It is all learning.
Q: Looking ahead, what role do you see outdoor education playing in early childhood programs? How might we sustain children's connection to nature in an increasingly digital world?
This one is rough and heartbreaking for me as I see a bigger push for "academia" at earlier ages. The irony of the education system looking to the data for this. We know that the practice of all 4 yr olds having to know letters, sounds, numbers and writing certain things is not developmentally appropriate. Time outside on plastic playground equipment and fake grass for 20 minutes is not acceptable. Outdoor education should be top priority because you can learn math, science, history and reading based around nature. The best part of this would be that it would be place-based as well. I don't feel children will be "left behind" in a digital world if they don't have tablets or computers in their hands until later in their schooling. Programs need to center in, period.
Thank you, Tiffany, for sharing your inspiring vision of education with us. For those who want to follow along with the daily adventures and discoveries happening at A Place for Wonder, you can find Tiffany on Instagram @a_place_for_wonder, where she shares the magic of her play and nature-based early childhood program. Her posts capture the heartwarming moments of children exploring, creating, and growing through their outdoor experiences – proving that the most profound learning often happens in the simplest moments.