Human as a part of nature

Experience the calming and empowering effect of nature holistically with us!

Our experienced professionals will guide you in developing your own methods, with which you can bring a small piece of nature into your classroom, even in the hustle and bustle of the big city.

We go through the relationship with nature from different perspectives. We hike in the forest, get to know the farm and its animals. We familiarize ourselves with species-typical behavior and think about how we can bring animals into the classroom while taking animal welfare into account.

Man's relationship with nature must be preserved, and with very small actions we can take into account our environment and teach our students respect for nature and the appreciation of all life. Humans are a part of nature, let's remind us of that!

Pre-assignment: The View from My Classroom Window: Take a photo from the window of your classroom. What natural elements you can bring into your classroom through the window view.

The course strengthens participants’ understanding of the human–nature relationship and provides practical methods for bringing nature into everyday teaching. Participants learn to observe nature through sensory, creative and reflective practices, and to apply these approaches to support students’ emotional skills, wellbeing and learning. They gain knowledge of animal‑assisted pedagogy, species‑typical behaviour and ethical principles related to animals in educational settings. Through forest activities, movement, relaxation and associative writing, participants experience nature’s holistic impact on focus, calmness and creativity. The course also develops the ability to identify nature elements in urban environments and integrate them into teaching. By the end of the course, participants can design learning activities that foster respect for nature, strengthen environmental responsibility and remind students that humans are an essential part of the natural world.

The course is based on experiential and hands‑on pedagogy, where participants learn through doing, sensing and reflecting. Teaching methods include sensory walks, embodied exercises, yoga‑based movement, guided relaxation and nature‑based mindfulness. Creative pedagogies—such as photography, visual haiku, associative writing and emotion‑focused tasks—support self‑expression and emotional learning. Participants explore dog‑assisted teaching, observe species‑typical behaviour at a farm and analyse how human–animal interaction can be used ethically in education. Collaborative learning is strengthened through peer discussions, shared tasks and co‑creation of teaching ideas. Urban pedagogy is included through fieldwork in Helsinki, identifying nature elements in city environments.

Assessment is continuous and reflective. Participants complete short observation tasks, maintain a learning journal and take part in daily debriefs.

The course uses simple, hands‑on materials such as notebooks, pens and natural objects collected during activities. Mobile photography supports creative tasks and emotion card creation. Digital tools include shared online documents for reflection and idea exchange.

The course fee includes all teaching, guided activities and the full programme for the week. Meals, travel and accommodation are not included in the price. The course takes place in Karkkila, about 70 km from Helsinki, with easy bus connections from the city. The training venue is Tehtaan Hotelli, where participants may also book accommodation at a discounted rate by mentioning OpenTupa.

https://www.tehtaanhotelli.fi/en/

https://www.opentupa.com/courses/72c7a9e2-fa65-450e-9567-0c2382df988f