Eisenhower High Students, Teachers Create an Outdoor Learning Environment

Teachers and students at Eisenhower High School worked together to develop The Phoenix, an outdoor learning environment.

The English teachers wanted to use the courtyard to extend learning outside the walls of a classroom. They wanted an area that would inspire the students and enhance their writing skills. And they wanted others to enjoy it too.

To make this a realization, a core group of teachers worked to write a grant, which the Aldine Education Foundation (AEF) awarded. The funds gave the group and students the resources they needed. They spent six Saturdays revitalizing the courtyard, which was in disrepair. Staff and students from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, science, math, English, career and technical education, and visual arts departments worked together. They demolished the courtyard area, cleaned it and rebuilt it. This is how The Phoenix came to be.

Approximately 80 students and 10 teachers put in more than 1,500 hours to create The Phoenix. The student volunteers learned a lot while building the outdoor learning environment. They learned about welding, construction, landscape design, and garden design. And most importantly they learned the value of teamwork.

The community rallied around the students and teachers. The Ike team also received support from other campuses. Other AISD staff shared their skills and expertise to create the beautiful landscaped courtyard.

Many campus and district leaders attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Dr. Alton Smith, school board member; Ben Ibarra, principal at the campus; David Kitchel, Campus Teacher of the Year; and three student representatives participated. Also present were Olivia Boatner, magnet schools director, and Stacey Smith, program director of resource development. The campus staff thanked the Aldine Education Foundation for providing the grant. They presented AEF members with a painting by student Sandra Escobar.

The completion of the outdoor learning area means a lot to many of the teachers that took part in its development.

“The courtyard is more than just a meeting point,” said Michaelann Kelley, art teacher and IB art instructor at the campus. “It’s a model of cross-curricular education. We had a broad base of involvement in creating this professional learning community.  And we all learned from the experience. It was great to see students engaged and learning new things like welding and garden design to make The Phoenix a great place for all.”

Kelley added the campus is utilizing INVEST, the district’s outcome-based model. The INVEST model encourages teachers to collaborate across content areas and grade levels. The Phoenix at Eisenhower High fits the mold.

“The teachers have seen the results of hands-on relevant instruction,” said Kelley. “The campus science scores increased. The success of their collaborative approach is moving into the other content areas. The courtyard is an excellent collaborative learning environment. And it is an excellent venue for hands-on learning.”

According to Kelley, the English Department has already developed lesson plans. Some of these are about pastoral poetry. The Math Department also has plans. It has developed lessons to use the courtyard as a hands-on application of math concepts such as area and volume. And the Art Department will use the courtyard for open-air art workshops.

Kelley, Kitchel, Bobby Mansour, IB coordinator at the campus; and art teacher Kaileigh Rosplohowski spearheaded the work.

“I thank everyone who helped,” said Kelley. “And a big thank you goes out to the Aldine Educational Foundation for helping make The Phoenix a reality.”

Pictured are (l-r) Principal Ben Ibarra, Board Trustee Dr. Alton Smith, and David Kitchel (third from right) with Eisenhower High students at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.