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Teaching Off Trail describes the transformation of Peter Dargatz, a national board-certified teacher, and public school coordinator, from an anxious assessor to a fair and fun facilitator of learning. It shares his personal professional journey detailing his evolution as an educator while simultaneously offering strategies for readers to implement Peter's unique teaching philosophy to increase opportunities for play, creative expression, and personalization in both the indoor and outdoor classroom. In his own classroom, Peter brought learning outside by creating a nature kindergarten program that emphasizes community partnerships, service learning, and meaningful and memorable experiences in the outdoors.
Teaching Off Trail aims to inspire educators, administrators, and parents across all levels to turn their outrage for today’s educational system into outreach that promotes passionate and purposeful problem-solving. He incorporates techniques often seen in private educational settings like Reggio and Montessori—student-centered, self-directed experiential approaches to learning) and shows how they work within a public school system.
“Adults, you will fall in love with teaching all over again! Peter Dargatz shares his playful, loving and joyful approach to teaching, along with real-life strategies, ideas, and suggestions-guaranteed to have a positive impact for all children. This should be required reading for anyone who wants to make a difference in the life of a child!” —Dr. Patty Born, Hamline University, author of Teaching STEM Outdoors
“Peter Dargatz has created a way to keep kindergarteners from climbing the walls—he takes them outside to play and their love of learning never stops.” —Pat Rumbaugh, The Play Lady, co-founder of Let’s Play America, and author of Let’s Play Outside
“Going on Peter Dargatz’s journey throughout this book was pure joy! He is a natural storyteller. I have been working in nature-based education for two decades, yet I still found myself jotting down notes to share with other teachers. Teaching off Trail is a heartfelt, fun, and fully inspiring tale that shows just how much children (and teachers) benefit from nature and play—not just as a diversion from learning, but as its most essential foundation. Thank you, Peter, for sharing your story.” —Catherine Koons Hubbard, Nature Preschool Director at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (Milwaukee, WI) and co-founder of the Wisconsin Nature-based Early Childhood Association
“In Teaching Off Trail, Peter Dargatz shares his transformative teaching experience and leads readers in how to make playful shifts in their own philosophy. Can play and academics coexist in today's classrooms? Can we learn inside and outside the school building? Peter not only affirms a play-based approach, but he also shows readers how to make it happen.” —Dr. Julie Jones, director, Converse University, School of Education & Graduate Studies, author of The Playful Classroom
“What a pleasure to read an honest, common sense, no-holds-barred, story of how one teacher confronted the ‘crisis in the kindergarten’ and decided to actually do something about it. Peter Dargatz’s story of turning his classroom inside out is accessible, funny, free of jargon, and compelling. He makes you feel, ‘Well if he can do it, so can I.’” —David Sobel, Professor Emeritus, Education Department, Antioch University New England, author of Nature Preschool and Forest Kindergarten and The Sky Above and the Mud Below
“Reminiscent of William Ayers seminal work To Teach, Peter Dargatz tells the story of a teacher’s journey through frustration, rebirth, and transformation. A true storyteller, Peter weaves a message of hope for teachers who want to rediscover the joys of teaching by establishing a play-based and nature-infused classroom. This book is beautifully written and enjoyable to read while providing inspiration and ideas for taking children outside.” —Patti Bailie, PhD, associate professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Maine at Farmington
Peter Dargatz has been an educator for fourteen years and held various leadership roles for his school and district. Besides starting a nature kindergarten classroom in his school, he coordinates a schoolwide nature center collaboration and a district-wide family nature club. He has presented about his classroom at play and nature-based conferences across the country, and he is a founding member of the Wisconsin Nature-Based Early Childhood Association (WiNBECA) and a co-author of the Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practice Guidebook, a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education’s (NAAEE) Natural Start Alliance. He was selected as the 2020 Formal Educator of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education. Peter resides in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.