Learning From a Deer Blind

By Seneca Barker


I believe that education should never be solely confined to the classroom.

Sitting in a structured class reading from a textbook works to a certain extent, but hands on learning is incredibly important.

Matthew and I before we went hunting

I've seen the huge benefit of that in my boyfriend, Matthew.

Ever since Matthew was between the age of two or three, he has been out in the woods learning all about hunting and property management. He can attribute a large portion of his knowledge to what his dad, uncles, and grandpa showed him in a real world setting.

Don't get me wrong, sitting down, reading and learning, is important and Mathew and his dad have done plenty of that, but it is not the only way. And in some cases, it's not the best way.  There are just some things that can't be learned from a book.

A few months ago I got the opportunity to join Matthew on a deer hunt, and I saw first hand what hands on learning has done for him. Every few minutes he was spewing a fact that I never knew about how to lure, track, and hunt deer. It was incredible. He learned these things from being out on the property (or what I call the deer daycare) working and observing the best way to do things.

Mitch, Matthew, Mark, and Terry after a pheasant hunt

Every child learns differently, and I think as a teacher it is important to remember that. There are a lot of kids, like Matthew, who learn better in an unconventional setting. They learn by doing, not just reading or listening. If teachers keep that in mind, and find ways to bring learning outside the normal classroom structure, I believe all kids could be successful.