What Is Biomimicry? Let's Learn & Investigate Whales!

Hello Outschool families, my name is Natalie Britton.  Welcome! In my classroom, you will find lessons that are creative, fun, and engaging.   I am very passionate about teaching and helping students reach their academic goals through interactive and expressive learning methods.

I'm an online ESL teacher with experience teaching students of all ages, primary school level through adults.  I have a Bachelor's degree in Education with a minor in Foreign Language.  I also hold a TESOL certificate (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

On Outschool I'm excited to teach learners about science and nature.  I have experience helping students in the subject of science as a volunteer Science Project instructor.  As a Science Project instructor, I assisted students throughout the entire process of their projects, from concept to contest submission.  I found that some were very intimidated by the idea of even starting a science project.  My goal was to make this a fun experience for each student.  If their project failed in some way during the experimental phase, we would document why that process failed and what we learned from that part of the project.  Then we would begin again or come up with a new idea.  We always included for the judges any adjustments we had to make before submitting our final project. Most of the students I helped were able to achieve first place in their school science project competitions.  My son received first place several years in a row at his school science project competitions.  When I homeschooled my son, science was the subject we enjoyed most.

I am also a lover of design found in nature.  My husband and I have traveled to various places throughout the world and interacted with animals in their natural habitats.  To name a few, in the mountains of Madagascar, we visited several species of Lemurs.  On the Lijiang River in China, we've seen the traditional way cormorant birds were used to catch fish.  With these and other excursions, I've seen how plants and animals, utilizing their design, shape, and color, can help us solve problems through Biomimicry.  I'm passionate about teaching learners on Outschool and helping them see what we can learn from design in nature.  When we gain an understanding of Biomimicry, we are motivated to respect nature, marvel at its design, and continue to learn from what we discover.  I'm excited to offer a relaxed and supportive environment for learning on Outschool.  I look forward to meeting your child in my classroom.

Things I love:   I love traveling with my husband, whale watching, hiking on a variety of islands, and planning tropical adventures with friends.  When I'm not teaching, I enjoy sewing and making jewelry.

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CLASS EXPECTATIONS/MUTING:
I do my best to encourage participation from learners enrolled in my classes. I prefer to leave learners unmuted, but I understand that there are instances where learners need to be muted due to background noise that cannot be prevented. Parents, please feel free to mute your learners at your discretion. 

As the teacher, there are also instances where I will need to utilize the mute function. If there is background noise that may be distracting to other learners enrolled in the class, I will advise the student that they are being muted to limit the background noise. 

At the beginning of each class, I will also advise the learners of my expectations. Students are required to raise their hand and wait for their name to be called before speaking. To be respectful of all learners and to give everyone a chance to participate, it is important for students to abide by these rules.  I will use visual and verbal cues in an effort to remind young learners of these expectations. 

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SIBLINGS:
If you have more than one learner enrolled in the class, each learner that wants to participate must be enrolled to be fair to other students participating. Enrolled siblings are always welcome to share a screen during class. 

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REFUNDS & TRANSFERS:
Per Outschool's limited refund policy: "Full refund within 24 hours of purchase or up to a week in advance of the class." 

For one-time classes:
If within the week, you realize you won't be able to make class, please submit a transfer request from the classroom at least 24 hours in advance. This ensures another student who would like to take the class has enough time to see the opening and enroll. 
If contacted after class, I cannot refund or transfer. I do understand personal/family emergencies come up and will do my best to support you if I am contacted before class. If your learner is withdrawn on your end within the non-refundable period, I am unable to transfer you. It is best to contact me first for your options.

Please test Zoom before class. I like to be fully present with students as soon as we begin class, and do not access my conversations or classroom comments on Outschool after the class has already started.

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RECORDINGS:
Recordings are not automatically shown in the classroom. I like to create a safe, open space for students to be themselves and want them to be as interactive as possible. If you would like access to the class recording or have missed class, feel free to message me so I can make it available to you. Teachers don't get notifications if recordings are requested from the classroom tab, so messaging me is best.