“I don’t want any child’s life chances determined by the street they grow up on,” says Ben Henderson, deputy headteacher at Stobhillgate First school, in Morpeth, Northumberland. “A lot of the children I teach have never been much farther than the neighbourhood where they live; then you take them on a trip and they see a cow for the first time. Next they might have to climb a steep hill, get a bit muddy – but then they get to the top. And it’s rewarding.” The 37-year-old has been teaching primary-aged children for nine years, and prides himself on working to connect with pupils who have less stable home lives. His ability to build this rapport has earned him the role of “inclusion leader” at the school, and he often looks for fresh-air solutions to teach reluctant learners – whether that’s inside the school gates or farther afield. Henderson’s passion for outdoor learning stems from a childhood of open-air adventures. “I went to cubs and scouts and was outside a lot,” he says. “When I started teaching, I realised that this wasn’t the case for many kids, so I made it part of my job to give them those experiences.” In his time at Stobhillgate, Henderson has run overnight camping trips to Hadrian’s Wall and day trips to study the South Shields coast. He has worked with local cadets to teach pupils camping skills, and with the walking and cycling charity Sustrans to introduce them to scenic local cycle paths. “Many of our pupils don’t cycle farther than their own street. We plan routes in class and do the rides together. Those shared adventures provide opportunities for ‘wow’ moments with kids who are often harder to reach in the classroom. It builds their confidence and helps establish trusting relationships.” Henderson gets pupils out into the playground for at least one forest school lesson of outdoor education each week. The children could find themselves learning fractions using different coloured leaves, or pattern-making with sticks and stones. “The children almost forget they’re learning when they’re outdoors,” he says. “It can be a calming environment.” One success story that sticks in his mind is a boy who was reserved in class but discovered new leadership skills on a trip to Hadrian’s Wall. “Suddenly he had classmates lining up for his help putting up their tents,” Henderson recalls. “The look of pride on his face was magic. That’s what you go to work for.” As a science teacher, 30-year-old Emma Lampard is constantly looking for memorable ways to bring her subject to life – whether that’s teaching children about plant stomata using the unlikely example of Kylie Jenner’s lips (it’s all about the shape), or demonstrating terminal velocity with the help of the Super Mario brothers. Another favourite technique of hers is taking lessons outside. “Pond dipping, mini-beast hunts or swabbing equipment in the school playground for bacteria all help to capture their attention,” she says. Getting out of the classroom, whenever possible, is all part of making topics stimulating and showing pupils the role that school subjects play in the world around them. Lampard began teaching five years ago, taking up a position at Parrs Wood high school, in East Didsbury, Manchester, where she had been a student herself. She’s particularly passionate about working with lower-achieving pupils who need an extra boost, which often involves thinking creatively to get them engaged in lessons or new opportunities. “As a teacher, you make a difference in all students’ lives,” she says. “But it feels even better with those you experience real breakthroughs with.” Lampard has twice taken groups of disadvantaged pupils to Ghyll Head outdoor education centre, in the Lake District, to join a schools’ outdoors pursuits challenge – an experience she found as rewarding as her pupils. “I’ve had students who won’t pick up a pen to write because they’re scared of failure and seen them build resilience on the trip,” she says. “One girl was recognised as an outstanding leader and won a week’s holiday to build on her leadership skills. Another boy, who was notoriously disruptive in class, was desperate to try canoeing – and did. Colleagues said his attitude to learning had noticeably improved when we returned.” Jake Shepherd, 23, is in his first year teaching geography at Leventhorpe school, in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, and has wasted no time sharing his passion for geocaching – outdoor treasure hunts using GPS coordinates to find hidden parcels or “caches” – with his students. “Geocaching has been a passion of mine since I was 11,” he says. “It’s a great way to explore your local area, learn map-reading and problem solving skills. “Finding a geocache location close to school and giving the children the coordinates has been a popular piece of homework that they can do outside in the fresh air. It’s great to see them go off and learn independently and try something I love. It’s fun, exciting and a different way of learning.” Shepherd may have only been teaching for a short while, but his passion for the environment and nature is already rubbing off. “One of my year 8s told me he had started cycling the five miles to school because of our sustainable transport lessons,” Shepherd says. “I thought I should practise what I preach, and now make the same journey as him, on my bike, each day. Getting out in the fresh air, first thing, brings a sense of fulfilment; I’ve made a difference to my local environment before I’ve arrived at work.” With classes having taken place online for most of his teaching career so far, Shepherd has not been able to work with the children outside as much as he’d like to, but it’s something he’s eager to put into practice now that schools are back. “I’m keen to take the year 10s river-wading and to meet communities in flood-prone areas,” he says. “Colleagues tell me how different a child can be when they learn outside the classroom. It’s clear that there’s a real benefit to those memorable experiences that teach kids lessons for life, and stand out from a regular school day.” In teaching every day is different, and so is every teacher. Discover 100 teachers across the country, shaping lives. And if you’d like to know how you can bring your individual passions to a job in teaching, head to Get Into Teaching to find out more.