Meet Me in the Middle: Chapter 13

This chapter discussed the unique classroom experiences that could be had in the great wide world of the outside. The author strongly advocates some form of outdoor activity with classrooms for several reasons; not only is fresh air a necessity that many students don't get enough of, but it allows for more movement and less same-old, same-old kind of thing for each and every day. He also suggests that spending time outside breaks down the traditional lenses that teachers view their students with, and even vice versa. The author shared his own experiences with taking his classes on various camping and wilderness trips, which only illustrated that students are ready, willing, and incredibly able to further develop their own sense of independence within the supervised setting that the teacher can provide. Wormeli also mentioned the different types of outdoor activities he has enjoyed with his classes.

The first thing I thought when I was reading this particular chapter was, 'I LOVE BEING OUTSIDE.' No, seriously. The second thing I thought of were two isolated third-grade-related incidents relating to outdoor lessons. The first one was my own third grade experience on Ossippee Mountain, where the entire third grade of Narragansett Elementary School in Gorham spent the day hiking. We investigated the weather tower (couldn't climb up, but we tried!), observed different ecosystems, and watched for animal tracks. The second third grade experience is technically my younger brother Marshall's, but I was there as well, so... anyway, at the very end of the school year (because the Ossippee Mountain trip is always in October), my brother Marshall's class took a weekend trip to Baxter State Park and hiked Mount Katahdin to Chimney Pond. The cool thing about this trip is the fact that his teacher, Mr. Sands, put together enough fund-raising materials so every child's family could take part in the trip as well (which is where I come in). My dad, Marshall, me, and my friend Sarah were able to go on the trip, and even though Sarah and I were in seventh grade at the time, we had a blast learning about the geological elements and how to read maps, compasses, and build fires and such. I especially think that, even if an overnight excursion isn't possible or practical (I mean, what if something happens to the students, or they aren't ready for that kind of responsibility?), day trips to local outdoors-y places can fulfill the suggestions Wormeli has made.