Wednesday, March 29, 2017

#SOL17 - 30/31 The Me I Used to Be, Still Am

 


         #SOL17 30/31 I'm writing for the March Slice of Life challenge with the Two Writing Teachers community for Day Thirty of Thirty-One.  Thank you, Stacey, Beth, Deb, Betsy, Lanny, Kathleen, Lisa, and Melanie.   
                            One Day. . .

The final Thursday, and the final "me I used to be", although parts are still happening.


           When I taught, I taught at a school that valued trips. Every class from the youngest on took extended trips in the fall and the spring. The very youngest's extensions were only till dinnertime on that given one day. Time away increased as students grew older. By the time they became my middle schoolers (6, 7, 8) we went for about a week in the fall and 10 days to two weeks in the spring. I've traveled a lot with my family too, especially when my children were older, but the most primitive trips were those with students to Mexico and Costa Rica. Yes, we traveled far into the state of Sonora, Mexico and we drove and we camped. One time we were so tired at arrival, we simply threw our sleeping bags on the ground and slept. I remember being thrilled some of the time to be able to grab a garden hose to wash my hair. I could write a lot about adventures we had in cities, too, but it is the focused nature trips that thrilled me. 



       I was fortunate that I had a trip planner/teacher colleague whose only job was these trips, with my academic, social and emotional prep of the class. And my husband, luckily, was always there except a few trips sailing when he had too much else going on. We usually had a couple of other adults connecting and helping us on the trips when we arrived. But the students were quite capable and did a lot, too. They took good care of themselves and each other, set up tents and cooked. Nothing daunted them. As I was, they were ready for adventure! There are so many places in the world I'd love to travel, and hopefully, I'll get to some of them in the next few years


    A few picks from Sonora on the Sea of Cortez:



one time to rest and smile!


 Journaling and sketching, preparing to enter the huge caldera. 

Eating lunch from a taco cart in one of the small towns we visited.
Such a discovery. This is a boojum tree, one of the
few that survive in the desert. Very Dr. Seuss, right?

One of the places we camped. You can see the Sea of Cortez in this one.


We rode in pangas across to Tiburon Island, a desert island that was the
original home of the Seri Indians. They were our special guides there.


And in the desert, many tarantulas. They are big, and not so scary as the
small scorpions we had to look for constantly. Aren't the rocks beautiful?


It was a wonderful trip, one I won't forget.

31 comments:

  1. What a wonderful school culture! So many memories and memorable learning experiences. Enjoy your own upcoming adventures. There are so many places to visit and explore.
    https://wordsmithing2017.wordpress.com

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    1. Thanks, and yes loads of good memories throughout the years.

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  2. those are some wonderful pictures! and a great slice!

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  3. wow, very interesting!! love the pictures :)

    hannahshappenings.net (hannanabanana)
    http://hannahshappenings.net/2017/03/30/lethargic-lazy-and-lackadaisical-day-3031-march-sol

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  4. Wow, Linda! How amazing for your students!

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    1. Thanks, Loralee. This was a wonder of a trip!

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  5. This is such a cool thing to do with students! Learning about life in new settings...way better than always learning in the classroom. :)

    https://aggiekesler.wordpress.com/

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    1. Yes, I agree, Aggie. Good for their growing up!

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  6. Wow! It's so nice to get a look into the me you
    Used to be. I knew that you would be unique!!!
    Bonnie

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    1. Thanks, Bonnie, mostly the same, just having a good time!

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  7. What wonderful, wonderful experiences ... great photos and memories to share. I love the title "Sonora on the Sea of Cortez" it has such a romantic ring to it. May you enjoy many more memory-making travels.

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    1. Thanks, Alice, this is a trip I won't forget. It was magical.

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  8. The beauty you have seen. A school that values field trips like these is a minority. For students these trip-adventures were clearly unforgettable.

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    1. Yes, one of the students that went on this trip was the one who visited me last week at the bookstore. We talked about the trip, and he does still remember. Thanks, Terje.

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  9. Well I would take every tax dollar I am currently paying and give it all to pay for such trips as the one you describe. Connecting with the earth, seeing other, coming to know community in newer ways --honestly what could be as important?

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    1. What a wish for all of us, Mary Ann! It is wonderful to take students (children) out into the wild, and help them know that they can love it and also do things they are not used to. Thanks!

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  10. I wish all students had a chance to have experiences like this. On a much, much smaller scale, the "me I used to be" took students hiking locally--first by shoehorning it into my sheltered geography curriculum, and then for three years by running a hiking club. It was amazing in so many ways.

    On a side note, in that first photo you look surprisingly like my godmother when she was young!

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    1. Fun to hear of the resemblance, Wendy! We didn't always take such faraway trips. Because we live near the Rockies, being close to those wonders meant some terrific times too, like your hiking adventures. There's lots to love in our own backyards. Thanks!

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  11. It is incredibly fabulous that your school valued trips! I remember reading about several of these trips of yours with your students. I love the idea of an "extended day" field trip with your youngest - I wonder what I would do with my preschoolers with that kind of time? Fascinating!

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    1. The primary teachers prep their little ones and they do plan about what they will do. They won't be picked up until dinnertime, and that (as you know) is a big deal for them. When I coached, I went on several of these trips. One was to a former colleague's farm. They spent the day watching the chickens, ducks, and turkeys, and got to pet the horses. And they helped plant things in the garden, played in her yard and some climbed trees as I remember. We read Charlotte's Web in the chicken house, a special moment. And we finished with ice cream toward the end at a park that had a stream. A long and wonderful day. Maybe you can figure out how to extend the day a little bit, Maureen? Thanks!

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  12. Oh wow! We certainly never did trips like this when I was in school! Though I am glad that my high school really respected the arts, so every class went to the theatre to see a play or musical every year, which was pretty amazing, and not something I probably would've been able to do otherwise!

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    1. I went on a number of trips in junior high and high school, primarily because of the band, orchestra and choir, but also a French trip to a French restaurant. Fun memories. I like hearing about your art experiences. Thanks, Jane.

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  13. What wonderful experiences your students had. We were lucky to get day trips out of our district. Great pictures. How much more your students learned by actually experiencing what they read about and studied in class.

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    1. Thank you. Yes, we studied quite a bit before we went, then of course followed up with more after. Really "being there" brings up more questions.

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  14. Not surprised at all that the focused nature trips were your favorites. I'm amazed at the length of time for these trips. Love the pics.

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    1. We were always glad to be home, but they were fun! Thanks, Ramona.

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  15. What an incredible opportunity for you and your students! I'm sure your students' memories are just as powerful. Thank you for sharing!

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  16. Wow! What an incredible experience for all of you! I can imagine that these trips built an amazing school community and lasting bonds between all those involved. Does your old school still have this trip focus? Speaking of focus--loved the photos as well!

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    1. Thanks, Molly. Yes. they're still doing the trips!

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