Opportunity

At the beginning of the school year we spent some time outside, doing simple observational tasks.  The prompts were open-ended.  "Write down some observations you can make."  See, I was trying to drill down on observations not being confined to visual identifications.  We reconvened and discussed sensory mapping.  I had my students sensory map from a grassy area just east of our school building.  After a round of mapping I brought everyone back together and discussed some common themes -- some ways students chose to represent their surroundings.  I asked how many students made note of the plane flying overhead.  How many recorded the dump truck driving by?  Students became more attuned to their surroundings... thinking about their environment in new light.

Later we came back outside and did an activity where students recorded biotic and abiotic factors in our school's habitat.  I could see eyes widening.  Kids were getting excited. 

Laughing after inadvertently walking through a spider web
Really close admiration of a praying mantis mimicking wind movement 
Excited discovery of a shoelace being used for nesting material
Furrowed brows, asking about bagworm cocoons
Intently listening to determine the location of cicadas
Curiosity about certain conifers being dioecious

Experience became vocabulary.  They were all fluent.

This.  This is the school I want.  The outdoor classroom.  Students still talk about those brief couple of days spent outside, talking about very rudimentary science concepts.  They and I both yearn to learn by participating in genuine outdoor experiences.  

Through this blog and an ongoing project I hope to engage my students differently.  I hope to also engage the community.  A wonder stirs inside all of us.  This wonder is about the natural world -- questions that are asked without thought, nervous hesitation when interacting up-close with bugs and critters.  

My hope with my teaching, this blog, and the project at-large is to create learners who will subsequently teach others through their excitement and admiration of the natural world.  Tying school to community - making conservation through community.  This blog is for like-minded educators... educators hoping to enact change in their pedagogy to better their students' learning.  This blog is for educators who want to bring attention and light to conservation and nature. 

Welcome to hope.  Welcome to awe.  Welcome to change.  I'm glad you're here.

Call to Action
In what ways do you see yourself engaging your students in meaningful ways, through your instruction?  Please leave me a comment.  Change starts from within.