This week was an amazing week for me as an educator. I was given the opportunity to teach in another non-formal setting at a camp that Shaver's Creek holds for schools called Outdoor School. This is one of the coolest things I have been able to do so far in student teaching. For a whole week, I was out in the wilderness, totally disconnected from the outside world, teaching students about the environment. It was something I was nervous about, but I knew I was going to love. The week had finally come and on Monday I headed out to Camp Blue Diamond. This camp is out past Petersburg, PA in Huntingdon County. I was literally in the middle of nowhere, but it was nice to not have to worry about the 50+ emails I receive throughout the day or the other assignments that were on my plate to finish in the coming weeks.The first day, Monday, was a logistical day for the counselors and Learning Group Leaders. I was acting as a Learning Group Leader, and I had 3 counselors under my supervision and part of my teaching team. At Outdoor School, we don't go by our real names, but instead go by nature names. My nature name is Orion, as in the constellation in the sky. There's a story behind the name, but that will probably have to wait until later. In my teaching team I had Bear, Lightning, and Daffodil who were counselors there to help me. I got acquainted with them and we set our goals for the week and I tried to convey to them how much I wanted to be here and show enthusiasm for the learning that was going to happen. Towards the end of the day, the students chose an activity to teach throughout the week, and I was there to guide them and help to create a meaningful lesson. It was great to see other perspectives from students who were not education majors, but still saw the value of educating students. Overall, I was happy with my teaching team and was looking forward too all that was ahead of me.
The day was here. The students would be at camp so soon that we were all filled with anticipation. I was excited myself, and actually nervous as well because the weather was not cooperating like we thought it was going too. It was rainy and cold, making going outside that much tougher. But, with true Outdoor School enthusiasm, the counselors and LGLs ran to the bus and greeted the students. We got so fired up because they were finally here and we could make a difference in their lives. That day, I led 10 students on a discovery walk along one of the trails that made me realize how many other factors non-formal education brings into play. I not only had to worry about time and content, but I had to worry about the weather and being outside for an extended period of time. I did a good job of mixing up my activities, and the students were able to have a good lesson.Wednesday and Thursday were just a blur. Honestly, we were going from 7:30am until 11pm at night. The days were so crazy and hectic, I just can't believe the students were able to handle. Most of the time the counselors were more tired than the students, but we always kept our enthusiasm up for the campers. It wasn't for us, but for these students to have the best experience possible. On Wednesday, I had a moment that I will never forget. I was taking my campers on a trail that I did not scout out beforehand. It was the hidden pond trail and I really wanted to make their experience magical by finding this hidden pond. We started trekking through the brush, and I started to lose my bearing. I kept pushing through and just had to stay positive that I would find that pond. Finally, one of my counselors spotted the pond. I had the sigh of relief when he said that. All in all, I don't think the students knew we were lost, even if it was just for a brief part of the trail. The pond was magical and they bragged all about it to their other friends and I felt like I truly made them happy. I asked if they liked doing all that hiking, and one boy said, "I love this hike, we really don't get to do much back in Lancaster, so this is awesome!" I was able to reach out to some of them and not so much teach them, because they already knew most of the subjects, but just provide a positive outdoor experience for them to remember.
We said goodbye to the students on Thursday and it felt like a blink of an eye. I couldn't believe it was all over. I met with my counselors and we reflected on the whole week. I was so proud of all of them, and what we did as a learning group with the students. We had an amazing time and I definitely felt the magic that Outdoor School brings to students and the college students who participate in it. I had all day Friday to reflect on what happened this week, and I truly believe in what Outdoor School stands for. I loved the atmosphere and how every person was there to further develop students and the interrelationships that we have with the environment. I couldn't imagine my student teaching experience without doing this week of Outdoor School, because it truly did help me to understand more about teaching and the numerous obstacles that occur when teaching in both formal and non-formal settings.
It was a pleasure to write for you.
