Out in the Woods, Down at the Bogs

The perfect place to explore for the little ones with great minds and curiosity.

Truly, J, I have been blessed to teach at a school where I can easily take the children out into the woods.  I only wish more teachers at my school would make use of our environment to teach.

You are right Bob. I started out in a small country side school with a total of 100 students, and the teachers we liked the most were the ones who took their time to let us have hands-on learning.

I am just excited that Roshane's class went on three fieldtrips this year, as it had been said there would be no fieldtrips due to budget cuts. He went to a farm, the science museum and to a play, and his new teacher even raised caterpillars with them...which was something very special to the city kids.

I too beleive that the sooner we teach the children of the wonders of nature the sooner they realize that it's all connected and that they are not the only living things on this planet that matters.

We are all inter-connected...aren't we just all one big family under one sky?

Those children are so lucky that you are their teacher.  Most would never have had the experiences you've shown them.  You are one of those teachers that truly touch lives and people remember them forever.

First and foremost, Vicky, I had wonderful role models when I was a little kid.  They taught me so much that can't be found in a text book.  I try to share "their wisdom" with the new generation.

Keith...it was a lot of fun....I love listening to their conversations as they explore new surroundings and concepts.  One learns so much.

You do what my grandfather did with his class - take the kids outside for a hands on experience. I have always been in awe of his ability to keep kids of all ages - they were 6 to 14-years old - engaged and interested. They had fun and learned.

To me that always made so much more sense than dissecting a frog in biology, where is the care and enthusiasm and stewardship of life on earth in that?

What a wonderful essay...and it looks like so much fun!

Great Photo Essay here, you can tell everyone sure had fun

Our Kindergarten teacher Sr. Pacifica was certainly worlds away from you when it came to teaching methods.  Hers was "don't touch,  no talking, and listen only" policy. We were always in single file when we walked outside, quiet as the proverbial church mice, our eyes on her out front of the line like a tall mast in her black and white habit as she steered as through the halls of the school in our clean uniforms of marroon , white and gold.  We were never allowed to stop and investigate the orchards or the ponds at the grounds of the convent and school for hands-on educational purposes... They were in fact verboten, fenced-in areas!  I always wanted to climb the fences and see the mayas, the parrots and other birds... and touch the fruit of every tree that was growing there--- the avocados, the the guavas, the mangoes, santol, the papayas, coconuts, starfruit, starapple, cerisa, suha, the duhat trees ...or check out the tadpoles, the goldfishes, the waterlilies and the butterflies in the ponds. Just think how much fun I missed :-(

Oh Duckie...imagine all the fine teaching moments Sister Pacifica missed....with an environment such as the convent grounds, just think about the "mouth-on" experiences one could share with little ones never mind the naturel bio-systems.

I saw the frog!  How fun to get out doors and explore with the children.  Great shots, Bob!

I love to see my little girls as curious and "dirty" as the little boys.  Who cares if they get dirt all over their clothes?  That's why I tell the parents not to spend loads of money on cute little frocks that can't see dirt, paint, etc.

Hands on is the best kind of learning.

what a wonderful way to end the year with your little people full of wonder and joy.

Trying Grems to savor every moment with this last class...only a few more to go...come Thursday they and I will "move on".

I will be thinking of you.  Transitions are always hard even if they are at the right time and for the right reasons.

Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts.

hi Bob - beautiful photos and post and I agree that all children should learn the joys of nature - get in that dirt and roll around - and learn about the tiniest things that inhabit their own worlds - these kids will grow up to love and respect nature, thanks to you!  Salud

When I was a kid, I spent 98% of my time outside exploring - even to this day, I can barely stand to be inside more than the hours it takes to sleep at night - and it's all thanks to my parents who enjoyed the great outdoors in the simplest ways of just sitting and talking under the moon...walking down country roads or just planting a tree...it's a wonderful and treasured gift to have such memories so again, thanks Bob.  Salud

You know, I knew that about you, Mariana and I think that's why I'm so pulled to you.  You have not lost that spirit of adventure...that love of the outdoors and that "crazy" feeling you want to fully explore living.

u have a beautiful beauty crazy exploring mind as I learn from your photos and words

Thank you Dr. for your kind words...

Wonderful lessons to learn from and for the little ones, Bob.  What a way to end a stellar career, right?  You will miss these open minds, but you deserve to get out and explore for yourself!

A stellar-Bella career.....it was a really good run.  Bittersweet these last couple of days....but then new adventures could be on the horizon.  NASA might choose me in the next round to fly on the Shuttle....or the winds of a Tornado could pick me up and drop me in Oz...one nevers knows...but I best get some sparkly red shoes, just in case.

I do believe that teaching children about nature and exploring to find hidden treasures lasts a lifetime.  That curiosity sticks with you and I know for me I can never see the woods or a field, the ocean or stream and not wonder what I might be able to find.

Thanks so much for sharing this with my group.

You know, that's the thing, I can always tell from the conversations I have with people, whether or not as little kids they experienced the "wonders of nature"...it permeates their talk and their actions.

Ah the joys of sharing these experiences with the very young. I do believe that Kindergarten has kept you young for all these years.

Featured in the The Triple Name Club

I do agree, Kathryn....being with the young certainly keeps one young at heart.  How can you resist not stepping into their fantasy worlds.  Today I attended Julia's first piano recital in Plymouth....right after she played, Sage got antsy so I took her outside where she immediately said, "Nana, the faeries have no place to live in this town, we should built them a faerie house".  In this big parking lot filled with cars, Sage started collecting sticks, leaves and fallen flower petals to build such a shelter.  Believer in all things possible, I collected too.

Sharing the wisdom of the ages with the next generation. Thank goodness there are still some who do that! I was fortunate as a child to spend almost every spare moment outside the school room in the living laboratory of sylvan forests, cow pastures and hidden meadows. Even now I can close my eyes and see myself stretched out on the earth investigating every creature that lived beside brook, pond, and silver stream! Thank you, Elizabeth, for opening the magical world of nature to the children in your charge. This is a beautiful photo essay. We are featuring it this week at Home Comfort

Thank you for the feature, Natalie, in Home Comfort.

I am sure that every child who has had the good fortune to be in your class will remember their experiences fondly ...and more importantly, use them as the base for their further development.

Seems to me that ~someone~ needs to be teaching the teachers to provide more of those opportunities... I wonder who would be good at that?

Ummmm....not a bad idea, flit....but first give me a few months to travel.  I have this itch right now to wander.

Looks like fun. I wish I was there with them.

I agree with Flit.

It was fun....I love listening to them as they discover new things.

Great experiences.  Our local kids are fortunate to have access to people ready, willing and able to show them nature and other topics hand-on.

Here in Massachusetts with the new state testing (MCAS), new teachers for the most part, are afraid to go beyond the prescribed curricula.  When they are not parroting word for word what it says in the Teacher's Manual, they are teaching them how to take tests.  Drill and practice...drill and practice.  What they don't realize is the fact that "drill and practice" is fine if you want to create robots without problem solving skills....but for the twenty-first century, we need to do better then that.

It goes beyond Massachusetts, unfortunately.  When will we be able to have accountability in the schools without ill-conceived federal intervention?

That's what happens when you have politicians making decisions regarding education instead of educators using research-based data on how children learn.

Agreed.  It's the mindset that government can and should fix everything.

I remember when my mother a first grade teacher caught a deer mouse with babies and put them in an aquarium and brought them to school for her kids to watch. (And then set them free outdoors)

I remember my mother when we, her children were in 4-H and raising chicks brought eggs to hatch in the classroom and pens to keep them in when big enough in the yard during the day so the children could see them grow.

I remember my mother taking shampoo and cream rinse to school and extra clothes to share with her kids while there was a strike at the paper mill in the community she taught in so she could secretly wash some of the students hair and trade clothes so she could bring the soiled ones home to wash them at night to return them the next day. She also brought lunch for the children that had none.

You can't do that today but I'll bet you would find a way Elizabeth if that was necessary.

I certainly hope there is someone who will be able to walk in your shoes.

Your Mom sounds like my kind of teacher.  Many of the things you mentioned can't be done in the public school in lower '48 but in Alaska....things were really different.  Out in the bush, washing, brushing teeth, cooking breakfast was all part of the school day.

My mom was teaching in Stillwater, NY back then, probably in the early 60's or late 50's. Before the rules took over common sense. She was a wonderful teacher and loved her students. And they loved her.

It amazed me when in a dentists office in Indiana about 1983 I ran into a mother of a child my mom taught... she telling me what an impact my mother had on her child.

That is what mothers of your kids will be saying -

That's so exciting to be able to be one of the first people to show them these natural wonders, ee... They are very lucky to have teachers like YOU! :o)

And I have been lucky these past 41 years to spend my time with inquiring minds.

I think, Bob, all of your many fans will miss these posts about school when you retire in three days time.

The little ones will long look fondly back on their days with Mrs Evans.

Bravo!

All good things must come to an end.  Time to move on.

Yes, it is, Bob.  And you will enjoy the moving.

Elizabeth, as always you bring us the most delightful stories.  I can feel the energy and the search for experience that you bring to the children.  What a joy you are.

I'm afraid Karen with some children, "real experiences" in nature are lacking.  Oh yes, they might have an Ipod on their ears, a computer with games or a Wii in the den, and a television in their bedroom...but actual hands-on experience with "real things", like poliwogs, deer tracks, sponges, hermit crabs at the beach are sadly lacking.  The more times we can expose them to the joys of nature, the more they will be invested in keeping Earth a liveable planet for all living things.

Absolutely right.  I love rural life but am always surprised when children come to the farm, how they are in awe of what we see every day.

I was so lucky that my school backed into a woods.  I really enjoy seeing the things you have your children doing.

Bob, you've captured these inquiring minds so perfectly and have added another pearl on your beautiful string of memories. Three more days??? Are you ready?