Tales From the Trails: Transformed by the Trail

Monday, June 25, 2018

Transformed by the Trail

Being the caretaker for an outdoor classroom comes with a lot of responsibility. For the last three years, I have spent countless hours planning and improving (hopefully) the outdoor classroom. I remember going there with my lawnmower and mowing out the trail I had designed. I remember just walking the trail with my daughter, looking over the land for potential hazards and imaging all the things I could do with my students.

Every year, I aim to improve it. Whether it be by adding some spur trails off the main path, adding birdboxes, removing invasive species. and/or getting grant money to add a butterfly garden and more native planting, my goal is to make this space a space for all to enjoy and use.

Seeing the nature kindergarten classroom I piloted turn into a whole grade level collaboration with the Retzer Nature Center and then seeing that program be so successful, it is now expanding to the entire school.

It is all more than I could have imagined.

I spent this last Sunday mowing the trail. It gave me a lot of time to think. I usually think about how I can make the land better, unique lesson ideas, new service projects, etc. However, my mind was distressed this weekend.

I know change is good and for the last few years I have been working to try and get other teachers to try out the trail and trust that time outside will help. It is an extra time commitment in an already time-constrained profession, but I felt strongly that more time outside would improve the entire experiences for all our kids.

Let's just say there were mixed reviews. Many tried it and provided great and positive feedback. Some struggles to get it into their tight schedules. Some ignored it and maybe even threw some figurative daggers my way for trying to implement change.

However, as my team took the risk and reaped the benefits of outdoor learning, the "positive pressure" to get more kids outside was evident. More and more teachers tried it. And, more and more community members took notice and wanted more.

So I knew that with that "positive pressure" being felt by others, I knew I might get some grief.

And I did. Over the last few weeks, I've felt terrible about it. I've felt guilty for being "responsible" for this change. Some colleagues told me that I am taking my passion and essentially forcing it on them. It hurt. It really did.

But then, as I was mowing the trail and just thinking, I immersed myself in the land. I saw deer, heard birds, and felt a crisp breeze. Fresh blossoms sweetened the air. Toads hopped alongside me as I mowed. Nature calmed me.

Then it hit me. I was feeling guilty, down and out, and dejected because I was trying to please everyone. This was and is an impossible task.

This isn't about me. This isn't about the other teachers. This isn't about the administration. THIS IS ABOUT KIDS!

So I'm OK with feeling the daggers, getting heat from other adults, and being responsible for this change. Because it isn't about me.

Take the kids outside. See what happens, It might not be your cup of tea. But if you're doing this for yourself, does it really matter anyways?