Excited is an Understatement!

Post by Sarah McGlothlinNarrows Elementary Middle School, VA

I walked away from our last AT session feeling revived with excitement.  The collaboration from other teachers was energizing.  Most of all, I walked away with a greater wealth of knowledge not only from the presenters but also from the teachers I was fortunate enough to collaborate with during the stay in West Virginia. 

 I have been pleasantly surprised with the willingness to incorporate the plan my group came up with at our summer meeting from not only our building administrator, but also from other teachers.  Our principal even  included us in his annual written plan.  In addition, Donna, Crissy, and I have been requested to present our plan to our local school board. 

I think this will open up many avenues for the knowledge of Mill Creek area and the AT trail to expand in our community.

  As you can see from the pictures above, today I took a group of 44 students to the site.  I was extremely nervous about taking a large group to the site, but after the first hour the joy of the student’s faces made every amount of fear go away.  They thoroughly enjoyed the hike, small activities, and the leaf identification.  We tagged several trees to come back and view over the next several months.  Feeling excited with the amount of progress today is an understatement.  I truly can’t wait to go back, explore, and continue to open up the minds of the students.  Without the support of the AT staff, I wouldn’t have ever dreamed that I could accomplish this outdoor classroom.  In addition, the amount of learning in this environment cannot be surpassed.

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