Overall this was a nice trip to Lorado Taft with my 5th graders. This outdoor education retreat is one of the most meaningful and important experiences at my school. It’s the first overnight trip that students go on. Every following year, students go on other trips. Each trip has different goals, and different activities. The uniqueness of this experiences of this trip, and the fact that it’s the first overnight school trip makes it feel special.
There’s a group of teachers who go year after year, however there are always at least two or three new teachers who come on this trip. This time that I have during trip to get to know these new teachers have created foundations of relationships that have continues to grow. After this trip, it’s like we see each other in a different way, and have a shared experiences that brings us closer together.
One of the unique things about this trip is that high school seniors have a chance to go on it. All of the seniors are assigned different classrooms as part of a “Big Brother and Big Sisters” program. The seniors who are assigned to 5th grade have the chance to go on the Lorado Taft retreat along with the 5th graders. This is a great opportunity for leadership, revisiting this past experience, and reconnecting with the 5th grade teachers in a different context. I’ve really valued the time with seniors is past years on this trip, but this year was special. The seniors this year that came were the first seniors who had me as their 5th grade music teacher to go revisit this trip with me.
Instead of telling me recollections of their past music teachers, they were telling me stories about times they had me as a music teacher in the music classroom and on the 5th grade trip.
I remember them as 5th graders better than they do, and they remember times with me as their 5th grade music teacher better than I do. Some of their fond memories they share with me, I clearly remember but others that feel familiar I can’t bring to mind. It’s a reminder how impressionable how even though specific memories are lost, impressions and feelings remain.
One senior who came reminded me of the speech I gave during the campfire sing-along. I hadn’t really thought about it until she brought it up. She told me it was the best speech she had ever heard (I wrote it down on this post). It’s a great feeling knowing that my efforts have meant something.
Every year this trip is a challenge. There’s struggles that I don’t look forward to, but the good moments keep coming. With seniors coming from now on that I’ve taught, I’ll be reminded that all of the work, and the time away from my family means something to them, as it means something to me.
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